Electric generator sales are soaring, but California's schedule of rolling blackouts isn't the only reason more and more home owners nationwide are looking for back-up juice.

Not only are Californian's running low on power, more than two dozen other states are in the throes of deregulation, considered the major culprit in the Golden State's energy woes. Along with concerns about energy reliability, last year's Y2K fears, the nation's year round plague of weather storms and the growing number of high-income, home-based businesses who need to stay on line when the power is off, all helped charge sales of back-up power systems.

North American sales of permanent electric generators surged to nearly 200,000 just in the first half of 2000, up from the normal 150,000 units or so during the same period in previous years, according to the Electrical Generating Systems Association.

Buying, installing and using a generator for your home, however, isn't like buying central air, a new heating system or other major appliances and systems.

Permanent installation requires planning, code-complying installation, a check with your zoning department and safety awareness.

California's Pacific Gas and Electric, which serves Northern California areas recently hit by rolling blacks outs, says a generator can save food in your refrigerator or freezer, let you keep your home office running, or power other essential equipment, but they also can be expensive, noisy and a hazard to your safety.

Planning Your Back-Up

Before you buy, examine your power needs. Make a list of what lamps and other appliances you will need during an outage and add up their power requirements, using liberal estimates.

Generators have two output ratings, a normal operating wattage and a more important, higher surge rating, necessary to supply the required juice to an attached device as it starts up.

Portable generators with 350 watts can power a few lights and small appliances. A generator with 6,000 watts can power a refrigerator, most of a three-bedroom home's lights and, perhaps a television set. Larger generators up to 10,000 watts may be necessary if you need to heat with electricity or operate more appliances, according to Fort Collins Utilities in Colorado.

You'll have to obtain the proper permit, hire a qualified electric contractor and notify your utility provider before you install your generator.

You may also want to advise your neighbors of your plans. Generators crank 90 to 95 decibels of sound. That's a sound level of heavy city traffic coming from your property and the sound could echo off walls, fences etc. You won't use the generator only during power outages.

Engines are built to run and you'll have to test-operate them for 15 minutes or so every week to make sure they will work when needed.

A generator permanently connected to your electric system, energizes the building's wiring and requires a device called a "double-pole, double-throw transfer switch" that prevents the generator from backfeeding voltage to the power lines and possibly harming a utility worker unaware of the generator. It also keeps the utility company's power out of your home while the generator is supplying electricity. A double jolt to your appliances could be hazardous to both you and your appliances.

Portable generators are designed for temporary use and should be connected directly only to select appliances or lights -- never directly to your building's wiring system, according to the Sierra Pacific Power Company in Reno, NV.

Likewise, never plug a portable generator into a household outlet or other home wiring. Instead use a properly rated extension cord to plug lights and appliances directly into the portable.

PG&E says plan to use the lowest wattage light bulbs and only the appliances you really need, to reserve power for additional use throughout your home. The greater the load on your generator, the more fuel it will use.

Powering The Generator

Generators are most often fueled by highly combustible gasoline or diesel fuel, both of which emit deadly carbon monoxide when burned.

Install permanent generators with proper exhaust venting and never operate a portable unit inside the home, attached garage or other enclosed structure. Keep them out doors, away from windows and downwind for your home, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Operate the generator in a well-ventilated, dry area, protected from direct exposure to rain and snow, preferably under a canopy, open shed, or carport-like structure.

Store fuel in appropriate metal containers away from wood, plastic and other flammables. Don't stockpile your fuel, but rotate it with fresh fuel every few months as you burn through it with your test-runs. Do not use fuel around ignition sources, such as a water heater, cook stove or the generator (except to get it started) which heats up as it operates.

A propane gas-fired generator with it's own fuel line can avoid the storage problems of liquid fuel, but it could require special permits to install the tanks. Zoning regulations may prohibit the use of propane.

In addition to running the unit periodically and rotating your fuel, you'll have to service your generator once a year by changing the oil and filters and by checking for pest damage and any other wear and tear.

Your manual will provide detailed information about your generator's installation, its use, servicing and fuel.

Read it thoroughly.

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