Generator Blog

One Christmas gift worth considering is an emergency generator for use at a camp or summer cottage or at home in case of a power failure. And yes, power failures during the winter months happen, but usually for only a few hours, although last year there were areas in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick where residents were without power for several days.

Yet, many buy a generator without giving due consideration to all the factors involved. Often a generator is purchased that has a much higher wattage rating than needed and is also heavier, and thus harder to transport.

Gas on hand and gas consumption of the generator is a key consideration. An emergency generator rated at 6,000 watts will use about 2.5 litres of gas per hour in running at half load and close to four litres per hour when running at full load. Yet a generator rated for 2,500 watts will use only about one litre per hour at full load.

These ratings will vary depending on the manufacturer and the motor used, but gives an idea of what to expect.

In view of this, a generator of 2,000 to 2,500 watts should be considered, and the keeping on hand of three or more 10- to 20-litre containers of gas in a shed during the winter months. Gas more than a month old should go into your vehicle’s gas tank and the container refilled with fresh gas, although many choose to add a gas stabilizer to the gas that will allow gasoline to be kept for three months or more without deteriorating.

For reasons of safety, a gas-powered generator must only be run outside in the open air, thus the following suggestions.

In addition to the generator, one should buy a heavy duty power extension cord rated at 20 amps or more. Ideally, to get the generator power into the house, the homeowner should have an electrician install a suitable male electrical receptacle on the outside wall of the house, and an outlet on the inside wall so one can plug the generator’s extension cord into the outside receptacle, and have the power available at the inside outlet.

Opening a window far enough to allow the power cord in also works, but requires a blanket or towels to block off the open part of the window so as to prevent heat loss.

Do not connect to the electrical wiring in the house. Instead, run a heavy duty extension cord inside the house to where the power is needed. And yes, almost 75 per cent of N.B. residents heat their homes with electricity, but that’s on a separate 220-volt system that would require a big and expensive generator to operate. For heat, a standard portable ceramic electric heater rated at 1,500 watts is recommended, as it will heat an area of up to 400 square feet. That 400-square-foot area can be a living room 20 feet by 20 feet in size. In case of a power failure during sub-zero temperatures, the homeowner should quickly decide which room they are going to camp in as the temperature drops within the house.

Note that pellet stoves in full operation usually draw only about 300 watts, one more reason to consider a pellet stove. For light, a 60 or 100-watt incandescent light bulb, or a compact fluorescent light bulb of 13 or 23 watts in a floor or table lamp will be sufficient. Most microwave ovens are rated at between 700 and 1,400 watts. While powering the microwave to heat a bowl of canned soup, or water for coffee, turn off the electric heater so as to keep the load on the generator at less than 1,800 watts. When starting up the microwave there is a surge which requires more wattage than normal. Yet, most 2,000-watt (2KW) generators should handle this if that is all that is being powered by the generator.

Some generators will run a computer, TV, or other electronic devices, and some will not. If you have the need, ask before buying. Always keep a flashlight and spare batteries on hand, required in order to see to start the generator and set things up if the power failure occurs at night. To keep track of what’s happening news-wise, buy a battery-powered radio and spare batteries.

So now we have heat, light, and a source of hot food. Nor is it usually necessary to run the generator all the time. Thus, 30 to 40 litres of gas should be good for about two days, at which point one can usually scrounge gas from a neighbour or the next town over that still has power. As for water pipes freezing, running a dribble of water from each tap in the unheated part of the house and flushing the toilet once in a while will bring water at ground temperature (at about 45 degrees F, if I remember correctly) into the pipes and thus protect the pipes from freezing. That’s provided you are on town or city water and the system is still working.

As for the larger generator needed to power a rural deep-well pump, sump pump and/or an oil or gas furnace, some all at the same time, best bet is to consult with an electrician well in advance so as to determine how many amps of power your particular well pump, sump pump or furnace actually draws, and the generator wattage needed. Separate from your main electrical circuit breaker panel one also needs to have an electrical panel installed that contains the power cables routed to these units, and a transfer switch to switch to generator power. This is required so as to prevent the generator from feeding its electricity back down the power line coming into the house.

As previously mentioned, always run a gas-powered generator outside in the open air. Case in point, a camp owner finding that a porcupine had taken up residence inside an old woodshed and would not leave despite prodding with a stick. A small gas-powered generator was started up and put in the shed with the idea that the noise and the exhaust fumes would soon drive the critter out. Three hours later, the critter still had not left, but then an inspection found that the porcupine, along with two previously unseen others, were now dead due to asphyxiation.

Not the original intention, but a lesson well and truly demonstrated as to why one should never, ever run a gas motor in an enclosed area where people are present.