for your home
Powerpinch
hitters
experiences 214 minutes of power outage
annually. Yet, only about 14 percent of 78 million single-family homes in America currently own a generator, according to market
research firm Frost & Sullivan.
Being prepared for outages and disasters
is crucial nowadays, “especially if you have
children or aging relatives living with you,
and you reside in a region with extreme climate variations,” says John Drengenberg,
consumer safety director and engineer for UL
(Underwriters Laboratories) in Northbrook,
Illinois. “The two best backup power options
for consumers continue to be portable and
[standby] generators.”
Consider a backup power solution to
keep the juice flowing during an outage
By Erik J. Martin
THE WINDS HOWLED around Maike
Scherer’s home in Great Falls, Virginia, and
the cacophonous pelting rain rang out as if
Independence Day fireworks had come a
week early. The infamous derecho (a long-lasting, widespread windstorm) of late June
2012 had arrived, eventually knocking out
power to 3 million residents across the eastern U.S. who had already been suffering from
an oppressive heat wave.
Fortunately Scherer, a longtime Costco
member, was able to tap into reserve power in
the form of a portable generator. “We got the
backup generator working within 30 minutes,”
she says. “We were able to run all major kitchen
appliances, air movers, lights, TV and Internet.
Having a backup power source allows you to
continue with your life and work.”
ing due to a failed sump pump? How will you
keep your family warm in the winter or cool in
the summer? Without Internet access or a fully
charged cellphone, how will you contact any-
one and stay informed?
Contingency plan
Ask homeowners and experts alike, and
they’ll tell you that backup power units can
make a huge difference—not only during
large-magnitude natural disasters such as
Sandy and Katrina, but when less dramatic
power outages occur, too. Ponder the consequences of being powerless for a moment: Will
you be able to prevent foods from spoiling in
your refrigerator or your basement from flood-
Jolting numbers
Cooper’s frustration with power outages
is not unusual. More than 36 million people
were affected by hundreds of power outages
in 2011, a 20 percent increase over the previous year, according to data from Generac
Power Systems, a generator manufacturer in
Waukesha, Wisconsin. Researchers at
Carnegie Mellon University have concluded
that the average electric utility customer
The Costco Connection
You’ll find a variety of backup power solutions in the hardware aisle at your local
Costco warehouse and on Costco.com.
FEBRUARY 2013 ;e Costco Connection 35
Plugging into solutions
Portable generators run on gasoline ( 8 to
22 gallons a day) or propane gas (four to
eight 20-pound tanks a day), produce 2,000
to 10,000 watts and are priced from approximately $400 to $2,000. They come in two
varieties: conventional, which is essentially a
motor connected to an alternator to produce
AC power; and inverter, which is more
expensive but uses a three-phase alternator to
create “cleaner” power that is preferred for
sensitive electronics such as TVs, computers
and radios.
MEDIA BAKERY
“Portables allow you to power essential
devices by either running extension cords
from the generator into your home or by hav-
ing a manual transfer switch installed on your
electrical panel with a generator outlet pro-
vided outside,” says Todd Welzbacher, vice
president of sales for Champion Power
Equipment in Sante Fe Springs, California.
“They can also be stored in your garage when
not needed.”
Standby (stationary) generators run on
natural or propane gas for extended or unlim-
ited run times, generate 7,000 to 20,000 watts
and are permanently installed outside your
home and wired to your electrical panel.
Standby units, which automatically turn on
within seconds when the electricity goes out,
are priced from approximately $1,800 to
$9,000 (professional installation, which is
highly recommended, ranges from an addi-
tional $2,000 to $6,000).
“Standby generators can provide a whole-
house backup power solution,” says Kevin
Ryan, national sales manager for Generac.
“They provide protection 24/7, whether
you’re home or away. You don’t need to worry
about running extension cords, and they’re
safer and quieter than portables.”
Other backup power products to consider
are power inverters, which attach to your car’s
battery or a solar panel, produce 150 to 2,500
watts (depending on the device) and are
priced from $50 to $1,000; and small panel
chargers, which can charge cellphones and
USB devices via solar power and start at $100.
