SHREWSBURY, Massachusetts – As folks prepare to hunker down this weekend many have been turning to the local home stores to buy up a portable home generator. Massachusetts Emergency officials are warning residents that high winds combined with tree roots soaked by up to 10 inches of rain, create a real possibility for downed trees and of course power lines. Portable Generator
This ties your circuit breaker box into an external outlet to allow you to safely connect your portable generator directly to your existing circuits. Transfer Switch
Home Depot has a huge selection in stock. One of the leading causes of death during storms, is oddly enough, people who were killed by misusing their home generators during a resultant power failure. Do not connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring. Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly connected to your home’s wiring can “backfeed” onto the power lines connected to your home.
You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.
The transfer switch transfers power from the utility power lines to the power coming from your generator.
Never plug a portable electric generator into a regular household outlet.
Plugging a generator into a regular household outlet can energize “dead” power lines and injure neighbors or utility workers. Connect individual appliances that have their outdoor-rated power cords directly to the receptacle outlet of the generator, or connect these cord-connected appliances to the generator with appropriate outdoor-rated power cord having a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.
Don’t overload the generator.
Overloading your generator can seriously damage your valuable appliances and electronics. A portable electric generator should be used only when necessary and only to power essential equipment.
Carefully read and observe all instructions in your generator’s owner manual.
Hurricane Irene May Boost Retailers as Lowe’s Sells $799 Power Generators
With Hurricane Irene barreling toward Morehead City, North Carolina, Tim Guthrie thought of protecting all of his possessions -- even his frozen food.
The anticipation for Irene may boost sales for retailers such as Lowe’s, Home Depot Inc. (HD), Costco Wholesale Corp., Target Corp. (TGT) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) as shoppers flock to stores to prepare for wind and rain damage and possible limited access to food or water.
Manhattan Flashlights
At an Ace Hardware Corp. store in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, crowds were “growing by the hour,” according to Jerry Webster, a clerk at the store. Home Depot has been sending what it described as “pre- strike” items such as water, tarps and batteries to meet surging demand along Irene’s expected path, said Russ Householder, emergency response captain for Home Depot.
Lowe’s and Atlanta-based Home Depot declined to estimate how much storm preparation could boost sales.
Back at the Lowe’s in Morehead City, 11 power generators were on display at the front of the store.
