Colin Hunt, a Kennebunkport Maine licensed electrician discusses the benefits and risks and precautions necessary to successfully and safely use generators in Maine during the cold winter months.

Arundel, ME -- (SBWire) -- 01/27/2012 --Fire departments across the country report a significant increase in house fires during the winter months, usually due to heating problems in people’s homes. Many times, people will attempt to provide their home with emergency power through an incorrectly utilized generator. Colin Hunt, of CGH Electric, says that he stays very busy in the winter months with generators and panel upgrades in an attempt help people stay warm and safe.

One of the most dangerous uses of generators for the home is through the use of a “suicide hookup”. This is the common act of connecting an extension cord to a generator and then plugging it in to an outlet at the house. This not only will not effectively run your electrical appliances in the house, it will create a deadly surge that can kill a lineman. It can also produce a reverse polarity, and certainly won’t ground properly. This will also be deadly for any lineman working on the grid. In addition, it’s a shock hazard and fire hazard in your home.

Hunt also says that simply running an extension cord from the generator to the house to keep the refrigerator running is not a really good idea, as there is no surge protection or other current control involved. This can burn out the compressor on the refrigerator.

For maximum safety, it is best to have a licensed electrician install a transfer switch. This is easily done by an expert. If there is a power outage, you can flip the switch at your breaker box, and electricity from the power grid will be disconnected. The connection to the generator will be completed, and you just start your generator to restore power. When the power grid is back up and running, you turn off your generator and flip the switch back to main power. A properly installed transfer switch removes the dangers common in using generator power for emergencies.

Colin Hunt, owner and operator of CGH Electric, performs surge suppression, generator hookups, service panel upgrades, and other electrical services in Arundel and Kennebunkport ME and the surrounding area. You can contact Mr. Hunt at 207-468-0029 for more information and a free quote.

Website: http://cghelectric.com/