Florida Power House

Already own a GENERAC generator?

GENERAC has a “protect your neighbor $50/$50 referal rebate.” Now that your house is protected against power outages, make sure your friends and family are protected too and you will each receive a check for $50!

CLICK HERE for the rebate form

Hurricane season begins in just a couple of days, on June 1st, are you ready? Here are some tips on being prepared!

Get a kit

Emergency supplies are critical should a disaster strike. Essentials such as water, non-perishable foods, medicine, flashlights, batteries and other items will help you and your family sustain yourselves for at least three days after a disaster. CLICK HERE to use our emergency supply checklist.

Make a plan

Do you know where to go if you need to evacuate your area? What do you do with your loved one with special needs and pet? Have you exchanged contact information with a friend or relative outside your area to make sure they know you’re OK? www.ReadySouthFlorida.org can help you develop an emergency plan so that you and your family know what to do and where to go during a disaster.

Be Informed

Information is key during a disaster situation, and knowing who to turn to for trustworthy, up-to-date emergency information will help you survive a disaster. Information sources such as local government information hotlines or call centers, websites, media outlets and others can provide important updates about what’s going on in the region during a disaster.

During a utility power outage, an automatic standby generator provides numerous advantages over a portable generator:

• The American Red Cross recommends permanently installed standby generators as a safer way to provide backup power to a home than a portable generator.
• With an automatic standby generator properly installed outside, your home is protected from deadly carbon monoxide poisoning that is a much greater risk with portable generators.
• Running on the home’s natural gas or LP fuel supply, it is less expensive to run than gasoline and does not need to be refilled.
• They start automatically within seconds of a power outage, and eliminate the need to haul a portable generator outside or run extension cords throughout your home.
• They provide protection 24/7, whether you’re home or away, and they turn themselves off when utility power returns, so there is no need to monitor the unit during an outage.

Generac’s OHVI^® Engine – The only engine specifically made for generators
Why is this important? Generators are often required to run for hours at a time, sometimes day after day during extreme power outages. Generac’s OHVI engine utilizes the same type of pressurized oil lubrication used to give automobile engines long and trouble free lives and has a significantly longer life than competitive engines – an unprecedented three to four times longer.

All oils are not created equally.  The following is an overview of synthetic oils and their application in air-cooled engines.

• Better Viscosity Temperature Response (Higher Viscosity Index) – This means that a synthetic offers protection over a wider temperature range than conventional oil. One can run multi viscosity synthetic oil year round without compromising oil consumption.

• Better Low Temperature Fluidity (Lower Pour Point) – This means that a synthetic will flow at lower temperatures than similarly formulated conventional oil.  This results in easier pull starting or cranking and better lubrication protection at colder temperatures.

• Better Thermal Stability – This is the oil’s resistance to breakdown at higher temperatures.  Synthetics resist high temperature breakdown much better than conventional oils which results in increased hydrodynamic bearing film thickness (longer bearing life) and reduced oil consumption.  Since a small air-cooled engine runs extremely hot, compared to a liquid cooled engine, this is important.

• Better Oxidation Stability – At high temperatures oils oxidize, synthetic inherently hinder this oxidation process much better than conventional oils allowing better protection for longer periods.

• Lower Volatility – Volatility is the oils tendency to “burn off” at higher temperatures.  High volatility means it burns off easily, low volatility means it doesn’t.  Synthetics have a much lower volatility than conventional oils meaning it will be around longer to protect your engine.

• Better Deposit Control – In conventional oil, deposits readily develop and the additive chemistry has to deal with them.  A synthetic actually hinders the development of deposits.

• Better Wear Control – All of the things mentioned above lend themselves to better protection and better wear control of you engine, even under severe operating conditions.  Since synthetics have better “inherent strength” they have the ability to keep functioning at the highest level for the longest possible time.

The most logical way to determine your needs is to envision your home without power. Some outages may be short in duration, while others could last for days or weeks. What would your family miss during an outage?

With the broadest product line available, essential circuit coverage starts with the economically priced Generac CorePower™ Series. Other systems are available to cover virtually any application:

Essential Circuit Coverage – Generac takes the guesswork out of sizing by offering prepackaged Guardian Series generator systems. The generator is paired with a transfer switch containing a predetermined number of circuits based on the generator’s kW power rating. Each circuit is directly connected to a matched circuit on the home’s main circuit breaker panel, providing electricity to that specific appliance or area of the home. For example, ten circuits are supplied for the 8 kW generator. With this system, you could connect (1) lights and TV in the family room, (2) microwave and lights in the kitchen, (3) refrigerator, (4) power to the bathroom, (5) computer and home office, (6) garage door opener, (7) air conditioner, and (8) furnace.

Managed Whole House Coverage – You can get more coverage with less generator, up to whole house coverage, by pairing a smaller generator with one of Generac’s Nexus™ load shedding switch options. This creates a managed power solution where non-essential circuits are shed when the generator approaches maximum capacity. They are cycled back on when essential circuits no longer require power, so all circuits receive power at different times.

Complete Whole House Coverage – Easily cover every circuit in your home by pairing one of Generac’s larger kW units and the proper transfer switch to provide full coverage. No circuit is ever left uncovered, so every appliance is available every minute.

Generac offers a broad line of generator systems to ensure that there is a backup power solution for everyone.  For more information, or to schedule a free in home survey please call us at: 877-783-5230

Remote monitoring is now simple & affordable. Check out the options we offer:

24/7 Web-Based Remote Monitoring
Remote System Monitoring uses communication technology, the Internet and software so you can watch and analyze real time, operating data from your system anywhere you can access the web.
-Logs generators engine Run-Hours
-Service/Maintenance reminders
-Real time faults notifications sent as text messages and/or as email messages

At Home Remote Monitoring
Completely wireless and battery powered, Generac’s Nexus wireless remote monitor provides you with instant status information without ever leaving the house.
-Visual and audio alerts when generator requires maintenance
-Generator faults and warnings
-Voltage and frequency

More options means getting what you need while staying in your budget. For more information CONTACT US.

Every wonder how or why we name storms?

According to the National Hurricane Center Atlantic tropical storms have been named since 1953. The original name lists featured only women’s names. In 1979, men’s names were introduced and they alternate with the women’s names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2009 list will be used again in 2015.

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the using latitude-longitude identification methods.

Here’s the list for the next 6 years:

Our customers have submitted questions for Guillermo to answer via video blog. Here is the first of the series:

Generac Generator Extended Service Plan Video

We recieved multiple request to describe the details of our Generac Generator extended service plans. Here is our response!

For even more videos check us out on youtube at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/GeneracGeneratorFL

People often wait until they get some indication that their engine needs service – such as a noise or squeal – before
calling a service dealer. Although you should have a professional technician look at your belts and hoses as part
of your regular maintenance schedule, basic inspection should be done by the owner. By conducting monthly
inspections of the belts, the owner can help prevent premature engine wear and extend the life of the engine.

SERPENTINE BELTS

Definition: A type of flat rubber drive belt that is used to turn multiple accessories on the front of an engine. It is called a serpentine belt because of the way it snakes around the various pulleys. Many engines now have a single
serpentine drive belt because it eliminates the need for several separate V-belts. A spring-loaded pulley maintains tension on the serpentine belt. This does away with the need to re-tension the belt when it is replaced. Serpentine belts generally last 25% to 50% longer than conventional V-belts.

V-BELTS

V-belts are named for their appearance. They have a relatively narrow outside surface, then get thicker before tapering down. With V-belts, it is common for engines to have multiple belts driving the accessories.

BELT INSPECTION

• Check your engine’s belts before you start the engine, while the engine is still cold. This will help avoid the possibility of an accidental burn from a hot engine component or an injury caused by a moving part of the engine.
• Carefully inspect the belts along their edges and undersides for any signs of wear (see “Visual Signs of Wear”
below). These danger signs indicate a belt may need to be replaced or that a belt-driven component may be failing.

• Belt tension should be checked and adjusted on a regular basis. If the belt tension is too tight, it can cause
bearings in the accessory components, and even in the engine itself, to wear prematurely. If it is too loose, the
belt will slip and squeal, causing the accessory components to work less efficiently. Inadequate tension also
will cause the belt to wear excessively. The most accurate way to check tension is with a belt tension gauge, but
you can estimate correct tension by pressing on the belt along its longest straight section. If the tension is correct,
the belt will only have about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of play.
• Drive belts are necessary to operate the accessory components attached to the engine, such as the alternator,
and the water pump. To fully assess the condition of the belts, do a visual inspection and test the belt tension.

VISUAL SIGNS OF WEAR

• Chunking: Parts of the belt break off when cracks worsen. • Cause: Chunking can happen when several cracks in one area move parallel to the cord line. Heat, age and stress are the primary contributors.

• Glazing: The side or contact area of the belt becomes slick and shiny when a loose belt slips in the pulley. The glazed belt can no longer grip adequately and the belt slips even more. • Cause: When in motion, the belt makes contact with an object in its path such as a flange or bolt. This may be caused by improper belt tension or pulley bearing size. Grease and oil on the pulley can also cause glazing.

• Cracking: Cracks occur because the belt is exposed to heat and stress. • Cause: With continuous exposure to high temperatures, the stress of bending around the pulley leads to cracking. Cracks begin on the ribs and grow into the cord line. As a rule, if three or more cracks appear in a three-inch section of a belt, eighty percent of the life is gone and the belt should be replaced.

• Pilling: The belt's rubber compound wears off and builds up on the drive pulleys (the wheel that is driven by or drives the belt). • Cause: There are a number of causes, including lack of tension, misalignment, worn pulleys or a combination of these factors. Pilling is found most frequently in diesel engines, but is not isolated to them.

• Improper Install: A belt rib begins separating from the joined strands. If left unattended, the cover will often separate, causing the belt to unravel. • Cause: Improper belt installation is a common cause of premature failure. One of the outer-most belt ribs is placed outside the pulley groove, causing a belt rib to run without a supporting or aligning pulley groove.