More and more people are turning to emergency generators to keep the lights on when there is a power outage. Between hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards, the United States experiences some of the most violent weather on the planet. This is why so many people need whole house generators to keep the power on during an emergency. There are some things you can do to keep your generator running the way you need it to.
- Get the right wattage for your needs. Whole house generators have two ratings for their wattage. There is the maximum or starting rating and then the rating for the general running of the generator. You need to find out what your power needs are and get a generator that will run at the level required to keep your home powered. If you try to keep your generator running at the higher level, you will end up destroying the unit. If you have questions about this, ask the generator installers about this.
- Get enough filters and oil for your generator. The more whole house generators are used, the more oil changes they will need to keep them running smoothly. After you have had a generator installation done, you will need to change the oil after 25 hours of use. After that first oil change, you can drop the oil changes down to once every 50 hours. Having enough oil to last at least a few days during an emergency will prevent you from destroying your generator during an emergency when you are running it 24 hours a day and may not be able to get replacement oil for a few days. Having enough filters will also help. If a natural disaster has hit, you will be happy to have the supplies you need to keep everything in your home up and running.
- Do not refill generators when they are hot. For whole house generators that have to be refilled, you need to wait for the unit to be cold to put more gas in it. For the most part, the fuel tank for your generator will be on top. This allows it to use gravity to get the fuel into the carburetor. You need to pour the fuel in slowly. You do not want to spill any of the fuel on a hot generator. This can lead to a fire. Trying to fill hot generators is one reason there are a lot of accidental fires with generators.
- Do not run your generator to empty. There are a lot of generators that can be damaged by letting them run too low on fuel. There are a lot of ways that running out of fuel can damage your generator. When the unit runs out of fuel, it will continue to power your home until it loses its magnetic field. At that point, even if you get more gas, the unit will not be able to power your hoe and will need to be repaired.
- Empty your standby generators after a crisis. If you have a power outage and need to use your generator, after the crisis has passed and the power to your home has been restored, take some time to empty the tank. If you leave the fuel in your fuel tank of the generator, it can break down and you will have a very hard time starting it again when you need to. Remember, the same rules apply to removing the fuel to putting it in. You need to wait until the unit has cooled down to remove the remaining fuel. There can be just as much of a fire hazard taking it out as there was putting it in.
- Be careful with the storage of your fuel. You should invest in a better gas can to prevent spilling the gas. You also need to find out what the local regulations are regarding how much fuel you can store at your home. It is better to get a few smaller cans than one large can for your fuel. It is important to stay safe with your fuel.
Whole house generators are really great to keep you and your family comfortable when the power goes out.