Emergency Generators

As power demand continues to challenge available power resources worldwide, power failures have been the cause of both inconvenience and great financial loss both at home and at work. Emergency generators have become an indispensable source of safety, security and peace of mind. The 2002 rolling blackouts in California were a prime example of how disruptive power problems can be to businesses. Similarly, hospitals and citizens alike depended on emergency generators to provide essential services in the aftermath of Katrina and Hurricane Wilma.

Emergency generators are used to offset the harmful effects of power outages: emergency generators are installed permanently as an emergency power source. Since even short power outages can create dangerous situations or cost businesses significant amounts of money, often the investment in an emergency generator is recouped at the first significant outage.

Emergency generators are hardwired into a building's electrical system, and usually get fuel from city gas or propane lines. Generator dealers will usually visit your location to determine what size and type of generator you need, and in most cases the dealers offer delivery, installation, and maintenance services.

Since emergency generators are connected directly to a building's wiring, proper installation is critical. Shoddy installation work can cause the generator to fail or overheat, and cause damage to your existing wiring and equipment. Gas or propane line connection should be in the hands of a qualified expert. To install the emergency generator you will need a hard, level surface, typically a poured concrete pad. If you rent space, make sure your landlord approves your plans for installing an emergency generator.

Connecting an emergency generator to your existing electrical system entails a separate device called an automatic transfer switch. The transfer switch is a safety system that prevents your generator from feeding electricity back to the neighborhood power grid. The transfer switch senses when regular utility power in interrupted and starts up the emergency generator. In seconds, the transfer switch disconnects the load from the utility and connects it to the emergency generator. The switch continues to monitor the utility power and when power is restored, it switches the electric load from the emergency generator back to the utility. The emergency generator then goes through a cool-down routine and automatically shuts down.

Note that installation of transfer switches sometimes requires local permits - but it always requires a professional electrician. Do not attempt to install a transfer switch yourself.

For whole-house emergency backup power, generator size is crucial. Low voltages, insufficient current or inconsistent frequency will cause problems with electric motors, electronic controls and computer systems. Reminder: If the power is out for several hours, don't forget to power your fridge and freezer to ensure that no food gets spoiled.

Finally, emergency generators should be run at least once a month. This lubricates the system and helps to insure that the generator will start when you really need it in an emergency.