How to Power your Home After a Tornado Strikes: Part One

After a tornado strikes in your area, you must be very cautious about what is going on in or outside your home and even in your neighborhood.  As we previously learned in our blog post about preparing for a tornado once you emerge from your safe place you should check your home.  

Make sure there are no electrical, gas or propane issues and turn them all off if needed.  Once you have figured out your home is safe to run power through it we can help you get some emergency power to your home and its necessary appliances while waiting for the utilities to come back on safely. 

If you want to get emergency power to your home without the Transfer Switch solutions we talked about last week, you will need to have a generator on hand.  It is good to have a generator on hand for when emergency power is needed in your home.

SAFETY TIP: NEVER leave a generator running in or near your home, keep it at least ten feet from your home, leaving the life-threatening exhaust outside of your house.  

Generators have outlets installed into them.  Here are some of the common outlets installed into your generators; a smaller and more inexpensive generator will have a NEMA 5-15R, regular household power outlet installed, you might also find a NEMA L5-30R, 3-prong, 30 Amp receptacle installed into your generator, the other two common options are the NEMA L14-30R, 4-prong, 30 Amp receptacle and the NEMA L14-20R, 4-prong, 20 Amp receptacle.  If you have one of the NEMA L14-20R or L14-30R, you will, most likely, not have the other. 

AC WORKS® brand products are available for all those generator outlets with a variety of options to choose from.  We have small adapters up to extension cords compatible with each of those outlets.  There are also a variety of power distribution units or power strips to give you the option to power more items in an outage. 

GENERATOR WITH NEMA 5-15/20 RECEPTACLE OPTIONS

XH515520:

This XH515520 plug adapter is a single 15 Amp to 20 Amp t-blade adapter, turning your regular household outlet into a 5-15/20R outlet if you need a 20 Amp outlet or have equipment requiring a 20 Amp plug. 

ADV104:

The ADV104 is a V-DUO adapter turning your regular household outlet into two regular household outlets.  

PSROT-072:

The PSROT-072 is a power distribution unit, or power strip, with a 6-foot long cable. This power strip features an SJT cable, 14/3 and 8 rotating outlets with a surge protector. 

S520PR:

The S520PR is an extension cord, available in lengths of 25 and 50 feet.  The indoor/outdoor SJTW, 12/3 cable is a 20 Amp NEMA 5-20 plug and receptacle. 

GENERATOR WITH NEMA L5-30 RECEPTACLE OPTIONS 

ADL530520:

The ADL530520 plug adapter is a NEMA L5-30P, 30 Amp, 125 Volt plug to a NEMA 5-15/20R, 15/20 Amp household T-blade connector. 

ADVL530520:

The ADVL530520 V-DUO adapter is a 3-prong, 30 Amp, NEMA L5-30P locking plug to two NEMA 5-20R household T-blade outlets.  

L530W515-018:

The L530W515-018 is a 1.5-foot 30 Amp, 3-prong, NEMA L5-30P locking plug connected to three NEMA 5-20R household T-blade outlets. 

L530PR:

The L530PR is an indoor/outdoor extension cord, available in lengths of 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 feet.  The indoor/outdoor SOOW, 10/3 cable is a 30 Amp, 125 Volt Generator cable with a 600 Volt jacket.  

These products will allow you to get more power to each of your home appliances, lights and anything needing power in your home.  Check back soon to find the products for the other two outlets, NEMA L14-30 and NEMA L14-20.