"Lightning never strikes the same place twice" is one of weather's most famous legends, but it's completely false. Many buildings and other structures are struck repeatedly. Our homes and support systems are designed to withstand lightning but a direct strike can be a very powerful force. The average lightning bolt has enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for three months. Plus, a flash of lightning heats the air around it to nearly 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,760 degrees Celsius). That’s hotter than the surface of the sun! 

Lightning strikes the Earth about 100 times every second—and more than eight million bolts hit Earth every year. One of the effects of lightning is a loss of power.  So …

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

Electricity is such an integral part of our everyday lives that we take it for granted. Flip a switch or plug in an appliance and we assume the power will be there at our beck and call. For the most part, it is. The reliability of the electric systems in the United States is amazing when you consider all that they are exposed to day in and day out. Between Mother Nature and humans, the electric systems receive substantial abuse on a regular basis.

Excellent reliability notwithstanding, outages and interruptions are inevitable. The consequences of these events can range from the annoyance of a flashing digital clock to the challenge of coping with an extended outage. For some people, a change in the daily routine is all that is necessary to adapt to an outage that spans one or more days. At worst they might experience food spoilage and cold showers.

For others, an extended outage is far more critical. Individuals with home based businesses, those with electrically powered medical devices, those with substantial investments in food and those who simply want the assurance of an uninterrupted power supply are all candidates for a back-up generator.

You’ve likely seen backup generators at your hardware and building supply stores. Many resemble lawn mower engines in a frame and in fact, many are exactly that. Generators become extremely popular when severe weather threatens – hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms and so forth.

Unfortunately, waiting for such an event to invest in a generator is a recipe for trouble. To obtain the maximum benefit and satisfaction from a generator investment requires planning. You need to identify the loads you want to back up and then buy a generator with enough capacity to handle them. It isn’t rocket science but it takes time; a commodity you may not have in a weather emergency.

Generators the step by step approach

Let’s take a generator purchase through its paces. First, you need to identify which loads in your house you want to carry. In generator parlance, a load is any use of electricity by an individual appliance or a circuit. For example, running the refrigerator constitutes one load while the lights to the first floor constitute a second. A good way to figure out the types of loads you have in your home is to look at the electrical panel. You’ll see a circuit for the kitchen, the laundry, the furnace and so forth. Pick out those loads you want your generator to operate.

Next, you have to determine how much electricity each load requires. We offer a convenient worksheet for this purpose. Call us at 973-875-1365 or go on-line at http://www.sussexrec.com/srecresources.html to get a copy. Why is this homework necessary? Generators come in a variety of sizes and each size determines how much load the generator can carry. You need to match the generator’s size (usually expressed in watts or kilowatts) to your load.

The third step is to pick a generator. Here you will need to look at capacity, type of fuel, how it starts, warranty, reputation of the manufacturer and so forth. Choose a well-known manufacturer since quality does matter in a generator. We recommend the Onan-Cummins line. Yes, they cost more but for something as important as a back-up generator skimping is fraught with peril.

Fourth, decide how you plan to connect the generator to your home. Considerations here range from plugging your load directly into the generator to using an automatic transfer switch. As with generators, features and quality drive price and safety. Many new options are available to simplify connection. In the past, people might have run extension cords to the generator or plugged the generator into an outlet in their home. Both approaches have the benefit of simplicity but carry some risks. Extension cords can overheat. Plugging into a household outlet can overload the generator if you don’t cut off the circuits at the breaker panel.  In addition, improper connection of your generator can allow it to back feed into our system creating voltages on the lines that can kill and severely injure our workers. For these reasons, we recommend some form of transfer switch regardless of the type of generator purchased.

Finally, you install and regularly test your new generator. Not expecting a test, were you? Generators really need to be tested once a month, preferably under load, to make sure they are working properly. Nothing is as frustrating as needing the generator and then discovering that it doesn’t work.

Generators the SREC Resources Way

As you might have guessed from the forgoing text, there is more to generators than meets the eye. It involves a fair amount of effort to size and select the generator that is right for you. While not an impossible task, you may prefer to have help in the process. SREC Resources has the requisite knowledge to make your generator purchase a pleasant and successful experience. We can aid in the sizing, selection and installation of the perfect generator for your specific needs. The insert details a number of our more popular generators and connection devices. Contact us today for help in picking the perfect generator for your needs.

  Available Generator Sizes

Electric start units do NOT include battery. Sales tax not included. Prices subject to change without notice.

Please note: Operate these & other fossil fuel generators in areas with proper ventilation!