The Importance of Emergency Power in Winter

As we watch the weather transition from the heavy rains of hurricane season to the snowstorms of winter, having an emergency power source on site is more important than ever. Winter's unpredictable weather can cause a power outage, and that's not something you should take lightly. Beyond the immediate effects of a power outage, such loss of lighting and heat, the consequences of a prolonged power outage in northern states can be devastating.

The combination of snow and freezing cold temperatures has the potential to create issues ranging from property damage to freezing temperatures. Not only can the loss of heat cause frostbite and hypothermia, but it can also cause water pipes to burst. If you have never experienced a burst pipe, consider yourself lucky. On top of water damage and expensive repairs, burst pipes can harm the very structure of your home or business by creating rot and mold.

Investing in an emergency power system offers you the comfort of knowing that you are protected from whatever winter has in store. Whether you’re a business owner looking to keep your operations up and running or a parent wanting to keep your loved ones safe, an emergency power source will provide you with the steady supply of electricity that you need. In this article, we will explore how winter challenges the power grid and help you determine what backup power equipment is best for you.

As we spend most of the day bundled up indoors to stay warm, winter brings an increased need for heat. Plus, the winter solstice means shorter days and longer nights, which drives us to rely on lights more than we do in the Summertime. Our increased consumption of electricity requires the electrical grid to work much harder than usual. When there’s too much strain on the grid, it often creates problems such as overloads, voltage instability, and even a blackout.

Chilly temperatures and heavy snowfall have been proven to slow down the flow of electricity throughout the grid. This hinders its ability to work at full capacity and increases the likelihood of an electrical fault or circuit overload. You might also be surprised to learn that a simple ½ inch of ice on a powerline can end up weighing 500 pounds or more! So, it makes sense that icy power lines snap often and create widespread power outages.

Selecting Your Emergency Power Setup

Now that we’ve studied why access to emergency power is critical in the wintertime, it’s time to help you decide what portable power equipment might best suit your needs. Standby power refers to a backup power source that turns the power back on during a blackout. The two most common types of emergency power sources include portable and standby generators. Portable generators are lightweight and mobile, perfect for transporting between locations to power a few tools or appliances. If you are looking for a standby power source that can support your typical home energy consumption, our Portable Power Experts recommend a whole-house standby generator.

Standby generators are mounted on a hurricane pad (a thick slab of cement) outside of your home and work in conjunction with an automatic transfer switch (ATS). The ATS has control systems that send a signal during a power outage in order to instantly shift from utility to generator power. Once the power grid has been restored and the blackout ends, the standby generator is designed to switch off and return to utility power. As part of our commitment to offer all the portable power solutions necessary to keep our customers safe and warm, we provide Generac Guardian standby generators available with or without an ATS at atielectrical.com.

Our line of Generac standby generators includes high-tech features for your convenience. For example, our standby generators are designed to run quietly and can connect to Wi-Fi so that you can monitor your generator from any mobile device. To top it off, it has a specially designed pressure-lubricated engine so that you can spend more time cozied up in your home and less time maintaining your emergency power system.

Don’t wait until the roads become icy and your power goes out. You can prepare your home or business for winter today by ordering cable assemblies or power distribution equipment with the simple click of a button. Alongside our collection of portable and standby generators, we offer generator extension cables, industry standard series 16 camlock connectors, and much more! If you have any questions about our selection of portable power equipment or need help finding the right power solution for you, our Portable Power Experts will be happy to help you at PPG@atielectrical.com or (800)-597-9311.