Living in the Upper Northeast of the United States, power failures and the inconveniences that they bring, are a certainty during the coldest winter months of the year. Unfortunately power failures occur more frequently in various areas of the country and if you live in one of these areas, it is likely that you and your family have experienced a power outage within the past 12 months. Problems with the aging infrastructure that carries power to your home increase the potential of power outages across the country. Winter storms are not the only culprit – hurricanes, tropical storms and tornadoes can also lead to extended power outages.

Investing in a Honda Generator can greatly increase your quality of life during these coldest winter months.

The Frequency of Power Outages During the Winter

A power failure during the coldest times of the winter could pose health risks to you and your family. In 2011, 3071 area power outages were reported. Approximately 41 million people were affected by loss of power. The average number of people affected by power failures in 2011 was over 21,000 and the average time duration of each power failure was approximately three and one half hours.

Large outages caused by snowstorms, hurricanes and other winter weather incidents are becoming more frequent each year. The problem of wide power outages is expected to increase in the number of incidents and in severity in the coming years. Studies show that in 2009, only 42 area-wide blackouts affecting 50,000 or more customers occurred. By 2011, the number of such blackouts had increased to 109. Most of the outages occurred during the coldest winter months in the regions of the U.S. with the lowest winter temperatures.

All of these figures add up to this – If you are a homeowner in an area that is affected by these numbers, you should either own or consider buying, a Honda Generator before this winter arrives.

There are two different types of generators; Portable and Standby.

Portable Gas generators are a) portable – easily transported and b) designed to power basic necessities during a power outage. A portable Honda generator can generate up to 6400 Watts of power. Various models are capable of running many household appliances for a reasonable amount of time. There are many different models available, offering different power options. Research your homes’ power needs before you purchase a Honda Generator for your home.

Standby units just that – they are on constant standby, are far more expensive and designed for commercial use.

A Honda Generator Ensures Power During Outages

Owning a Honda generator will ensure that you have power in your home even when your area is affected by mass outages. A Honda generator will make sure that your home is heated and essential equipment, such as your sump pump and refrigerator, continue to operate throughout the blackout. A Honda generator provides power to essential systems when power to the home is lost. A Honda generator can operate the home’s lights, vital appliances and heating system to allow you and your family to function while the power outage is addressed and power is restored.

Selecting a Honda Generator

When purchasing a Honda generator for your home, you will need to consider several factors.

1. Where does your water supply come from? If you are dependent on well water, your well pump requires a larger 240 volt generator.
2. Is your hot water heater electric, gas or oil? If it is electric, your heater requires at least 4500 watts to operate.
3. Determine which appliances and systems you will need to power with a generator in the event of an outage.
   Make a list containing each essential appliance. Most people will include at least one heat source at the top of the list. Other appliances you may consider necessary are lighting sources, water pumps and a refrigeration system.
4. Determine how much power you will need based on the list of necessary appliances to operate during a blackout.
   Honda generators range between 900 and 10,000 watts of power. The more home systems that you need to operate during an outage, the more power you will need from your generator. You will need to calculate the wattage utilized by essential systems during a blackout. Add up the wattage required to run these systems simultaneously. Next, add the starting wattage’s required for each appliance. The starting wattage will be the amount of wattage that will be required to start up the appliance or system. This wattage estimate may be found in the user manuals for each appliance. The total number of running wattage and starting wattage will determine the size of the generator you will need. Select a Honda generator that will provide wattage over the total running and starting wattage that will be required.
5.  Determine how many hours your generator will be able to operate during a blackout.
   The fuel capacity determines how many hours the generator will operate during an outage. A rule of thumb is to select a generator with the fuel capacity to run for about 10 hours during a blackout. This time period will ensure a day of work or a full night of sleep during the outage. The larger the fuel tank, the longer the generator will provide power without the need to refuel.
6. Determine the number of outlets that will be necessary on the generator.
   The number of outlets will be determined by the number of home systems that you need to operate during an outage.
7. Noise Level. Honda’s 4 stroke engines combined with exceptional technology, are a quiet alternative to many other generators.
8. Nothing would be as frustrating as owning a generator and being unable to start it. Honda Generators are easy to start and they even have a few electronic starting options.
9. Quality. Honda is know for the quality of it’s products, and Honda Generators are no exception.

A Honda generator will keep the essential systems in your home operating during times of power outages. Protect your home and your family with a Honda generator this winter. Remember to service and check your Honda generator before winter sets in. If you need to order parts for your Honda generator, visit www.hondalawnparts.com. Ordering parts online is easy, using the Honda parts look-up tool.