Backup Power systems

Power Mate from Coleman

Best Tips to Protect Your Family, Home and Electronics from Power Disruptions, Blackouts, Power Outages, Rolling Blackouts, Rolling Brownouts, Surges, Spikes, Sags, Momentary, Power Generation, Generators, Home Wattage Wizard, Coleman Powermate, American Red Cross.

Power outages are a common occurrence in the United States. But as homes become increasingly reliant on electricity, more and more women are feeling powerless during blackouts.

According to a study by Coleman Powermate, 45% of women indicated that an outage lasting 24 hours would be a major disruption in their lives, and 51% said it would be a minor nuisance.

In addition, the average woman homeowner admitted they are not prepared to go without electricity for more than 30 hours. Men, on the other hand, said they could cope for more than 50 hours.

"It must be a macho thing," quips Tom Kraeutler, co-host of the nationally syndicated Money Pit radio show. "Nobody wants to go without power. Men just have a greater endurance for roughing it."

His female co-host, Mary Barretta, disagrees. "Roughing it has nothing to do with it. Women just want to make sure their families are safe and warm during a blackout. What's wrong with that?"

Heidi Hagman-Casey and her family recently endured a 3-day power outage after a snowstorm knocked out the electricity at their rural home in Stanfield, N.C. With a wood-burning stove and a fireplace to keep them warm, she decided to wait for power to be restored instead of going to a hotel.

"With a one-year-old child and a dog, it's hard to just pick up and go somewhere else," said Hagman-Casey.

Not knowing how long the outage was going to last, her husband bought a portable generator so they could run their water well, hot water heater and some lights.

"We wish we had bought the generator earlier," said Hagman-Casey. "It's very useful for something like this. Many of our neighbors bought one too."

During widespread events such as an ice storm or a hurricane, portable generators are often in hot demand. For example, a local Home Depot store in Arkansas held raffles to sell their generators to powerless homeowners after an ice storm knocked out power to more than a half-million homes.

"Don't wait for the lights to go out before creating an emergency backup power plan," warns Kraeutler, also known as the High-Tech Tool Guy. "Not only are these outages inconvenient, they can result in costly damage such as frozen water pipes, flooded basements and spoiled food."

According to Kraeutler, you can create an emergency backup power system for your home with a small 5,000-watt generator and a manual transfer switch for less than a $1,000. The system will generate enough power for the refrigerator, sump pump, furnace fan and a few lights.

If you want the convenience, security, and comfort of a generator but don't want to venture out in inclement weather to start it, Kraeutler recommends an emergency standby generator.

Generators such as Coleman Powermate's PowerStation system are personal power plants that run on natural gas or propane and supply electricity to the majority of your house, not just to a few selected circuits. Theses all-weather appliances are installed outside like a central air conditioner and wired through an automatic transfer switch to the main electrical panel.

"When the power goes out, there's a slight delay of 15 to 20 seconds, then the generator automatically kicks on - whether you're home or not - and continues running until power is restored," said the High-Tech Tool Guy.

The smallest emergency backup power system can power the essential appliances in your home. The entire system can be professionally installed for around $5,000. According to Kraeutler, it's a small investment to ensure your family and home remain safe and secure.

For additional tips on how to protect your family, home and electronics from power disruptions, visit

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Best Tips to Protect Your Family, Home and Electronics from Power Disruptions, Blackouts, Power Outages, Rolling Blackouts, Rolling Brownouts, Surges, Spikes, Sags, Momentaries, Power Generation, Generators, Home Wattage Wizard, Coleman Powermate, American Red Cross. !