There are several very good reasons to have back up power at your residence or business. One of these reasons is to help prevent mold. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) if the humidity level inside a building is not kept to certain levels mold can grow. The CDC’s special recommendations are to keep the humidity level inside a building between 40% and 60%. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months. Be sure the home has adequate ventilation. During a power outage these recommendations would be hard to maintain without back up power from either a portable generator or an automatic standby generator.
Clean up of mold can be time consuming and very expensive. Leaving wet items in a building can help promote the growth of mold. A failed sump pump or inactive sump pump could certainly cause wet carpet, drywall or upholstery. If wet items aren’t removed mold can occur and it’s best to remove or replace the wet items. Molds can be found just about everywhere, more so in humid, warm conditions. While there are no guidelines to know how much mold could be harmful to you, there are ways to help prevent the cause of mold by assuring sump pumps, fans, air conditioning and dehumidifiers always stay operational.
Of course in the event of a power outage, none of these devices would work without an independent power supply… Consider keeping a small, portable generator on-hand to power these devices so that you’re keeping mold at bay in your home during humid conditions.
