By KEVIN J. DONALDSON
Crossville Life Features Editor
Our memories are much too short when it comes to some things in life, especially things that don’t happen very often.
One such thing that comes to my mind is remembering to clean out the gutters. I only seem to remember to do that when a small deluge is falling and I see rain coming over the top of the gutter, not through the downspout. Then, my obsession won’t let me wait until the rain’s over. I have to drag the ladder out and do it right then, usually getting completely drenched, even if I put on the rain gear.
At the time of this writing, winter is basically a month away. There are things we always remember to “winterize,” or make preparations for – putting away our garden hoses and covering our outside faucets, covering foundations vents, or any of a number of other things.
Living on the Cumberland Plateau, especially in the Crossville area, and considering what happened last winter, it could be that investing in a generator is on your list. The area was battered by a huge ice storm last winter that left thousands of people without power for hours or days. How much would you have given to have had a portable generator in the garage or a permanent one behind the house?
Chances are there many of you reading this story who would have given twice the sticker price for a generator during that horrific stretch. If you haven’t invested in one already, this is a perfect time to start thinking about it for this winter.
Many things to consider
There are several factors to consider in buying a generator to keep things running during power outages, said Robert Craighead a longtime generator installer, serviceman and salesperson who resides in Clay County.
“The first question you need to ask yourself when considering a generator is: ‘how much money am I willing to spend?’,” Craighead said. “That will go a long way in helping figure out what kind of generator you’re talking about. Depending on several factors, generators come in a wide variety of prices.”
The second question to ask yourself, Craighead said, is “do I want a portable generator or standby? Portable generators are usually smaller, and would normally be used to run a few critical pieces of equipment or appliances in an emergency, although there are some portable units that could run a whole house. Generally speaking, standby generators would be used to run the entire house.” Standby generators are fairly large and are a permanent fixture, usually mounted on a concrete pad near the home.
“Portable generators can usually be carried by one or two people, and can be easily moved to the place they’re needed,” Craighead said. “They can be easily stored and are less expensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. They will usually be rated for 5,000 to 7,000 watts of energy.
“Standby generators can be rated for 10,000 or even 20,000 watts,” he said. “In the end, you need to balance your budget with how much of your home or business you want to be able to use during a power outage. The more devices, appliances or machines you want to run, the more power you’ll need.”
How much wattage generators put out “determines not only how many lights and appliances you can run at once but how well they run,” says Consumer Reports’ website. “For example, a refrigerator often requires about 600 watts, a portable heater 1,500 watts, a window air conditioner 1,000 watts, and lights 60 to 200 watts. Our wattage calculator provides an average wattage rating for most appliances and devices to help you to tally your needs.”
Before you connect your new generator to your electrical system, you should contact a licensed electrician about installing a double-throw transfer switch, Craighead said. This switch disconnects the main power source from the standby generator, preventing electricity made by the generator from mistakenly flowing out onto utility lines, where it could electrocute members of a repair crew working to restore power. The switch also protects the generator and appliances from being damaged when grid power returns.
Carbon monoxide: handle with care
Craighead said carbon monoxide is something that must be guarded against when using generators. Consumer Reports said carbon monoxide “kills about 86 people each year–and sends thousands more to the emergency room.” Generators should always be run outside, Craighead said, as far away as possible from doors, windows, and anywhere else air enters the house. Never run it in a basement or garage, even with the garage door open. It can still be a risk to people inside the house or business.
Another factor to consider is the fuel you want to use to run your generator. When you’re looking at portables, gasoline will be the fuel of choice. Standby generators are run off of propane or natural gas, or diesel. Standbys can be run off small, portable propane containers (like those used for an outdoor grill) or something as large as a 500-gallon fixed tank.
Part of the emergency team in Monterey
Craighead was part of the emergency response effort in hard-hit Monterey during last winter’s ice storm.
“I was honored to be called on to help out,” he said. “You had to see the situation there to believe it. To call it a disaster area is a big understatement. I’ve never been in a war zone, but that’s the way I’d have to describe it. Almost every power line in the town of Monterey was down.”
Craighead was part of the team that got the first power back on via generator in Monterey on that first day (Saturday) of the storm, in a building owned by the Baptist Church there. “I walked in, saw an elderly woman wrapped in a blanket huddled over a kerosene heater, and that provided us a lot of motivation to get those folks some heat,” he said.
The group moved from there to Wilson Elementary, where they hooked a generator up so the school could be used in the relief effort. “They were able to serve breakfast on Sunday morning there to the people who were displaced, and didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Craighead said. “It was a good feeling to know you were helping people out.”
A local dealer for portable generators is The Feed Store located on highway 70-East in Crossville, carrying models made by several different manufacturers.
