Long Island Generator Safety

Using a generator for hurricane Sandy? Here are some safety tips before you start. 

1) Never use a generator indoors or inside a attached garage.

A portable generator is a gasoline engine that exhausts a deadly gas called carbon monoxide it is odorless and colorless. You can be overcome by these fumes if the generator is indoors and it will kill you.

Make sure you place the generator outside where exhaust fumes will not enter into the house. There has to be a minimum of ten feet between the generator and any windows or doors. Only operate a generator outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from air intakes to the home. The generator should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow.

2) Don’t connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring.

Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly. A generator that is directly connected to your home’s wiring can ‘back feed’ into the power lines connected to your home.

Utility transformers can then increase this lower electrical voltage to thousands of volts. That’s more than enough to kill a utility lineman making outage repairs many miles away. You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.

If you wish to hard-wire a generator to your home, it should be installed by a licensed electrician with an approved transfer switch that will disconnect the home from the power grid when the generator is being used.

3) Don’t overload the generator.

All generators have a power rating. they should be used only when necessary and only to power a limited number of appliances or equipment.

The total wattage used by the appliances should be less than the output rating of the generator. If you put too many appliances on the generator, it could seriously damage the appliances and electronics. Overloading the generator could also cause fires in the power cord

4) Do not store gasoline for the generator indoors. Keep Away

Gasoline should be stored in approved safety containers.

Don’t store gasoline in a garage if there’s a water heater or other fuel-burning appliance in the garage. Vapor from gasoline is heavier than air and can travel along the floor. It could be ignited by a pilot light or other source of flame, such as an electric spark.

Shut off the generator before refueling and turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.

Always have a fully charged, approved fire extinguisher located near the generator.

5) Keep Away

Many generator parts are hot enough to burn you during operation. Stay away from the muffler and other hot areas.

Keep children away from portable electric generators at all times.

For more information visit http://www.MyLongIslandHomeInspection.com

Long Island - Queens Post Hurricane Home Inspection

Hopefully you and your house made it through Hurricane Sandy unscathed and without much more inconvenience than losing power for a couple of days. But before you try to get back to your normal lives you should take a careful look at your house and hopefully  catch some subtle damage such as a few missing shingles or some missing siding. 

The first thing you should do is perform a visual inspection of the roof and work your way down. If the roof is steep or to high use binoculars to perform your inspection. If it’s shallow and you’re comfortable with heights try and get up there for a closer look. Look carefully at the valleys and where roof planes intersect. Check anything that penetrates through the roof, such as vent pipes and skylights. Look at the chimney cap as well as all the flashings. Look for anything loose or missing. If you do see that some material has blown away roofing cement and other materials can provide a temporary repair to prevent leaks but you’ll need to hire a professional roofer to repair loose or missing shingles before winter comes.

Have a look at the dryer vent. If its plugged with debris that flew in during the storm you must clean it out or this could cause a fire hazard. If it is necessary get on a ladder and look inside the vent with a bright flashlight to see if there's anything that needs to be removed. The louvers on the vent plate should open easily and freely. When the dryer is running there should be a steady stream of warm moist air coming out. 

The same goes for your home’s furnace or boiler vents if they run directly through the wall make sure they are not clogged. Check the vents opening for damage and look inside to make sure it's not plugged by debris, especially leaves that have been blown  into it by hurricane force winds. 

Look at your home’s electrical service entrance. It should look like it did before the hurricane. If it’s sagging or leaning it could be a serious safety hazard. Contact LIPA immediately! 

Check  the gutters and downspouts they may have come loose in the wind. If you can, have a look from a ladder. A gutter that has been loosened by high wind will eventually swing loose. It can do some real damage when it finally breaks free, such as breaking a window or flying off the house and onto a car parked in your driveway. If you think you have loose gutters call a roofing and gutter company immediately. 

Fences commonly get damaged from storm force winds. Take a walk down your fence and push against it to check for weakened areas. Also  check house-mounted flag pole brackets, which could be hanging by a thread after the storm. 

Finally, if you’ve got large trees on your property this may be the time to reconsider them. The bigger they are the harder they fall. Think twice about whether you even want those big trees anymore. In the post-Sandy world, big trees are as likely to devalue your property as they were to contribute to it. 

For more information visit http://www.MyLongIslandHomeInspection.com 

Hurricane Sandy

Long Island should cast a cautious eye towards Hurricane Sandy and we can’t say it enough do not wait till the last-minute to prepare your family and your house for a Hurricane. If you do wait until the last-minute you will find yourself with all the other people who waited to prepare themselves for the storm as well. Frightened and disorganized people are not nice to be around. Do you really want to get into a fight over the last pack of batteries or sheet of plywood?

Here are some suggestions on how to better prepare yourself for the hurricane.

1) Have cash on hand If the power goes out so will the ATM machines

2) Board up windows and doors with 5/8 inch plywood

3)  Secure outside lawn furniture and children’s toys if they can be picked up by the wind

4) Clean the gutters of leaves and debris to prevent leaks inside your home

5) Turn your refrigerator to the coldest setting possible in case the power goes off this will keep the food fresher longer.

6) Fill large pots and your bathtub with water in case city water is affected from the storm

7) Put a full tank of gas in your car

8) Plan an evacuation route with your family and learn alternate routes to safety

9) The location of the nearest shelter if you have pets make sure the shelter you are going to is pet friendly

10) If you’re ordered to evacuate please leave immediately stick to marked evacuation routes if possible.

11) Store your important documents like passports, social security card, birth certificates, and deeds in a watertight container

Here is a list of supplies you should have on hand before the  storm

1) At least a three day water supply one gallon per person per day

2) Three days worth of food. Some items include canned meats, canned or dried fruits, canned vegetables, canned juice, peanut butter, jelly, salt free crackers, energy or protein bars, trail mix, and dry cereal

3) A manual can opener

4) Flashlights

5) A battery-powered radio preferably a weather radio

6) Extra batteries

7) A first aid kit including latex gloves, sterile dressings, a cleaning agent, antibiotic ointment, burn ointment, Band-Aids in small medium and large sizes, eye wash, a thermometer, aspirin pain reliever, antacids, and any other prescribed medication.

8) Cell phones and chargers

9) Contact information for your family and friends

10) Baby supplies

11) Pet supplies

It’s important not to panic during the preparation of a hurricane but keep in mind that a hurricane should not be taken lightly either.

http://www.MyLongIslandHomeInspection.com