LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Jan. 4, one day before a winter storm hit the area, Central Equipment experienced a large increase in requests for generators.
The dealership sold every generator in the store that day, working to educate customers as quickly as possible.
"Safety first," said Jason Huber, President of Central Equipment.
Huber is addressing the process of how to operate a generator safely after a power outage during a winter storm. It can be stressful for some, but Huber has positive feedback about the community.
"People were probably a little more prepared this time, calling ahead," Huber noted. Calls about generators were on the rise at the dealership every day last week.
"First day we sold through pretty much everything we had, second day of the snow event in the morning, we were sold out, and then just constant phone calls, one after the other," Huber added.
One call after another led to Central Equipment selling more generators in 48 hours than they typically sell in four to eight months.
As for critical tips?
"Know where you are using it at. You want to be at least 20 feet away from home," Huber said. Then there's the type of fuel.
"If you can use a non-ethanol type fuel, that's perfect, but it's very hard to find here in Central Kentucky," Huber noted.
Thirdly...
"Try to make sure when you're done with it, at the end of the usage, run it totally dry," Huber said.
A chart inside the dealership is used to help match customers with the right kind of product.
"What are you wanting it to power, what start up wattage it will require, and then try to place them in the right equipment," Huber said.
It's not one size fits all, so Huber's team is trying to respond, particularly when there's another winter storm threat.
