Chances are, you’ve been through it - when severe weather hits, there’s nearby construction or just out of the blue, your power suddenly goes out.
And you don’t know how long it will last — minutes, hours or days. It’s not just an inconvenience for your family, especially since everyone is spending more time working and schooling from home these days, but it can actually be unsafe. You may need to heat or cool your home so it’s livable, someone in your family may rely on home medical equipment, and you want your refrigerated food to be safe to eat.
Power outages have been increasing due to extreme weather events, plus more people staying home - sometimes causing an overload in energy demands. Being able to cope with unexpected powe outages is crucial to your family’s comfort, well-being and safety.
Portable generators
Having a portable generator handy gives you an easy-to-use, low-cost option which offers you some peace of mind in case of a temporary outage. One benefit to portable generators is that they can be used for a variety of outdoor activities like camping and tailgating.
Portable generators supply enoug power for a handful of individual products or systems in your home, like your refrigerator or lights. They are manually operated, which means you need to be home to get them started and keep them fueled throughout the power outage.
In addition, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, you need to be sure your portable generator is placed at least 20 feet away from your home outdoors, and not inside a garage or screened-in porch. Having a carbon monoxide detector in your home is a highly recommended safeguard.
When using a portable generator, make sure all the systems and appliances you’re backing up from your home are plugged in with properly rated extension cords that run from your home outdoors to the portable generator.