Living Safely with a Portable Power Generator
Ann Triune
Nothing is more convenient than a portable power generator during an outage. You can rely on a good generator to give you enough power to run important appliances and equipment. Generators however are potentially dangerous. You should know how to protect yourself and your family from the consequences of incorrect generator use.
Following Instructions
The product manual should be the first thing you look into. Read the manual and make sure you understand everything in it before you install your generator. If you know that you aren't very good with technical details, then ask an electrician to help you. You may have to pay extra for installation but the cost is worth it if it means you are kept safe. Keep the product manual in a prominent place in your home. You may have to refer to it in case you have problems with your unit.
Carbon Monoxide Safeguards
Generators produce carbon monoxide. This dangerous gas can poison even without you knowing it. Its lack of odor and color can fool you into thinking that you aren't in danger. As a basic precaution, you should keep your generator far and away from your home. You shouldn't even keep it in your garage if your garage is enclosed and attached to your home. It should have its own partially open shed which is also located far from neighbors' windows and homes.
You shouldn't underestimate your portable power generator. Even if you have taken the basic precautions against CO poisoning, you should take extra care. Buy a couple of CO detectors and have them installed in your home.
Correct Connections
It is not advisable to wire your generator to your house's wires. This could result in a dangerous electrical feedback. A repair man on the lines or an exposed neighbor may be the recipient of this dangerous current. It can seriously injure or kill someone. Appliances have to be connected to a generator directly or by using a heavy duty outdoor power cord. Wiring the generator to your house wires is possible. This however should only be done by a licensed electrician.
Power Limits
Check the generator wattage before you buy a generator. This will help you find out the limits of your generator. Portable units are only supposed to be used on a couple of appliances. It is never intended to provide power to your entire house. Powering too many appliances can result in an overload that could lead to damage or fires. If you need to provide power to a lot of appliances, then you can rotate the appliances that you attach to the generator.
Fuel
We all know that we shouldn't fool around with fuel. It's not always clear to everyone however that ways of fuel handling and storage are simply unsafe. Prevent fires and other fuel related accidents by refueling only when a generator is off. Generator fuel should also be stored outside your main living areas. Avoid using glass. Thick plastic containers will do. Keep the lids of the container on tightly and label the containers.
A portable power generator can solve all your power problems during an outage. You don't want to create new problems though by being careless. Be sure you follow the basic safety tips to safe generator use.
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