Victoria Television Group 3808 N. Navarro
Victoria, TX 77901
Phone: 361 575-2500
Fax: 361 575-2255
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Generators
Written by Shawna Currie
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
A LOT OF TIME, WE, AS HOMEOWNERS, TAKE POWER FOR GRANTED. HEY, IT'S ALWAYS THERE - EXCEPT WHEN IT'S NOT. POWER GOES OFF IN EVERY HOME PERIODICALLY - AND IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL IF IT'S ONLY OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. BUT IF IT'S OFF FOR LONGER THAN THAT, IT CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM. NOT ONLY DO WE USE THE LIGHTS, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE LOSE THE ABILITY TO HEAT AND COOL THE HOME. AND, IF IT'S OFF FOR A REAL EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WE CAN START LOSING FROZEN FOOD AND PERISHABLE FOOD IN OUR REFRIGERATOR.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS HOMES CAN LOSE POWER. IT COULD BE THE POWER COMPANY - EITHER A BLACKOUT OR A BROWNOUT. YOU MAY LIVE IN AN AREA SUSCEPTIBLE TO STORMS THAT CAN TAKE OUT POWER. OR, YOU MAY LIVE IN A HOME LIKE WE DO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE UNDERGROUND POWER DISTRIBUTION. OUR POWER SUPPLY IS ON POLES, RUNNING THROUGH TREES. LIMBS CAN FALL AND TAKE THE POWER OUT.
ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE PROTECTED IS TO HAVE A BACKUP GENERATOR. NOW YOU CAN GET A SMALL ONE, THE LITTLE PULL ROPE GUYS THAT RUN ON GAS. THOSE MIGHT RUN YOUR LIGHTS, MAYBE YOUR REFRIGERATOR. YOU COULD ALSO GO WITH A WHOLE HOME UNIT THAT'S GOING TO RUN ON NATURAL GAS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT REFILLING THE TANK ALL THE TIME. THAT MAY RUN YOUR LIGHTS, REFRIGERATOR AND MAYBE AN AIR-CONDITIONER. ON OUR HOUSE HERE, WE ACTUALLY OPTED FOR A BIGGER UNIT THAT WILL RUN THE ENTIRE HOME. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS UNIT IS THIS BOX RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE BRAINS OF THE OPERATION. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH, CONSTANTLY MONITORS INCOMING POWER. IF IT DROPS OUT, IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS THE GENERATOR ON AND IT WILL RUN UNTIL THE POWER COMES BACK ON.<p>
DON SAYS IF YOU'RE USING A SMALLER GASOLINE GENERATOR, DON'T FORGET THAT IT MUST RUN OUTSIDE OF THE HOME TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF CARBON MONOXIDE BUILDUP. WHOLE HOME GENERATORS CAN BE POWERED BY EITHER NATURAL GAS OR PROPANE.
