Having the assurance that your home has power and air conditioning in the time of a national emergency is equivalent in value to a home insurance policy. It is an indemnity of your family’s safety, peace of mind, and personal lifestyle.
Hurricane Ike caused 2.4 million people along the entire Texas Gulf Coast, and especially in the Houston area, to lose electrical power. Consequently, emergency power generators have been a highly sought after commodity in almost every community across the region. Emergency generators are being sold throughout Houston in almost every appliance store, home improvement center, and local hardware store. The news media has done a good job of warning people of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to safely install a generator outside their home or garage.
Due to the severity and size of this storm, little time has been devoted to explaining how to select a home generator or what or what size would meet their electrical needs. People are confused and uninformed as to what fuel source and capacity to look for in an emergency power source. It is critical that you make certain that your emergency generator’s capacity is not being exceeded by its current usage. As a service to all of Houston, ILD is offering service calls to check your portable generator setup and make sure its operable, safe and reliable.
Why would I need a service call if my generator is working fine?
We recommend that you have a professional double check portable home emergency generator to make sure it has not been overloaded. Consumer generators will only handle so much electrical load pulled from appliances loads such as your fridge, freezer and selected light circuits. Running extension cords through open windows and doors and plugging too many appliances into multiple power outlets may create an unstable situation. Our professionals can quickly spot and remedy this if this proves to be the case.
Do I need to buy a new generator now?
No. Making plans for emergency power takes time, planning, and careful consideration. Accidents happen when plans are rushed, not to mention added expenses and emotional hardships. Looking ahead to the next power outage, we can help you determine which commercial-grade unit will safely power your home in the event of an emergency.
What should I invest in for the future?
Ideally, you should plan for a future investment in a permanently installed generator that will connect to your home’s circuit panel. Just as a sprinkler system begins with the water meter, electricity in the home begins with the panel. Many ILD customers who made this investment in our specialized electrical services prior to Ike have found it a Godsend during this current crisis.
We can help you start now at the same time we maximize your current portable generator’s usage.
This size of the generator we recommend will ultimately be determined by the number of appliances and home systems you intend to power with the unit. Emergency generators rated at the commercial-grade level that are professionally wired to the home’s circuit panel are a much safer and more reliable source of emergency power for Houston homeowner’s. Installing such a generator by yourself is not recommended. It will take a professional, licensed electrical service technician to correctly install a permanent generator for emergency power and home lighting controls.
What will ILD do to help me plan for the future?
Before recommending a generator, ILD electricians isolate critical circuits to major home systems and appliances, and they determine any potential hazards in new home wiring design. This is for good reason. If your home wiring was not initially designed to handle a specific electrical load, hooking up a generator prematurely could blow a fuse or destroy an appliance. If we identify a potential problem area, we can easily implement a provisional wiring scheme that will safely route power to vital home systems such as the air conditioner, home automation devices, and security systems. If necessary, we will install dedicated circuits to essential home appliances such as computers, televisions, and refrigerator/freezers. A commercial-grade generator will be able to then deliver specific loads of power to each of these areas that have been calculated in advance to ensure both safe operation and continued emergency power performance throughout the remainder of this crisis. With the proactive service of advanced electrical home wiring by Illuminations Lighting and Design, you and your family will be prepared for the next hurricane, tropical storm, or local blackout.
Can you install my current portable generator at my service panel?
It is most likely that we will recommend something larger than the standard 5600 Watt gasoline-powered generators that many people have installed on their back porches. We recommend as well an alternative source of fuel besides gasoline power (which remains in short supply throughout much of Houston.)
Generators that run on diesel and natural gas will soon be available through ILD, so both the service and the products you need can be quickly obtained by a phone call to our office. Our phone lines are working and operators are standing by to get your home’s emergency power management plan implemented and underway as soon as possible. Call toll free 800-863-1184 or locally 713-863-1133 to lean more about Houston home construction and how an emergency backup generator can benefit you!
Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.Labels: Electrical home back up generators, Emergency Power Generators, Houston Electrical Contractor, Houston Home Construction
Generators of all types use the same basic technology to generate electricity. A turbine turns within a magnetic field; displacing electrons in conductive material that create the flow of energy we call "electricity." While the huge generators that power the public power grid may seem a far cry from home electrical generators in both output capacity and engineering design, always remember that the basic technological principles remain the same for both. It is important to keep this in mind when purchasing a home electrical generator because its purpose is to safely and reliably replace the public power grid during an electrical outage. Illuminations Lighting and Design operates as an authorized dealer of home electrical generators and a source of information on choosing the right electrical generator for your home.
Generally speaking, home electrical generators fall into two categories: stationary, (or standby) and portable. To determine which best suits your needs; it is critical that you first determine if you require electricity for the entire home or for only essential appliances and communications equipment. If you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters, then err on the side of overestimating the time you will be without power. Hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and tornado's in Central Texas and The High Plains have destroyed power grids in the past, leaving entire urban areas blacked out for days. If you think you might face such a situation in the future, we recommend that you invest in a standby home electrical generator that requires minimal refueling and will supply power to the entire home. This assumes, of course, you are far enough from the immediate disaster area that you can safely remain at home without evacuating. Illuminations Lighting and Design will help you select between fuel options ranging from natural gas, propane, or diesel fuel (which burns much longer than gasoline), and we will help you install your home's new electrical generator in a safe, well-ventilated, secure location.
If you live in a part of Texas less prone to natural disasters than to occasional intermittent or rolling blackouts, then you can cost-effectively invest in a portable generator. While most portable home electrical generators will supply electricity to only the essential appliances and perhaps one or two rooms, this usually meets the immediate power needs of most temporary outages that pose no threat to life. However, please keep in mind the importance of safe usage if you choose to use a portable electrical generator fueled by gasoline. Pure carbon monoxide gives off no odor, and it can kill before it becomes evident. Call Illuminations Lighting and Design for expert advice on how to select and operate a gasoline-powered home electrical generator, and always err on the side of caution when using highly flammable fuels and toxic exhausts.
If you are planning to invest in a portable electrical generator for evacuation purposes, consult with one of our specialists first to make certain that the device you have in mind can meet your needs during travel, or in any emergency facilities to which you may relocate.
In any event, it always proves wise to consult with an expert first to ensure you have sufficiently considered all the factors required to safely generate home electrical power. The team at Illuminations Lighting and Design consists of a highly trained, professional, and customer-friendly staff that stands ready to help you make these decisions and ensure maximum protection and quality of life.
Contact us at 713-863-1133 and let us install a home emergency generator system designed specifically for you home.
Labels: Beaumont Texas Emergency Generators, Electrical home back up generators, Emergency Power Generator Installation, Houston Emergency Backup Generators, Independant Residential Electrical Contractor
Illuminations Lighting Design located in Houston, Texas specializes in residential emergency generators for any size home. Our experienced Journeyman electricians, under strict supervision from our Master Electrican, can install and maintain any size whole house emergency generator from Onan.
Extreme weather conditions, construction mishaps, and many other unforeseen complications can interrupt the electrical power you and your family depend on to continue your daily activities. When electricity is lost - day or night - you can be assured that your home will have all the comfort and convenience you depend on from
Illuminations Lighting Design.
Clean, efficient, quiet, and neighborhood friendly, all Onan emergency generators run on either natural gas or propane. Since most homes in Texas have natural gas, this is the most popular and sensible solution. Why, because even under the worst possible conditions, natural gas is available usually without interruption. We can arrange for a professional plumber to make the necessary provisions to connect your new generator for a
turn-key solution.
Onan offers many models ranging from 11kw to 45kw residential emergency generators:
RS12000
Power Ratings: 60 Hz/9-11 kW
Weight: 575 lbs (261 kg)
Length: 45 in (1143 mm)
Width: 34 in (864 mm)
Height: 39 in (986 mm)
Sound Ratings: Less than 70 dB(A) at 23 ft (7 m), average
RS15000
Power Ratings: 60 Hz/14-16 kW
Weight: 1,213 lbs (550 kg)
Length: 58 in (1473 mm)
Width: 28 in (711 mm)
Height: 37 in (940 mm)
Sound Ratings: Less than 71 dB(A) at 23 ft (7 m), average
RS20000
Power Ratings: 60 Hz/20 kW
Weight: 1,135 lbs (515 kg)
Length: 64 in (1626 mm)
Width: 28 in (711 mm)
Height: 50 in (1270 mm)
Sound Ratings: Less than 71 dB(A) at 23 ft (7 m), average
RS45000
Power Ratings: 60 Hz/42-47 kW
Weight: 2668 lb (1160 kg) Natural Gas2752 lb (1197 kg) LP
Length: 101.5 in (2578 mm)
Width: 41.3 in (1049 mm)Height: 71.8 in (1824 mm)
Sound Ratings: Less than 66.3 dB(A) at 23 ft (7 m), average
Nothing is more important to your family's emergency needs than an automatic transfer switch to insure a safe orderly transfer from the power company to stand by emergency power. Onan makes a automatic transfer switch for all there emergency generators.
RST Automatic Transfer Panel
Power Ratings: 60, 100 or 200 Amp120/240V, 1 phase
Weight: Varies by model and enclosure type; see spec sheet for details
Dimensions: Varies by model and enclosure type; see spec sheet for details
RSZ Automatic Transfer Switch
Power Ratings: 100 or 200 Amp120/240V, 1 phase
Weight: Varies by model and enclosure type; see spec sheet for details
Dimensions: Varies by model and enclosure type; see spec sheet for details
Onan provides the power that keeps you going - on the water, on the road, in your work, and at home. Whether you live in Houston, Austin, San Antonio Texas, you never know when a storm may blow in. Why not give yourself peace of mind with an emergency generator from Illuminations Lighting Design.
Onan is a registered trademark of Cummins, Inc.
Labels: Electrical home back up generators, Emergency Power Generator Installation, Emergency Power Generators, Houston Emergency Backup Generators, Houston Texas Contractors
