MILWAUKEE, May 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Two-thirds of
U.S. homeowners having experienced a prolonged power outage said
they were motivated by their time in the dark to prepare
differently for a future outage, according to results of a Harris
Poll conducted last spring sponsored by Briggs & Stratton. The
survey found that one out of every four homeowners had lost power
to their home for 12 hours or longer at least once in the last two
years. Roughly 66 percent of those having endured a prolonged
outage would alter their approach prior to the next outage,
according to the survey.
"May 24 marks the beginning of
Hurricane Preparedness Week, and while it's good to see homeowners
are motivated to take better precaution after having endured a
prolonged outage event, we really want to use this week to teach
homeowners how they can prepare their homes properly now without
needing that extra motivation of sitting in the dark," said
Dan Roche, Director of Marketing –
Portable Power and cleaning systems, at Briggs & Stratton.
"While hurricane season is quickly approaching, the good news is
there is still time for families living in hurricane-prone areas to
prepare their homes and equip their families with the right tools
to best endure the effects of a hurricane storm."
Hurricane Preparedness Week is sponsored by the National Weather
Service's National Hurricane Center. Hurricane season officially
starts June 1 and goes until
Nov. 30.
What Homeowners Do to Prepare for Hurricane Season &
Power Outages
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if
families do nothing else to prepare before hurricane season begins,
they should at least make an emergency preparedness kit and have a
family communications plan.
There is plenty more homeowners can do to prepare before the
next hurricane makes its way towards land. For example, a hurricane
or strong storm will likely leave neighborhoods and communities
without power, so it is important to prepare for power outages.
Returning utility power to a neighborhood after a hurricane can
take a long time as hurricane-force winds can damage trees and
block roads, making power line repair a difficult task.
Portable generators and home standby generators prevent power
interruption to a home and deliver backup power to help return a
sense of normalcy for a family. These two types of backup
generators offer different features.
For those needing an immediate solution to power select
appliances during an outage, a portable generator, is the perfect
solution. Portable generators can power a homeowner's power tools
to help clear a property of storm-related debris. Depending on the
generator's capacity, they can also power some key home appliances
for comfort. We recommend that a transfer switch be installed at
the home.
Some portable generators available today are even coupled with
step-by-step startup, shutdown and storage instructions, like the
Briggs & Stratton® Storm Responder, to maximize ease
of use. Simple diagrams indicate the correct oil and fuel to use,
which appliances can be plugged in and where the unit should be
placed while in use.
Standby generators automatically keep the power on when a home's
primary power source goes out utilizing an automatic transfer
switch. Fueled by propane or natural gas, they allow homeowners to
run appliances like air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, sump
pumps, clothes washers/dryers and lights.
The Briggs & Stratton 8- or 10-kW1 Standby
Generators are affordable options for families trying to prepare
for power outages, even ones caused by a hurricane. The compact
design gives homeowners more placement options, while the powerful
Briggs & Stratton Engine helps ensure all of the home's basic
appliances are covered by backup power.
About Briggs & Stratton Corporation
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world's largest
producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its
wholly owned subsidiaries include North
America's number one marketer of portable generators and
pressure washers, and it is a leading designer, manufacturer and
marketer of lawn and garden, turf care and job site products
through its Simplicity®, Snapper®,
Ferris®, Murray®, Allmand™,
Branco® and Victa® brands. Briggs &
Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced
in over 100 countries on six continents.
1 This generator is rated in accordance with UL
(Underwriters Laboratories) 2200 (stationary engine generator
assemblies) and CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standard C22.2
No. 100-04 (motors and generators).
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SOURCE Briggs & Stratton Corporation