Disaster Electrical Power An early draft Ray J. Vaughan, MS Last update 6/15/2015

Disaster Electrical Power  When to use a generator vs. Temporary  Sizing  Care and Maintenance  Power cables  Power Outlets  Lighting

Generator? Temporary?  Think about: Distance Power quality Noise pollution Duration Safety Theft

Generator Safety  [Copy info from generator company]

Fuel safety  Gas storage container BYOG Hand powered siphon Never suck gas  Refuel while off  Battery Lighting while fueling  No Smoking

Oil checks  Log oil changes  Have replacement oil on-hand  Mark max hours/oil change  Clean/replace air filter especially if dusty environment

Temporary Power Feed  First a warning: This is not something the average do-it- yourselfer should attempt This is targeted for the electrician in your team The power could come back on at any time You have to assume that every circuit it hot and treat it with total respect

Temporary Power Feed  Connecting temporary service to existing power source  Harder to set up  Nothing to refuel  Permission of owner  Check voltages first!  Usually stable, but area recovery repairs could cause outages

Examples of temporary power sources  Buildings  Sewage Lift station (if 120/240 VAC)  Traffic Signals  Street lights (check voltage)  Lighted bus stops  Telephone company installations

Grounding  Driving a ground rod  Borrowing existing grounds  Bonding Connecting all grounds together

Power Required  What are you going to power?  Calculate wattage  Convert to amps

Power distribution?  Circuit breaker Panel?  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter GFCI

Cable routing  Keep is safe  Trip hazards  Physical damage Overhead Across pavement

Wire size  Wire capacity chart  Voltage drop

Connectors  Standardized  15 Amp vs. 20 Amp Diagram  Water proof connectors  Twist Lock

Lighting  Types Incandescent Instant on Wattage Waste Florescent Good efficiency Not for cold weather Sodium Odd color Slow to light Metal Halide Slow to light

UPS  Good for critical loads  Power while refueling  Generator brownouts

Dangers of Back-feeding  Step down transformer also steps up  Fatal voltage can go for miles Kills power company techs

Command Post power  Wish list: Breaker panel on a hand truck Emergency light GFCIs Heavy Duty power cables Over head lighting Charging stations Radios Tools

Summary  Safety First Use an electrician if at all possible Safety Officer should be briefed before starting or energizing  Do it right the first time  Long term installation