Storms, and even over-loaded electric grids such as we experienced last summer, can happen any time to disrupt power to your home or business in the North Country. Kevin W. Ireland, a heating and cooling professional since 1987, has diversified his business to include generator sales and service for residential and commercial use. Originally, he saw a need for generators in anticipation of one of the world’s most spectacular non-events: Y2K. Despite the fact that generators were not specifically required as we transitioned into the 21^st century, there remains a number of solid reasons to consider adding a backup or temporary power source to your home or business.

A typical candidate for an additional power supply would be someone with a vacation home in a remote area that is prone to power outages. Whether the outage lasts ten minutes or ten hours, an automatic generator will provide peace of mind to homeowners with a major investment to protect. Frequently, Ireland has customers who work from home via the Internet, and must have a continuous power supply to ensure against lost time on the job and lost data. Many small businesses have a similar need should they rely on their phone service, for example, as their link to the outside world or an E-commerce Web site. Imagine a small grocery store in a remote area, where the need to stay open and be protected against food loss is especially critical when its customers are also experiencing a power outage.

The primary reason people consider purchasing a backup power system is to provide coverage to their critical systems: heating, water – if they have well pump water or perhaps sewage pumps, and to cover their refrigeration needs. Other needs, such as lights, cooking, etc., are considered secondary needs. Business needs are similar, and warrant the investment. In most cases, workers cannot conduct business without power. “Businesses can lose more money in a day than the cost of the entire generator system,” comments Ireland.

For commercial applications and for some residences Ireland represents and recommends Baldor Generators, an offshoot of Baldor Motors, which is North America’s largest manufacturer of motors and electronic drives. He offers a premiere line from portable units to to-able units and stand-by units for industrial and agricultural uses.

Ireland sells, installs, and services Sentry-Pro by Gillette for the residential market, which provides stand-by emergency electric power. In discussing how dependent we’ve become on power Ireland says: “We rely upon electricity so much that if you have a newer style telephone – with a base and a cordless handset – you cannot even call the power company to tell them your power is out.” He went on to illustrate a number of scenarios, such as an older person on oxygen assistance, for whom is a constant and uninterrupted power source is a critical issue.

The Power Professionals is a small, responsive company and has built his reputation on personalized service to meet client needs. Their focus is on providing quality products and outstanding services that meet the requirements and demands of the North Country. For example, in a harsh winter environment such as ours, it is important to look at a better quality generator with a battery charger onboard, and an engine oil heater or crankcase heater that will keep the engine warm during the winter time so it will start easier, as well as an hour meter to tell you how much run time is on the engine for scheduling routine service or when the oil needs to be changed.

Another issue to investigate is whether the supplemental power system will affect your power signal. For example, some generator systems produce voltage spikes or surges, along with harmful amounts of harmonic distortion, that can negatively affect, and even ruin, costly electronic equipment. Should your vacation home have computers, a home theater or other sensitive electronic equipment, Ireland’s products are guaranteed not to affect the operation of that equipment. There may be cheaper equipment available at the big box stores, but it’s unlikely that it will have these features.

Considering the investment one makes in a home or office, it is worth considering the advantages of hiring a professional to ensure your steps to provide a backup power source are adequate for your operational needs in times of power failure. Kevin Ireland (aka The Power Professional) can be reached at 518-792-4974