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Converting
Your Generator to Home Use
If you experience
frequent power outages or your area is susceptible severe weather,
a transfer switch can help you safely power your home or business
using a portable generator. Portable generators can provide comfort,
safety and security during power outages and emergencies, and can
be installed temporarily during these situations. A portable generator
must be connected properly to protect electrical utility workers,
family members and property. Improper connection of your portable
generator and transfer switch system could void your homeowner's
insurance in case of accident or injury.
A manual transfer
switch is the key to safe and convenient operation of portable generators
for standby power. By isolating those circuits using generator power,
a transfer switch eliminates the risk of backfeeding the electrical
utility, which can cause injury to workers and property damage.
By installing
a transfer switch at your breaker box and connecting a portable
generator to the transfer switch, you can run selected circuits
for appliances such as a furnace, well pump sump pump, refrigerator,
television, computer, printer or lighting circuit during a power
outage, depending on the capacity of your generator. Since many
portable generators cannot handle all of these loads at the same
time, the transfer switch allows you to manually transfer each of
these loads separately whenever you need them.
Determining
which circuits you will require during a power outage is the first
step in selecting the proper wattage generator and transfer switch.
Since most home appliances operate intermittently, a 3000 watt generator
can provide adequate power to circuits for the most common appliances,
such as furnace, lights, refrigerator, freezer, microwave oven,
and TV.
If your home
has a deep well pump with up to 1 HP motor, a 5000 watt generator
will be required to provide the starting capacity for the pump.
Larger wattage units can be selected for simultaneous starting ands
operation of multiple appliances.
Contact Steadypower
at 888-331-5344 for recommendations on the best model to meet your
needs.
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