Month: May 2013

To help prevent a severe disaster from occurring to your home you must be prepared. Every year, nearly seven million householders file insurance claims to regenerate deficits from home disasters. In some worst cases, a home catastrophe catastrophe can leave a home unlivable or at the the bare minimum cause significant inconvenience. Some items that may be damaged range from spoiled food and mold infestations inside fridges and freezers. Another service interruption source such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms, make local travel practically impossible, and can also lead to other problems such as polluted water supplies.
It is not possible to prevent every disaster, but it is possible to lessen the possibility of damage and enhance the safety of the household and the folks living within it. Take preventative steps ahead of time that help reduce the likelihood of a home catastrophe and then adhere to these home disaster prevention tips to help keep your home safe and livable.

Disasters caused by Mother Nature are the largest worry, but so are disasters caused by accidents or acts of terrorism. Electrical power retains our houses livable and supplied with water. Every little thing that depends on electricity will shut down when power is lost and this can include a neighborhood, an entire city, or even across multiple states. A key component in any home disaster prevention plan will contain a standby or portable generator to supply electric power during an outage. A standby generator is permanently set up and needs no human intervention to run and keep running for days at a time. Whereas portable generators can supply power on the go, wherever you may require it. 

Overflowing streams and rivers are not the sole cause for home flooding. There are lots of disasters ready to happen in and around your home that you can effortlessly prevent with advanced preparation.

• Just before leaving your dwelling for extended time periods, don’t forget to turn off your water.
• Exchange washing machine hoses with the kind that do not burst.
• Substitute fixture connections with braided steel hoses that involve a flood prevention device.
• Include the sump pump electrical circuit as one of the circuits driven by your home’s backup generator. Inspect and test the pump twice a year. Install extended length rain gutter outlets that discharge water downhill and away from the home.

Hot, humid air is the ideal environment for mold growth. When the air in an area does not circulate the dilemma becomes even worse. Today, homes are sealed up tight to help with energy efficiency but in turn this restricts air circulation. Eradicating humidity from the air and stopping mold growth, air conditioners can assist with the problem. In the winter, freezing temperatures can lead to plumbing or flooding troubles when frozen pipes burst. Make sure that the appliances that control the environment of your home such as, furnaces, air conditioner, and dehumidifier are operating on the circuits that are being powered by your generator. Without any power a refrigerator can only keep raw food items cold for a day or so. For a freezer, it may last up to 3 days maximum without power. Food will spoil and thaw quickly after these times. Add the refrigerator and freezer to the list of circuits that need emergency power from your generator. 

Trim trees so that branches do not hang over the house. Remove trees that are too close―their roots can protrude into sewer lines and weaken foundations. Your landscape grading on your property should move water away and downhill from your home and doesn’t stand in puddles or ponds. By retaining the siding and roof in good repair, you prevent critical troubles in high winds and heavy rains. Shovel away snow that is built up against your home. Make sure the area you clear the snow into is away from sump pumps or openings to your home in case of sudden melting, you do not want water overflow. Executing standard upkeep and maintenance on your generator according to its user manual and instructions will guarantee its safe and smooth operation when it is needed. Remember to maintain and rotate fuel supplies for portable generators to keep the supply fresh. Remember that older fuel may go stale causing problems if you use this fuel in your generator, such as preventing it from running efficiently, or even running at all.

For more info go to: www.GeneratorPowerForLess.com

Since the first engines began to power the world, they have required maintenance to keep them running. Lack of maintenance is a sure path to breakdown and service interruption. To put it in perspective, normally we are used to tuning up our motor vehicles with frequent checkups, fluids and filters. Parts wear out; fluids break down or get used up. Routinely parts will slip a little out of place or will wear on specific locations and soon enough these small problems turn into larger ones ending up in the engine being out of tune. A standby generator is really quite comparable. Like an automobile, they are powered by internal combustion engines. Having an on schedule maintenance routine will keep your standby generator prepared for any type of power outage. Before performing maintenance, follow the manufacturer’s directions for disabling the generator and ensure the unit will not start while operating on it

The engine is lubricated by oil. If there is an unsatisfactory amount of lubrication for the engine, most generators will automatically disable to prevent any injury. Throughout operation, oil level or oil pressure sensors will alert the generator’s controller if the oil pressure or level drops beneath suitable levels. At this time, the controller will deactivate the generator. Check the oil level month-to-month and increase oil as needed. During prolonged operation, check the oil often. For some generators the oil filter will need to be changed as often as every 100 hours of operation for certain types of generators. Be sure that you are using the correct type of oil viscosity for the temperature range you generator experiences.

Air-cooled generators have cooling vents that guide air over the engine while it is working. Keeping these vents clear of any debris or obstruction is most critical to allow the engine to breathe. Examine the cooling vents and air intakes and remove any leaves, grass, or other debris that blocks the vents. Also, all lids sides and doors are properly fastened and locked tight. Inspect the cooling system on liquid-cooled generators for proper coolant levels and top off the coolant as needed. Search for cracked or leaking hoses and loose clamps. Replace any parts that are damaged or have apparent deterioration. Change the coolant as necessary according to the maintenance schedule found in the owner’s manual. On a liquid-cooled generator be sure to keep an eye on the fan belt for wear and tear, cracks, or any other type of signs leading to failure. Always be sure to replace a belt before it malfunctions and breaks as this can lead to more damage to the unit.

For more info go to: www.BackupHomePower.com