Storm-related outages are doing more than knocking out lights and air conditioning. They're also prompting some homeowners to rethink how prepared they are for the next blackout.
In Boardman, Ohio, and nearby communities, generators are getting more attention after a July storm left thousands waiting for service to return.
What happened?
As WKBN reported, most customers got their power back shortly after a weekend storm earlier this month, but Mahoning County still had thousands of outages a couple of days later.
Those remaining outages affected about 3,896 customers in Mahoning County, mostly in Boardman, as well as roughly 26 in Trumbull County.
Instead of simply getting through outages with candles and flashlights, some frustrated residents are now considering generators for future storms.
Mike Krake of North Lima's Generator Specialist Inc. said portable generators can be a practical option for some households.
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"They're great to have. They're inexpensive," Krake said.
For homeowners weighing backup power, the main question is whether a portable generator will do the job or if a standby system is a better fit for longer outages.
Why does it matter?
For many households, power outages are more than an inconvenience. Losing electricity can quickly disrupt food storage, medical devices, internet access, heating or cooling, and the ability to work from home or charge phones.
Interest in backup power tends to rise after major storms.
When comparing a portable generator with a stationary standby unit, two of the biggest factors are price and how much electricity each one can deliver.
What can I do?
If you're thinking about buying a generator, a good starting point is figuring out what you need it to power. Some households may only want to keep a few essentials running, while others may be looking for a more automatic whole-home backup option.
Lower upfront cost can make portable generators appealing, but they also require someone to set them up when an outage happens. Standby units cost more, though they are permanently installed and built to start automatically.
Krake urged generator owners to rely on the owner's manual, especially when the equipment is being run for an extended period.
Maintenance becomes even more important when equipment is being used for longer than usual.
Krake summed up the tradeoff by saying, "... you have to be home to hook them up when the power fails. Whereas with a stationary unit it's there, it's already connected up, it starts, runs by itself."
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