| Portable Power - Backup Generators for your Home |
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Do you know when you hook a portable generator directly to your panel or plug it into an outlet you are sending enough hydro back up the hydro line to kill the guy fixing the problem at the top of the pole, or your neighbour who believes the power to be out?
There are only two ways to safely use your portable generator:
Run an extension cord directly from the generator to the plug-in appliance, or feed the power from the generator through a proper "transfer switch" installed at your panel.
A transfer switch allows the flow of electricity from your generator to your panel and closes the path back out your hydro lines. Your panel then allows you to distribute the electricity to required destinations throughout your home.
Calculating the size you need:
To choose the right size of portable generator, add up the total number of watts that you could potentially want running at the same time.
As an example of how to calculate your requirements, assume your one light bulb needed is 100 watts, your slow cooker uses 200 watts, your TV uses 750 watts, your refrigerator runs on 1200 watts BUT needs 2900 start-up watts each time it cycles on. You must use the larger # in your calculation. The total wattage is 3950 so you will need a 4000 watt (4 kilowatt)portable generator to run these appliances.
When buying a portable generator for backup household power,the Shock Doctors recommend a midsize (6000-8000 watt) generator for basic needs. Remember your crucial items: sump, well and sewage pumps, fridge, freezer, and heat source. Your gas furnace still needs it's electric fan to deliver it's heat.
If you are planning on running the TV or computer, make sure you get a generator with inverter technology that keeps voltage consistent and reduces the risk of damage to sensitive electronics.
Setting it up: Choose an operating location that is at least 10 feet from entrances, windows, and vents. A running generator produces significant levels of carbon monoxide which is odorless and can be deadly.
Maintenance: If you already own a portable generator, now is the time to maintain it for the winter. Start the engine and run it with an electrical load until it runs out of fuel. Refuel with fresh, ethanol-blended premium fuel and a fuel stabilizer. Inspect the air and fuel filters and make sure any extension cords you plan to use are heavy duty and exterior rated.
Bring on the winter... you are ready! |
| Make the Change to LED's this Christmas |
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Why should you?
- They use up to 95 per cent less electricity.
- They produce virtually no heat lowering the risk of fire and making them the safer choice around young children.
- They generate more light per watt than traditional incandescent lights.
- They have a lifespan of about 5 years and are virtually unbreakable because the chips that convert electricity to light are encapsulated in solid plastic, rather than glass bulbs.
- You can safely connect MANY more sets of LED lights end to end than regular minilights(40 versus 3)
- Best of all, they dont burn out, they just fade, and a single fading bulb will not cause the whole string to be out!
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| Compare the energy costs of your Christmas lights |
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These costs are based on lighting 10 feet of bulbs for 5 hours a night for 30 nights
- 10 feet of old style C9 5 watt bulbs ( 10 bulbs ) .....50 cents
- 10 feet of old style C9 7 watt bulbs ( 10 bulbs ) .....69 cents
- 10 feet of LED C9 0.65watt bulbs ( 10 bulbs ) ...... 6 cents
- 10 feet of regular icicle minilights ( 100 bulbs ) .....45 cents
- 10 feet of LED icicle minilights ( 100 bulbs) ...... 5 cents
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Our ladder safety tips this month are right from our weekly employee "Tailgate safety lesson": NEVER use a metal ladder near incoming hydro lines.....NEVER stand on the top 4 rungs of an extension ladder or the top 2 rungs of a step ladder.... NEVER OVER REACH- keep your body within the ladder's side rails.
Have a blessed Christmas!
Cheri Carman 
The Shock Doctors
ECRA of the ESA #7001377 |
