By SCOT MAGNISH
I was in the throes of Y2K paranoia when I stockpiled generators by the dozen.
One for me, one for my best friend and my mother-in-law. One for the neighbors, one for the garage, and a few to sell at post-apocalyptic profit.
Of course January 1, 2000 came and went without incident – and I was left with a garage full of Hondas to dispense of at cut-rate prices. But I learned a lot about generators in the months leading up to the non-event of the millennium – and if you’ve ever considered buying a generator for the cottage, my Y2K pain could be your gain.
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The first thing you need to do is assess your electrical needs. If you are buying a generator to operate a few power tools or to keep a light burning and the fridge running during a temporary utility power outage, a standard generator with a side valve (SV) engine and 2,000+ watts is the economical choice.
If you’re looking for dependable backup power during an extended blackout, however, you’re going to need something a little bigger, and a lot more expensive.
It comes down to wattage and running time. The higher the output of the machine, the more expensive it’s going to be. Likewise, the better built it is, the more it’s going to cost.
Let me put it in perspective for you. One electric heater draws about 1,500 watts. Add another 180 watts for three lights, 800 watts to operate the refrigerator and 500 to keep the well pump running. Combined, that’s 2,980 watts, not including the surge demands created when some of these appliances are turned on for the first time.
So you’re looking for something in the 3,500 continuous watt range, and you find a $1,500 unit at your local hardware store. Have you found a deal?
Not if you plan on using it for a prolonged period of time. During the 1999 ice storm in Quebec, these kinds of bargain-basement generators melted down after just a few days of continuous operation.
What you need is a professional grade generator. That means overhead valve. Automatic voltage regulation. Idle control. Eight hours of operating time between fill-ups. Count on spending closer to $3,000 for a unit like this – but then count on it to last.
Once you’ve got a unit that you’re happy with, there’s two ways you can use it.
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The first is to run the appliances directly off of the generator using heavy-gauge extension cords. The second is to have a qualified electrician hook up a stand-by electrical system allowing you to keep using the cottage’s circuits.
Never, ever plug the generator directly into a wall outlet. At best, you’re going to cause irreparable damage to your generator, your fuse box, your wiring and possibly yourself when the power comes back on. At worst, you’re going to overheat your wiring and burn down your cottage.
Never, ever run your generator indoors. Generators are powered by internal combustion engines not unlike the one that’s in your car. That means the exhaust contains deadly gasses like carbon monoxide that will put you and your family to sleep – forever.
Last but not least, always make sure your generator is properly grounded. Often, that means connecting the unit’s ground plug to a steel spike hammered deep into the earth, but as anyone who has ever electrocuted themselves by touching an ungrounded generator during a rainstorm will tell you, it’s worth the effort.
