Power Outage Archives - Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

How to Prepare for a Summer Power Outage in Florida

Posted on April 1, 2021 | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

Summer is coming! In Southwest Florida, that means scorching heat, afternoon thunderstorms, and the inevitable blackout. What’s a Florida homeowner to do? Well first… don’t panic!

We’ve got you covered, with some great tips on what to do — and what not to do — to survive a SWFL blackout. Here’s how to best prepare for a power outage in the sunshine state:

Prepare Today for Tomorrow

Everyone’s seen the grocery store bags and billboards with the hurricane preparedness checklists, right? Well, most of that list really applies to any potential power outage, hurricane, afternoon thunderstorm, construction mishaps, or even power grid problems. Here’s what you need to be prepared:

1. Flashlights and Batteries

Have several flashlights readily available around the house, with plenty of spare batteries you can easily access, too. It’s a good idea to check your flashlights and make sure the batteries that are already in them are still good. They can corrode over time, or simply lose their power. A blackout isn’t the time to discover that. Flashlights are also a much safer choice than trying candles for light. In a pinch, you could use the flashlight feature on your phone, but it won’t be as powerful as most real flashlights.

2. Portable Chargers or Solar Chargers

Make sure your cell phone is well charged at all times, and consider buying a solar charger and/or portable charger, especially if you rely on your cell phone instead of having a corded landline in your home. Both solar and portable chargers are easy to use, reliable, and can be great options to keep your phone charged for use as needed.

3. Food & Water Supply

Keep at least a 3-day supply of water on hand — one gallon per person per day. Also, keep three weeks’ worth of non-perishable food on hand, including a manual can opener, to properly prepare for a power outage. It’s not hard to choose canned and dry goods that can be eaten without heating or cooking, and they won’t take up a lot of space. Also, pack the empty space in your freezer with plastic containers filled with water. Not only will this give you additional emergency water, but it will also help keep your fridge and freezer cooler longer if the power is out. That can lead to less spoilage and more usable food.

4. Backup Generator

Why take the chance of staying in the dark, worrying about your fridge full of food? Having a backup generator installed is a smart move for homeowners who want to stay comfortable through a blackout situation and enjoy at least the basics like hot water, cold food, and a few lights on as needed.

Already have a backup generator installed? Chances are you haven’t thought much about it since the end of last hurricane season. Much like your car, generators need regular preventative maintenance in order to run their best. We can help with that, too. Contact us to schedule maintenance on your generator, and keep that investment ready to run when you need it.

5. Get Cash & Gas

When the power goes out, there’s no power to operate gas pumps or to go to the ATM to get money. A lot of places won’t be able to process your credit or debit card because that requires power as well. By fueling up your car and having some cash on hand for essentials like food and emergency shelter, you’ll have a lot more options during an extended power outage.

What To Do When the Power Goes Out

What now? You have your flashlights, non-perishables, and water, portable phone chargers ready, and a generator is installed… What should you do now?

1. Keep Your Home As Cool As Possible

If there’s a blackout in your area, chances are it’s hot. Keep cool by closing any curtains or shades on the sunny side of your home. Wear light-colored, lightweight clothing and drink plenty of water. If you are looking into a backup generator, consider accounting for a portable fan or ceiling fan when calculating your energy needs.

2. Unplug Your Appliances

Power surges are common during outages and can destroy your appliances. You don’t want to be replacing appliances when the power comes back up. To mitigate that risk, unplug any non-essentials until power is restored. You’ll have more peace of mind that way. An even safer option is to contact SWFL Electric and ask about surge protection.

3. Stay Tuned

Pay attention to local news sources for information about the outage and when the power companies are expecting to have power restored. A battery-operated radio or a charged smartphone is your best source of up-to-date information.

Get Your Free Generator Comparison Guide

You don’t have to settle for a dark house, spoiled food, and fumbling around for flashlights. Instead, you can have your power back on through the help of a generator, quickly and efficiently.

Download our Generator Comparison Guide to start considering which brand and model will be right for your needs.

Get in touch with us today, and we can talk about the size and type of generator that’s going to be right for your needs.

How Long Can a Generator Last? Factors that Influence Runtime

Posted on September 17, 2019 | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

Ah, the ultimate question, “How long can my generator run?”

The truth is: there’s no simple answer to this inquiry. There are a number of factors that will influence how long your generator will continuously run after its fired up as well as its lifetime before ultimately calling it quits.

Let’s look at the factors affect your geneator’s runtime:

Portable vs. Standby Generators

The first follow-up question we have for you is: are you wondering how long a portable generator can last, or how long a standby will run— because these are two completely different beasts.

If you are unclear on the difference between a portable generator and a backup unit, read our other post on how standby generators work. We address how standby/backup generators are permanent features, attached to your home and ready to fire up the instant your power is lost, while portable generators must be manually pulled out and fired up during an outage.

Standby units are generally larger than portable units, with drastically varying wattages and fuel feeding methods. Backup generators are at a huge advantage, as they are designed to power your home for days on end, while portable generators are engineered to get you by for a few hours and not a realistic solution for long-term electricity. Check out our Backup Generator Guide’s “When to Choose a Standby vs. Portable Generator” section to understand why.

Liquid Propane vs. Natural Gas

The next follow-up question we have is: are you asking about a liquid propane (LP) or natural gas-powered (NG) generator?

If you’re talking about a standby NG-powered generator, you’ll be tapped into an underground fuel line with unlimited access to your natural gas. Since these underground lines are controlled by the township, you don’t have to worry about filling up a tank like you would with a LP-powered unit and these generators can typically run up to 200 hours continuously without problem. (Keep in mind, if your natural gas line is damaged during a natural disaster, your access to fuel may be limited or restricted).

With a liquid propane unit, you’re at the mercy of your fuel tank size and the availability the propane company’s delivery availability. Meaning, while your generator might be willing and able to run continuously for a few days, if it sucks up all its juice, it’ll have no fuel to power itself until you refill the tank. Typically, a 1-2 gallon fuel tank can last from 8 to 10 hours (though wattage influences this as well), so if you want a few days worth of backup power, you’ll need a lot larger of a tank.

Keep in mind too that filled propane tanks only hold 80% of their rated capacities, so a 500-gallon tank stores only 400 gallons of fuel. Read all about the pros and cons of propane vs. gas generators here.

Wattage Requirements

This point seems pretty straight-foward: larger generators require more fuel than smaller generators. If you purchase an 11 kilowatt (kW) generator and use it to full capacity, it’s going to use less fuel than a 20 kW unit running at full capacity.

Powering higher-wattage household items and a higher quantity of items also requires more fuel. For instance, your electric water heater might need 4,000 watts, while your WiFi and cable modem only 40; the water heater is going to eat up more fuel. And the more items want to run, the higher your wattage needs grow.

In our other article, “What Size Generator Do You Need? Whole House Generator Sizing Made Easy,” we outline examples of household appliances by wattage to help you to determine your home’s wattage requirements.

Generally speaking, your generator operator’s manual should tell you how much fuel your unit will drain per hour when operating at full capacity. Use this data to help calculate how quickly you’ll deplete your supply.

Durability & Warranty

Then there’s the other side of the big question: when you say how long will a generator run, do you mean over its lifetime?

While some generator manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on certain parts of or your entire generator, this generosity isn’t common. Most reliable and reputable brands offer anywhere from 5-10 year warranties or promise to provide 3,000 to 5,000 hours of power.

With proper care, your machine can last for many years no matter your level of use.

Maintenance

Even generators with great warranties can fail to start with lack of routine maintenance. Your generator may fail to run if you don’t fire it up every few months; this keeps the electric starter’s battery fresh and charged.

We also recommend checking for rust, oil changes every 50 hours, filter replacement and other handy generator maintenance tips found in our other post. While paying for a yearly check-up on your generator will cost you, it could cost you more down the road to neglect your investment.

Get the Long-Lasting Power You Need

Now that you understand a few of the factors that influence generators’ continuous runtime and overall warranty, it’s time to start hunting for the right unit.

Here at SWFL Electric, we’re proud to be Kohler, Generac and Cummins dealers. Ask us to help you pick the best generator for your wattage. We’ll set you up with a lasting power unit to rely on for many years to come.

Explore our generators here.

Tips for Surviving a Summer Power Outage in Florida

Posted on April 26, 2017 | by Southwest Florida Electric Inc.

Summer is coming! In Southwest Florida, that means scorching heat, afternoon thunderstorms, and the inevitable blackout. What’s a Florida homeowner to do? Well, first of all, don’t panic.

We’ve got you covered with some great tips on what to do – and what not to do – to survive a Southwest Florida blackout.

Prepare Today for the Storm Tomorrow

Everyone has seen the grocery store bags and billboards with the hurricane preparedness checklists, right? Well, most of that list really applies to any potential power outage, hurricane, afternoon thunderstorm, construction mishaps, or even power grid problems.

Keep Flashlights Handy

Have several flashlights readily available around the house. Flashlights are a much safer choice than trying to fumble with candles for light. Be sure you have spare batteries!

Stay Charged to Stay Connected

Make sure your cell phone is well charged at all times and consider buying a car or solar charger, especially if you rely on your cell phone instead of having a corded landline in your home.

Don’t Skimp on Sustenance

Keep a 3 day supply of water on hand – one gallon per person per day. Also, keep some non-perishable food on hand, including a manual can opener. Pack the empty space in your freezer with plastic containers filled with water. Not only will this give you additional emergency water, it will also help keep your fridge and freezer cool if the power is out.

Have a Backup Plan

Keep Your Backup Ready for Action

So, the Power is Out. Again.

What now? You have your flashlights, non perishables and water, phone’s charged and ready, generator is installed…What should you do now?

Keep Your Cool

If there’s a blackout in our area, chances are it’s hot. Keep cool by closing any curtains or shades on the sunny side of your home. Wear light colored, lightweight clothing and drink plenty of water. If you are looking into a backup generator, consider accounting for a portable fan or ceiling fan when calculating your energy needs.

Unplug

Power surges are common during outages, and can destroy your appliances. Unplug any non-essentials until power is restored. Better yet, contact SWFL Electric and ask about our surge protection.

Stay Tuned

Pay attention to local news sources for information about the outage and when the power companies are expecting to have power restored. A battery operated radio or your smartphone is your best friend.

Have the “Know How” on Your Backup

If you have a backup generator, be sure you know how to safely operate it. Southwest Florida Electric offers a wide variety of generator options, including automatic generators that kick on as soon as the power goes out.

Don’t have a backup generator in place? Not sure where to start? We can help you! Southwest Florida Electric is ready to assist you every step of the way; from calculating just the right size generator for your needs, to installation and future service.