Updated for new technologies

I updated this older blog with some new references about new technologies that did not exist in 2007

About Grounding (Updated) Proper grounding of your generator remains essential for safety and preventing damage to appliances. While many portable generators are designed to be used without separate grounding, it's still a good practice to ground them to your home’s grounding rod or a dedicated grounding rod installed for the generator. Modern installations, especially with permanent standby generators like Generac models, often come pre-installed with proper grounding, but it's always worth double-checking with your installer. For portable generators, ensure grounding to avoid potential electrical hazards, especially if you’re connecting them directly to your home's power system through a transfer switch. 

Maintenance (Updated) 

Fuel Storage: Today’s gasoline formulations degrade quickly, so always add a fuel stabilizer if storing gasoline for longer than a month. For tri-fuel generators running on propane or natural gas, you avoid the fuel degradation issue entirely. 

Oil Changes: For newer generators, check your owner's manual, as modern generators may have different oil change intervals. However, a good rule of thumb is still every 100 hours of running time. Many modern generators have an automatic oil change reminder or indicator. 

Off-Season Maintenance: Modern generators with electric start should have their batteries maintained or charged monthly. Also, consider using a solar trickle charger to keep the battery in good condition. 

Using the Generator - Maximizing Efficiency (Updated) 

LED Lighting: Upgrade all your lighting to LED bulbs instead of fluorescents or incandescent. LEDs use even less power (about 10-15% of the energy that incandescent bulbs use), which maximizes the generator’s efficiency. Smart Plugs and
 

Power Strips: Use smart plugs or energy-saving power strips to cut off 'phantom loads' from appliances in standby mode. These newer technologies make it easier to manage power consumption and optimize your generator's usage. 

How to Connect a Generator to Home Power (Updated) 

Newer Methods: 

Tri-fuel Portable Generators: These can be connected to your home’s transfer switch and provide more versatility in fuel sources (gasoline, propane, or natural gas). 

Permanent Standby Generators: Now popular, Generac-type generators come with automatic transfer switches, so they start up and switch power seamlessly when an outage occurs, eliminating any risk of backfeeding. 

Useful Accessories (Updated) Wireless Monitoring Systems: Many modern generators, especially permanent standby ones, offer wireless monitoring through apps, allowing you to check fuel levels, maintenance intervals, and running status from your smartphone. 

Heavy-Duty Extension Cords: Look for cords rated for outdoor use and high wattage to handle the power draw from modern appliances. 

Hot Water (Updated) Tankless Water Heaters: Modern tankless gas models are now more efficient and only require electricity for ignition, making them compatible with generator power. Ensure your generator can handle the startup power if you have an electric tankless heater. Hybrid Water Heaters: These use a heat pump and are more energy-efficient than traditional water heaters, reducing the load on your generator. 

Resources (Updated) Energy Saving Tips: ENERGY STAR offers modern tips and incentives for energy-efficient home improvements. Solar Power: For up-to-date solar water heating systems, check Energy.gov's Solar Guide.

About Grounding

A generator will work without being grounded properly but it is good practice to properly ground a generator to your home’s grounding rod or to a new grounding rod installed for the generator. A grounding rod is an 8’ long ½” metal rod that is pounded into the ground to reach moist soil. Driving an 8’ metal rod into coral rock so prevalent in South Florida is a hard job.. Proper grounding is essential for safety and preventing damage to the appliances that are running on the generator. Many people have to replace appliances several months after running on generators for extended periods.

Resources

Energy saving tips: http://www.wattbusters.com/

Portable Solar and Gas Hot Showers: http://www.zodi.com

Information o Solar Hot Water: http://www.tctsolar.com or http://www.ecs-solar.com

Information on tax credits for solar power: http://www.dsireusa.org/

Maintenance

Gasoline Storage

If you are going to store gasoline for many months, then you should be adding a gasoline additive to the tanks to extend the life of the fuel. Otherwise, in November, when you pour the as into your car your may have excessive engine pinging and performance issues.

Changing the oil

Every 100 hours of generator running, you will need to change the oil in the ggenerator. This will ensure the optimal operation of your generator.

Off Season

You should start the generator every month for a few minutes to warm up the generator and make sure it is working well. A generator should not sit idle for an entire year without being turned on, it probably won’t start when you need it if proper off season maintenance is not performed.

Using the Generator - How to maximize the Hours per Gallon (HPG)

Flourescent lights – changing all the lights that you want to run from incandescent bulbs to the new replacement flouresent bulbs will increase your HPG. A typical 60 or 100 watt bulb can be replaced with a fluorescent bulb that use 25% of the power. So in a house with ten 60 watt bulbs lit, instead of burning 600 watts, you will be burning 150 watts which will increase your HPG.

Unplug appliances not in use – Most modern appliances have their standby mode which consumes a few watts of power even when they are ‘off’. These devices need to be ‘unplugged’ in order to truly be turned off. If you have 20 devices like cable boxes, VCRs, TVs and Sterios that are in standby, then you will be consuming 100-200 watts just in the standby modes so you might as well unplug them to save that much fuel.

Nightlights – If your kids need nightlights, then purchase some solar powered landscape lighting. Put the bulbs outside to charge during the day and then place them in the kid’s rooms at night, they will provide a dim nightlight that will last all night and not reduce your HPG.

How to connect generator to home power

Back Feeding – what it is and why you don’t want to do it

Backfeeding is what happens if you connect a generator to your home’s wiring and fail to somehow disconnect your home from the power grid. If someone connects a generator and backfeeds the line, and injures or kills an FPL employee then there is pretty much unlimited liability for the homeowner. Usin ONLY extension cords from your generator to individual appliances in the house will not create a backfeeding situation. Backfeeding situations WILL OCCUR whenever someone connects a generator to the inside wiring in a home either through a dryer connection, or other, non-compliant connection method.

As far as I have found out there are 4 ways to connect a generator to your house:

Extension Cords
Pros	Cons
Easy, cheap, no electrician needed , portable, no back feeding	hard to power enough appliances can't use all the generator's watts, make sure you don't overload any one cord, moving from room to room is a hassle. Cords all over the floor.

Extension cords: Pros: easy - cheap, no electrician needed , portable, no back feeding
Cons:
Dryer outlet adapter -
Pros - pretty simple, possibly don't need an electrician, Cheap, select what circuits using the circuit breakers, Portable. Cons: Make sure you flip the main power circuit or pull the meter completely or you will be backfeeding FPL, walking around with a male power cord with 240 is dangerous. No meter to monitor load levels.

Transfer Switch with external power outlet, -
Pros: select circuits with panel switches, meters for load levels, no bac feeding
Cons: a little more expensive, need an electrician to install, have to pre-select which cicuits to power with the switch.

Generlink -
Pros: Simple, portable, use the circuit breakers to select switch, no back feeding, if you are willing to pull a power meter, don't need an electrician. Approved by FPL this year. 

Cons: no meters to ensure load levels, just LED lights

Useful accessories

Electric start

If there is a chance that someone who is not strong enough will need to pull the cord to restart a generator, then an electric start option is a nice accessory. Not all generators have this, so it is something to look for at the initial purchase. The electric start will only start up if the battery is in good working order, so before the storm be sure to charge the battery to make sure it it ready to go after the storm.

Hour meter

Every 100 hours of running you will need to change the oil in the generator. Otherwise, after running for 100 hours, the oil may be breaking down, and not lubricating the generator properly. If this occurs, your generator may fail or it may just start using more fuel and delivering less power. An hour meter is a nice to have accessory so you know how long it has been between servicies.

A great big lock

After a hurricane, generators are in scarce supply and are an easy target. They are easy to find because a running generator announces itself to the neighborhood.

Heavy duty long extension cords

After a hurricane, offering a neighbor without a generator a few watts of AC power with a long extension cord is a couterous thing to do. Make sure you have a spare, heavy duty 100’ extension cord if you want to make such an offer. Even if you are running your own appliances with an extension cord, make sure they are heavy duty and in good shape.