Generators can help beat the heat

BROOKVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) - More and more people are trying to find ways to stay cool when their power goes out and, for some, it can mean life or death.

"I had a massive heart attack in 1979 and then about two months ago, they did a heart cath on me and told me that I now only have one third of a heart. My left third is blocked. So, I can't stand the heat. Period," explains Phillip Smiley.

That's why Smiley had an automatic generator installed in his Brookville home.

"We didn't really have a choice. We had to have it, it's a medical necessity," says Smiley.

A-Abel Electric in Dayton, put in the generator four years ago when Smiley's power was knocked out for a week. It cost him about $8000 and he says it was worth every penny.

"When it first went out, it was out for like seven days. I was going to the VA to get cooled off and I had to take showers at the VA because we had no running water here. It just got to be out of hand," comments Smiley.

The company has seen a big boom in business because of the recent storms.

"We're probably booked for the next couple weeks, just trying to get out and give people estimates on generators," explains Jacob Blommel with A-Abel Electric.

Blommel says automatic generators only take about a day to install and they're a lot safer than portable ones.

"As far as an automatic generator goes, it's installed according to local codes and standards, so there's not some issue with people sticking it in their garage. It's always mounted outside. So, carbon monoxide isn't going to get inside the house," comments Blommel.

And Smiley has some advice for others.

"Older people, anybody with medical problems or if you're building a new house, tell them to put the generator on the house. I recommend that anybody have one, anybody," says Smiley.

An automatic generator will run you anywhere from $4,500 to $10,000.