— How To Be Prepared With A Backup Power Plan (NAPSA)—Inthe darkreality ofliving withoutelectricity, it’s best to set an emergency preparedness plan ahead of time. Understanding backup power sup- ply optionswill be critical to surviving a blackout. In March, a wintry windstorm in Michigan caused a poweroutage solarge that utility crews from other states traveled to lend a hand. This record weather event cut power to over 1 million resi- dents and left hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity for almost a week. Widespread outageslike this might have caught some homeownersoff guard, but preparedness measures now need to include a backup powerplan. Is backup power supply an option? Two basic options exist for homeowners: portable generators and home standby generator systems. Both solu- tions can keep the houselights on, ap- pliances working and, in the event of a weather-related power outage or other emergency, will keep the homethe safest place to ride out the storm. Under- standing the differences and capabili- ties between these two options makes selecting the best backup power plan mucheasier. Portable generators: An instant but temporary backup powersupply Portable gasoline generators are available at just about any home im- provement retailer and work well as a quick solution to roll out during an outage. Generally, a portable unit is low maintenance, but during National Preparedness Month, Generac Power Systems remindsusers that they should check and run their generator and even refresh the tank of gasoline to be ready Homeowners can visit Generac.com and schedule an in-homeconsultation to learn about proper powersizing and discuss backup power needs as a part of a preparednessplan. for the season. Additionally, Generac advises on portable generator safety: [hese units need to be taken outside and kept 25 feet away from an opening to the home to keep carbon monoxide fumes outside. Homestandbygenerators: The permanent backup power supply When outages happen, the home standby generatoris the automatic solution. A unit like the Generac Guardian plumbs into the home’s existing natural gas or propaneline, turning on auto- matically when utility powerfails. These generators are installed just outside the house like an air-conditioning unit. They can be set to ex- ercise weekly and can even send the homeownerupdates using a servicelike Mobile Link™ aboutits successful exercise, change in status or low battery, as well as maintenance reminders or fault alerts. Unlike portable generators, home standby generators need to be professionally installed and sized to fit the home, so homeowners should allow for an installation process.
