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Home >> Articles >> Backup power: How to cope when the lights go out
 From The Best Times - May 2005By Don Carter, Structural Engineer I spent most of my adult life in a neighborhood where large trees and hanging utility lines made ice-related power outages an anticipated event. Then we moved to a location with new trees and underground utilities, and I figured power outages would be a thing of the past. Not so. The ice storm of 2003 nailed us, right along with many others, and after two nights in the cold, we decided a generator would be right for us. Following are some of the issues that shaped our thinking: 1. For my family’s needs, backup power is required only to operate essential items. We don’t expect to power the house the way KCPL does. In fact, since low-end generators have fluctuating output, they are not recommended for sensitive appliances such as televisions or computers. We decided that keeping the furnace alive was priority one, with the sump pump priority two. After that, we wanted a reading light, refrigerator, and microwave. All this added up to just under 3,000 watts, using a power consumption table that I will share with any Best Times reader who requests one. 2. The most common generator size seems to be 6,000 watts, which will power about half a house. It’s the one retailers promote. At half that, our 3,000-watt generator requires some operational selectivity. For example, the sump pump only gets power when the refrigerator and microwave are not running. It’s a tradeoff we made to decrease cost and unit size. 3. Chinese imports have significantly reduced generator prices. They don’t appear to have the quality of domestic equipment, but backup power is not about longevity. Ideally, you will never run a generator more than a few hundred hours. Keep in mind that brand-name generators have a strong resale market that cheap ones don’t. 4. If you want to sleep through the night, buy a generator with a large gas tank. Ask about fuel consumption per hour, then multiply that by 5 to obtain optimum tank size. 5. Do not wire a generator into your home’s electrical system. I installed an outdoor, weatherproof outlet with a wire passing into the basement to three specially marked plugins. These boxes are independent of house power and completely dead until I energize them from outside. 6. Consider portability. Generators are heavy, so select one with wheels built into the frame. 7. Generators are noisy and burn fossil fuels, so they must be run outdoors. Give some thought as to where the outside connecting point will be (ideally a location far away from neighbors’ bedroom windows). 8. A house configured for backup power has an extra selling feature. If you would like a copy of the power consumption table, call (913) 477-8242 or e-mail lisa.morehead@jocogov.org. Don Carter is a licensed structural engineer and managing general partner of Foundation Engineering Specialists LLC, a company specializing in residential design and assessments.  |
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