RingwoodToday.com | Ringwood NJ

March 2010 - Severe Storm Causes Power Failures in Ringwood

·         Do I need a generator ?
·         If I decide to buy one, what should I buy ?
·         How much should I spend ?

Many of us here in Ringwood experienced a loss of electrical power during the recent Feb-Mar 2010 storms.  The power failures were the result of downed power lines and poles due to heavy snow.  Some experienced a relatively short power outage and some didn’t have power restored for days.  If you were lucky enough to have escaped major damages to your home and property your main concerns would most likely have been :

1.      Will I be able to heat my house ?
2.      Will I lose all the food in my refrigerator-freezer ?
3.      How do I get running water if my well pump doesn’t work ?
4.      Will my basement get flooded if my sump pump doesn’t work ?

All these are legitimate concerns if power outages in your area occur frequently and are generally lengthy.   However, if you believe that most power outages in your area occur seldom and are short in duration then you probably should not go through the expense of getting a generator.  For those who just want the convenience or for those who have health care issues and require various levels of life support equipment to be operative 24-7-365 then you should look into getting a generator.

If I decide to buy one, what should I buy?

There are various price and convenience levels that have to be considered when purchasing a generator.  The first and most important consideration should be “How large should the generator be” (in terms of wattage) ?  You should determine what items or appliances you would like to have running during a power outage and size your generator accordingly.  There is a basic wattage worksheet at the end of this article that you can use as a guideline.  Simply add up the starting wattages and/or running wattages to determine what size generator you would need and then determine what level of comfort you want as follows :

Level 1 – Portable generator with wheel kit (least expensive)

1.      You must be at home to pull the generator out of your storage area to an area far enough away from your home so that exhaust fumes will not enter your house.
2.      This type generator can either be a pull-start or electric start depending on how much you want to spend.
3.      This generator requires gasoline to operate and may have to be refilled periodically depending on the length of the power outage.
4.      Extension cords will have to be run from the receptacles on the frame of the generator to all appliances that you want to operate.
5.      This type of set up will not be able to run your heating system or well pump as the wiring for those are permanently wired into your electrical circuit breaker panel.  Never attempt to “back-feed” power into your electrical system.  It is extremely dangerous; it is subject to human error and is a National Electrical Code violation.

Level 2 - Portable generator with wheel kit and interface to a permanently installed electrical panel 

               (moderately expensive)

1.      Items 1 thru 4 of Level 1 apply to this set up with the following additional features.
2.      An external electrical access port (30-50 amps @ 240 VAC depending on the size of the generator) will have to be installed by a qualified electrician to interface between the generator and the circuit breaker panel.
3.      An internal manual transfer switch will also have to be installed by a qualified electrician (usually a 6-12 circuit panel depending on the size of the generator).  Emergency circuits transferred like the refrigerator and well pump are connected to this transfer switch panel.
4.      A typical emergency operation would involve starting the generator as described in Level 1, connecting the power cord between the generator and the transfer switch panel and manually operating the individual transfer switches.  Under this set-up you would be able to run the heating system and well pump in your house.

Level 3 – Permanently installed standby generator with automatic transfer switch (most expensive)

1.      It is not necessary to be at home for this system to operate.
2.      Generator will automatically start 5 seconds after a power outage.
3.      Chosen circuits of your electrical system will transfer over to generator power 15 seconds after a power outage and will transfer back instantly upon power recovery.
4.      This system usually runs on natural gas but can run on propane if natural gas is not available in your area.
5.      This type generator automatically exercises for approx. 10 minutes each week.

How much should I spend ?

·         At Level 1 you can purchase a portable generator anywhere from $400.00 to $2,600.00 depending on the wattage required.  It should be noted that higher wattage units may not necessarily mean that you’ll have that total wattage available to use.  These higher wattage units usually come with 30 and 50 amp/240 volt outlets that you will not be able to use at this level.

·         At level 2 you can purchase a generator anywhere from $400.00 to $2,600.00 depending on the wattage required.    You will have to hire an electrician to install the outdoor port and manual transfer switch.  This will also require an electrical permit and must be inspected by a municipal official.  Permit fees run anywhere from $55.00 to $100.00.  Installation costs vary depending on how extensive the installation would be.   A fair estimate would be approx. $800.00 to $1,500.00 plus the cost of the generator and transfer switch.

·        At level 3 you can purchase the generator yourself directly from either a mass marketer like Home Depot or from an authorized dealer.   Air cooled, pre-packaged generator sets range from 8 KW (kilowatts) to 20 KW and prices range from about $2000.00 to $4800.00.   Installation costs vary depending on the extent of the installation and permits for electrical, building and plumbing are usually required.  Permit fees can run anywhere from $125.00 to $250.00.  Installation costs for an electrician and a plumber would be approx. $2000.00 to $3000.00 depending on how extensive the project may be.

Bear in mind, if you purchase any of these units from mass marketers you will be responsible for contacting them for any warranties.

BASIC WATTAGE WORKSHEET