(NAPSA)—You can feel more secure that your home can weather any storm if you’ve got a generator to keep the lights and appliances on in an outage. First, however, it helps to understand a few facts about generators. Common mythsinclude: Myth: Portable generators and standby generatorsare the same. Fact: A gasoline-powered portable generator typically powers a few appliances for a few hours at a time. A home standby generatoris permanently installed and can keep the power on whentheprimary power source goes out, so you can run more appliances continually, such as air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, clothes washers/dryers and lights. Portable generators can power a wide range of essential items and be used in multiple applications, such as campingor tailgating. Standby generators use your home’s existing fuel source (propaneor natural gas) and turn on automatically. Myth: You have to go outside in a storm to start a standby A generator may solve your home’s poweroutage problems. Fact: Recent design advancements may give homeowners more placementflexibility. For example, select Briggs & Stratton standby generators meet strict National Fire Protection Association stan- dards, so they may be placed closer to the house than in the past. on automatically within seconds after utility power goes out. When poweris restored, the standby generator powersoff automatically. Myth: Standby generators require constant care and upkeep. Fact: Standby generators are programmed to exercise regularly —often once a week—to ensure that they are in working condition in the event of a power outage. Myth: Portable generators can be operated anywhere on your property, even inside your house or garage. Fact: Portable generators must always be operated outdoors and standby generator is necessary to powera house. and other openings to prevent carbon monoxide—a poisonous, odor- tems, such as those from Briggs & Stratton, electronically control electrical loads. This lets you power more with a smaller generator. Myth: Standby generators are clunky eyesores that must be placed in the middle of the yard. getting trapped inside the home or garage. Protect your family with a carbon monoxide alarm whenever running a portable generator. To learn more about safe operation of portable generators, visit www. briggsandstratton.com/safetyfirst. generator. Fact: One benefit of standby generators is the seamless transition of power. The generator goes Myth: A large, expensive Fact: Power management sys- far from doors, windows, vents less, colorless, deadly gas—from Note to Editors: September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Campaign.
