Florida Panhandle Homeowners: Put Your Generator to the Test Before a Hurricane
In some of the worst-case scenarios, a hurricane can leave you without power for three days or more. When that storm hits, you should be able to count on your generator to start up, but can you? Panhandle families are well accustomed to the difficulties of the annual hurricane season, knowing very well that a post-hurricane outage can run long, and if the generator can keep up, you stay comfortable.
Otherwise, you’re left to sweat through a wretched, powerless night. The trouble is, most people don’t think about their generator until after the lights and electrical systems go out, only to find the fuel has gone bad or the battery has quit.
For Florida Panhandle residents, we recommend knowing exactly where your generator stands before the next big one churns up in the Gulf. We Care AC, Plumbing, & Electric is available 24/7 to help homeowners in Niceville and the surrounding counties get storm-ready. Call (850) 820-6710.
A Working Generator Is Essential in the Panhandle
Gulf storms have a direct path to Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Escambia Counties. When the grid is down, your generator keeps the essentials in your home running along, from the refrigerator to your lighting and cooling system you need on the muggy day a storm brings. Should that generator fail to start, you’re essentially left with an expensive piece of lawn furniture.
But a little forethought will save you the aggravation. All it takes is routine maintenance and a sound connection to your electrical system when the winds pick up.
Get Your Generator Storm Ready
It’s wise to have a routine in place before any storm watch is issued.
Here’s what to check:
- Run the generator for a few minutes
- Old gas sitting around is of no use, so put in some fresh and inspect your fuel
- Change the oil per the manufacturer
- The engine will not perform if the air filters are not in proper condition
- Make sure surplus fuel is stowed in a safe place, not in the house
- Examine cords and connections for wear, cracks, or corrosion
- With a whole-home unit, make certain the transfer switch is operational
Run through this checklist before the season starts and again when a storm is on the way. If something’s wrong, you want to find out on a sunny afternoon, not in the middle of a downpour.
Backfeeding: Do Not Make This Mistake
Some homeowners plug a portable generator straight into a regular household outlet. This is something called backfeeding, and it’s dangerous. It can damage your home’s wiring, start a fire, and put utility crews working on nearby lines at serious risk.
The safe way to connect is with an inlet box or transfer switch, something to be left to a licensed electrician. We Care is fully insured and holds Florida license #EC13013197; we put the work up to code.
Protecting Your Comfort Systems
Rain and flying debris can do more than knock out your power. They can also damage your AC, plumbing, and electrical systems. Once the storm passes, have your electrical panel and HVAC system inspected before you put them back to work.
We handle everything from drains and indoor air quality to major home systems. One call makes recovery much easier.
Keep Your Home & Generator Storm-Ready
Our team is on hand 24/7, and we stand behind our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. As women in the trades, we’re proud of the work we do and the advocacy behind it.
Don’t wait for an outage to find out your generator isn’t up to snuff. Call us at (850) 820-6710 to schedule a generator and transfer switch inspection with We Care AC, Plumbing, & Electric. We’ll get your Panhandle home ready for the rest of the season. It’s a small step now for a lot of peace of mind later.