Be Ready: Uses for an Electric Home Power Generator
Author: Grant Eckert-
Knowing is half the battle, in most if not all walks of life. Remembering what had been needed or sorely missed in the past when surviving an emergency or complex situation, as well as foreseeing what could be needed in the future, will help make you prepared and sufficiently autonomous when the real test comes along.
Short-term Uses
Home owners faced with a particularly large and diverse land, or simply quite adamant in doing every home-related work independently, will need a wide range of powerful equipment to be used on the spot for a short period of time. Added to the eventual power-failures and other emergencies, a portable model of generator, to be moved and called upon at a moment's notice, might be the way to go to undertake the following uses:
- Landscaping Work: Mowing the lawn, blowing the leaves, trimming the hedges and other gardening ordeals are more and more done with electrical equipment for a green-thinking household. It might also be convenient for pools to drain, clean and even fill up.
- Renovations and Tough jobs: Big jobs on and around the house (as small ones) often require some specific tools, like power drills, skill saws, sand belts and the likes. Even more convenient when actually BUIDLING the house in question - where could power be taken from otherwise? Same for building a backyard shed, patio deck or any other out-house installation.
- Recreational Activities: Summertime and winter can both call for a familial or social gathering, or any sports and recreational activity when basic lighting will be needed, along with some music, a spot of industrial cooking or even a little heat.
Medium to Long-Term Uses
Some homes and areas are more susceptible to frequent and lengthy power outages where a permanent secondary solution might prove to be no less than vital. Stationary or Standby models would then be a better bet, with the added advantage of offering an output for any other near-house activity or use that comes along on a frequent basis without forcing the home-owner to get his generator out of storage and fuelled up every single time. Economy of time, space and strength will get along perfectly with a power-hungry appliance.
- Emergencies: Small and medium-sized generators will ensure a vital set of acreature comforts", even if on a smaller scale, that might be more than simple luxury. Running lamps and lights, heaters and cooking appliances, providing for rechargeable devices like cell phones and laptops and running a host of small household appliances will be done quickly and without hassle to ride out the storm or event that made the power go. Larger models will also provide the ability to run the furnace and large appliances like washer and dryer as well as water heater.
- Reassurance When Away: Stationary models often come equipped with a stand-by to trigger an automatic start-up when power lines go out. Especially useful when owners or house dwellers are away. Freezer and fridge will keep going, preventing the spoiling of food. House susceptible to floods will also need a working water pump to drain the basement and keep personal effects out of danger. And last but not least, homes equipped with security systems will not become sitting ducks for opportunistic burglars and looters.
Be Safe & Ready
Whatever the use when obtaining a home power generator, never should it be forgotten that it is an electric power generator, thus requiring relative safety when handling and installing. Make sure to have an expert do any wiring work to patch the generator directly into the house's electrical panel, and to equip your entire home with toxicity alarms if the basement or garage is chosen as resting space for the gas-powered models. Ask your retailer about the level of power your purchase will provide and safety features you might need to know about. Because lest we forget, knowing is half the battle.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/tools-and-equipment-articles/be-ready-uses-for-an-electric-home-power-generator-363902.html
About the Author
Craig Elliott is a freelance writer who writes about topics concerning alternative heat sources such as Wood Stoves | Pellet Stoves
It depends on what you want with the generator. If it is temporary for a power outage of just a few days, then the main needs are different than an emergency standby generator for an enduring outage. Your main listed item is the water heater. It will draw 30 amps at 240 volts, this alone requires a 8KW unit. The best way is have a qualified professional electrician design and install the system. To do this, you need to decide exactly what you need to run on the generator and for the length of time it will be in use. Start by listing every item in your home that uses electricity and then eliminate non vital items. An electric range is not vital, nor a tv or computer. Lights, fans, refrigerator and freezer and water pump are vital. Also needed is a power transfer switch if the generator will be wired into the home power system. Add the circuits together for a total power requirement, most of items will have wattage ratings on them. Once you have these requirements listed, you can decide on the size of the system you need. In general a small temporary unit that runs with extension cords should run about 6 hours a day total, even those you need to size the generator at twice what your requirements total. If you need a standby power generator that is permanently installed should be larger, it also requires a transfer switch and permanent wiring and an inspection. About the smallest that is practical for this is 12 KW, 15 is better. Choice of fuel will also change the power output of the generator.
I hope this helps, I repeat, get a professional electrician to do the design and installation.
Quick & Dirty – Potentially Dangerous
The right thing to do is have a licensed electrician install a transfer box which essentially disconnects the house from the power line comming into the house and then connects the generator to predetermined circuits in the house. This prevents power from the generator from energizing the power line while utility people might be working on repairs and distributes power via breaker protection to specific devices/circuits in the house.
You could disconnect the house from the power line by switching off/removing/disconnecting the main circuit breakers from the breaker box where the power line enters the house. This will prevent electric power from backfeeding into the utility power lines and eliminates one potentially life threatening danger.
Now, if you plug the generator into an outlet, the generator power does not go thru the circuit breaker that normally protects all the other things connected to the same circuit as that outlet. And, if all the individual breaker switches in the breaker box are on, some of the other circuits in the house might also be energized by the generator unless ALL the breaker switches are turned off. The only protection on this circuit now is whatever the generator breaker offers which could be more power than that one circuit should have.
I’m assuming the generator would be providing 110V and not 220V. So, there are even more concerns regarding 220V circuits. Potentially, having only one side of a 220V circuit energized, could damage some devices like motors, pumps, etc.
Messing around with electricity and power panels can be very dangerous; a licensed electrician is you best, safest bet.
Question about generator size to power a home?
I have a 1600sqft home with a 100amp box… 3 or 4 different 30amp circuits. How much Wattage would a portable generator need to be to run the necessary emergency systems in my house? my lights, well water pump, and water heater/boiler?
Anyone have experience with generator power?
Thanks.
can you use a generator to power a home circuit?
Can you power a home curcuit by using a generator and a male-male extention cord plugged into a wall outlet?
can you run an generator to power up your home?
i have an 4000 power generator can i run the generator all day and night safely
will it break down if i run it day and nite
what do you mean overload it?
How many things can a 3250 Watt Portable Generator power in my home?
I was looking at generator’s to buy. This winter has been ruff and the last time the power went out in a snow storm it didn’t come back on for 2 weeks. When searching for these generator’s I was wondering to my self what size do I need? the 3250 watt generator seems to be popular but what in my house can I run with this?
I run much of my home with a 5500 watt generator. The largest single load is the deep well pump. By being careful to conserve energy and not operating all appliances at once I’ve never had a problem.
A 3250 watt generator is unlikely to power a 240V pump but might be enough for a 120V shallow well pump. You’d have to consider your heat source as well. My house is heated with hot water baseboard furnace, which also supplies domestic hot water. It requires only 750W peak power at startup.
After water and heat you should consider cooking. A microwave or toaster oven will require about 1500 watts each. You will also need a couple hundreds watts for lighting, and a bit left over to power television or radio to keep up to date with weather conditions and other news.
Decide how you want to connect the generator to your house. Never use a double male cord to backfeed the panel. The best and safest approach is to install a transfer panel to power selected circuits. Plug in the generator, throw the switch and power is restored.
Read through my generator page for more information.
yes constantly
yez….
home power?
if power my home soley with a generator how long does the generator run . does it run constantly?