Miami Herald May 2005
In just one 30-minute period earlier this month, two people came in about balky generators they wanted Finnegan to fix. Another customer called, trying to decide whether to go with a gasoline-powered portable generator or a standby, the hind that is permanently installed and runs on propane or natural gas.
"We had a 5,000-watt generator we had for four or five years that quit in the middle of Frances. We couldn't get anyone to fix it," said Martha Glover, a West Palm Beach retiree. "We left and went to North Florida. When we got back, we started planning for this year."
SELLING WELL
Don Schilling, store manager of the Home Depot in Lake Park, said he could not provide sales figures, but that generators have been selling well in recent weeks, particularly the whole-house 15,000-watt standby model, which sells for just under $3,000. "Because of the hurricanes last year, this year they are buying early," Schilling said. "We are consistently selling out, but getting more on a regular basis."
Before last year's storms, Personalized Power Systems sold two generators a month, company owner H.J. Frank said. In April, he sold 52.
BURIED
The generator, essentially a 6-cylinder car engine in a metal box, can power an entire house. The price includes a propane tank that's buried in the homeowner's yard, but the machines also can be hooked to natural gas lines. Boca Raton homeowner Robert Cooper paid Personalized Power Systems $40,000 for a generator five years ago. And though his neighborhood was one of the few that didn't lose power after Hurricane Jeanne, Cooper said he has no regrets.
"I want the protection that I never have to worry about being without power," he said. To figure it out, total the wattage of the maximum number of items you plan to run simultaneously. A light bulb may require 60 watts, while a blender takes 300. Some items (televisions, refrigerators and air conditioners) require more wattage at startup.
Lowe's gives this example: Running a 100-watt light bulb, a 200-watt slow cooker, a 1,200-watt refrigerator with a startup wattage of 2,900 watts, and a 750-watt TV, would require 3,950 watts. A 20,000-BTU air conditioner would take 3330 watts. Most people should make do with portables, experts say. A 3,550-watt portable sells for about $499; a 7,500-watt, about $1,795.
COSTLY
Installing a standby is costly because it involves getting a permit, hiring a contractor to pour the typical 5-foot-by-8-foot, 6-inch-thick concrete slab and possibly bury a propane tank on the property. A licensed electrician must be hired to install the unit and perform any necessary electrical work.
"Depending on how they want it connected to the house, you can end up reworking their entire FPL service," said Shawn Davis, operations, manager of Current Connections, a West Palm Beach electrical contractor.
Palm Beach Post staff writer Jeff Ostrowski contributed to this report.
GENERATOR SAFETY TIPS
- Always empty fuel from a generator when it is not in use.
- Always use fresh gasoline.
- Use a generator outdoors only, away from open windows, vents or doors.
- Maintain your generator according to the maintenance schedule.
- When connecting a generator to your home electrical system, have a qualified electrician install a power transfer switch. Never plug your generator directly into your home outlet.
- When using extension cords, be sure they are of the grounded type and are rated for the application. Always uncoil cords and lay them in flat, open locations.
SOURCE: BRIGGS 6 STRATTON POWER PRODUCTS