Homeowners Keith and Barbara Wolff won’t be fooled again after Tropical Storm Irene cut off the power in their Brookfield, Conn.  The Wolffs have spent $12,000 on purchasing an installing a 14-kilowatt emergency power generator.

Never again, they say.  The blackout had them covering themselves in layers and layers of clothing to say warm, their food went bad and they had to seek out retail outlets that were still in power just to recharge their cell phones and laptops.

But here’s the thing…if the Wolffs were wiser they would have known that companies like Power Plus offer generators of all kinds of sizes and wattage to handle any specific task you set them to.  And guess what?  They rent the generators out.  Which even in the long run, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to rent than to purchase a generator.

Why is that?  Well, if you own your temporary power generator then you have to take care of all the maintenance and you’re going to have to do tons and tons of reading on how to properly install it and run through standard operational procedures.  Only a certified electrician should handle this sort of chore.  You don’t want something to go haywire or even fry your expensive generator just because you’re not a professional.

But Mr. Wolff adds, “It was a pretty hefty investment, but it was well worth it because when it’s cold out, you want to at least be able to take a shower.  There are two things you can do: Be completely aggravated and non-functional or do a workaround so your quality of life is better.”

With generators on the market available for even a measly $150 just to run typical household appliances and items, was it actually wise for the Wolffs to invest that $12,000 on a generator?  Chime in below.

Want to read more about their investment?  Check out the NY Times article.

Tell us how advantage it’s been to have a power generator on hand during an emergency?  How did you benefit?

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

If you’re wise or if you’ve learned anything from the things that those who suffered through Hurricane Katrina learned, you know that you need an emergency power generator on hand in case of an emergency.  Be it if you run a business, own a skyscraper or even in your home or office…it is imperative to have one.

But, hey!  Wait!  Which one should you get?

Well, the most common backup generator on the market is the portable kind that’s powered by a small gas engine.  Want to know if this suits you?  Then go ahead and total the amount of wattage that imperative equipment you may need during an emergency will require.

Also, know the functions of generator and see if they match your budget.  If you’re going to require a high-end super-duper maximum power generator, it’s always advised to rent one out before buying one.  For one...it’s a heck of a lot cheaper; and two, if you rent one, companies like Power Plus have on-hand staff to help you with any installation or malfunctioning issues.

Want to learn more about which is the right power generator for you?  Head on over to Popular Mechanics.

Tell us how advantage it’s been to have a power generator on hand during an emergency?  How did you benefit?

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

Just recently the Dhaka building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing 500 people and causing a widespread anger in the country.  And what was accountable?  Incorrectly installed power generators and a weakly built structure.  Not one, nor two, but four.  Count ‘em.  Four.

Unless you have highly trained specialists to install a generator in your home or office, disaster may strike.  Or if you go with a company that you’re unsure about, they may even send incompetent electricians and look what can happen.  The Dhaka building in itself was constructed with weak materials and sub-standard steel rods.  A reliable specialist would have been deemed it unsafe to install the generators.

And what happened?  The power generators had started up after a power cut, and then they started sending out powerful vibrations throughout the building.

Main Uddin Khandaker, head of a government inquiry team, says, “Together with the vibration of thousands of sewing machines, they triggered the collapse.”

To read more visit BBC News Asia.

What are your thoughts on this disaster?  How reliable are trained specialists when it comes to installing emergency power generators?ow re

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

To avoid the gas shortage that occurred during Hurricane Sandy’s trail of terror, New York's state budget is providing emergency power generators at a slew of gasoline stations to make sure everything’s hunky dory in case of a future emergency situation.

Spokesman Richard Azzopardi states, "This is a critically important step to help ensure New York’s fuel supply remains flowing and does not compound an emergency.”

Currently, gas stations in New Jersey are required to have backup power installed.  When Sandy hit, a lot of businesses suffered since the storm interrupted gasoline shipments.

Albany, NY is now being proposed a law that would allow state agencies to lease generators to gas stations in a disaster.

Sound interesting to you?  The Saratogian has more to illustrate on the matter.

Were you in the North-East when Hurricane Sandy hit and had no way of getting gasoline for your vehicle?  Do you wish the stations had emergency power generators installed at the time?  Share with us your experience.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

Remember the 34-minute power outage during this year’s Super bowl matchup?  Yeah, neither can the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. 

An engineering consultant has just been authorized to give the Superdome’s emergency electrical system a look.

Following the meeting, SMG Senior Vice President Doug Thornton commented, "This analysis we are doing was probably prompted by the power outage because when we were operating in that 34-minute window there were certain systems we recognized are not on the emergency generator that could be or should be to help us if there were, God forbid, another occurrence like this."

Breaker panels are being scoped and electrical power generators are getting checked up, down and inside out.

Thornton adds, "We are moving as quickly as we can," Thornton said. "It will take some time to do the work. It will take the three to four weeks to replace the feeder cable but in the meantime they can operate with the generator and that shouldn't cause any problem at all."

To read more visit Nola.

See how vital temporary power generators are?  How have you been affected by a blackout?  Share with us below.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

The class cruise ship, Carnival Triumph, is set to sail the Caribbean seas after a small hiccup put it out of operation for two months.  A second emergency diesel backup generator has been installed to avoid lack of routine guest services.

Passengers of the Carnival Triumph will also benefit from enhanced fire prevention and detection equipments as well as increased capacity for elevators, toilets, hot meals and communications.  Hooray!

$300 million is what the improvements have cost but, hey, it’s nothing for any of its investors to worry about.  The cruise ship has proven to rake up plenty of revenue.  No date has yet been set for the Triumph to call all aboard.

But how do you feel about a second electrical power generator being set on board?  Have you personally been on a cruise ship that blacked out because it didn’t have a proper emergency power system installed?  Tell us below.

To read more about the Carnival Triumph and its repairs check out Skift.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

Somerset County, NJ is updating a countywide Hazard Mitigation Plan to allocate funding for pre-disaster mitigation.  Somerset is currently updating their 2008 All Hazards Mitigation Plan to make sure they can get the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  They surely don’t want to endure what New York had to with Katrina.

Somerville’s police station is under contract at the moment to install a backup power generator at its police station.  Warning signs in flood-prone areas are also being erected and FEMA is hoping to provide flood protection at a state-two water treatment plan.

With power generator installation also being required at several facilities, power is being assured at certain business and care-facilities that definitely will require it during a power black out.

Has your county taken preparation for a natural disaster by installing a temporary power solution on site?  Let us know. 

Want to read more about Somerset’s plans?  The NJ Messenger awaits you.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

The City of Marlin is expected to replace an old, clogged water line and now its residents are providing those who have to wait with clean drinking water and hot showers.

Gaby Lopez is grateful of the help, “This is incredible that there are people who care this much.  It’s really heartwarming.” 

But she still has qualms with the city, “I can’t wash clothes — I have to go to the washeteria. I can’t shower; it takes 10-20 minutes to fill the tub for a bath.”

Regarding the water pressure flow in his residence, Germann Robinson, father of three infants, states, “It’s pretty bad.  It takes a long time for the tub to fill up.”  But as far as the help goes, “It’s good…helping out. I think it’s a blessing.”

With the help of an electrical power generator, The Texas Baptist Men of the Baptist have provided a trailer with six shower bays with washers and dryers.  The generator makes the trailer self-contained with power.

To read more about Marlin’s dilemma, check out The Marlin Democrat.

How has a power generator for temporary power solutions helped you in a similar situation?  We’d like to know.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan suffered a huge disaster in 2011.  Not only did it go through an earthquake, but also a resulting tsunami, meaning all operations stopped. 

Three directives for American nuclear power plants are being applied to the Japanese plant: plants are required to maintain cooling and containing in the loss of power, that containments are reliable, and to ‘enhance instrumentation for pools of spent nuclear fuel.”

“We have purchased additional portable and pre-staged equipment for Beaver Valley, including pumps, generators, hoses and communication equipment, and enhanced our strategy, maintenance and training to ensure we are prepared to safely maintain the plant.”

Want to read more?  Head on over to Times Online.

Comments?  Thoughts?  Share them below.

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com

Sure, you’ve grown wise and invested in an electric power generator to brighten up your spirits in case of a black out, but if you’ve gone through a manufacturer who doesn’t care about the consumer like most high-end generator outlets, then you might be stuck with a malfunction generator.  So what are you doing to do?

First of all, why has the generator broken down?  Let’s count the ways.

If the generator fails to start, then the problem lies within the battery, fuel, and block heaters or even ignored alarms (you know, those pesky things telling you that your generator need maintenance?).  These things all have limited lifetimes. You want to prevent generator failure due to these issues with remote monitoring.  And, hey, it’s been proven: pay attention and you can prevent 90% of looking emergency power system failures.

And duh!  Check the battery voltage and fuel levels. Remote monitoring can tell the owner about fuel consumption and what the cause of the issue is within the utility.

Want to learn more?  Visit Plant Engineering now!

So share with us...do you use remote monitoring to prevent generator power failure?  How has it benefitted you?

Power Plus! is a leading provider of power generators across Southern California and Canada.www.powerplus.com