Portable Electric Generator Safety Tips
Portable electric generators offer great benefits when outages affect your
home. Below are guidelines for safely connecting and operating portable
generators.
Don't connect your generator directly to your home's wiring.
Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household
wiring can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly
connected to your home's wiring can 'back feed' onto the power
lines connected to your home.
Utility transformers can then "step-up" or increase this back feed to thousands of volts—enough to kill a
utility lineman making outage repairs a long way from your house. You could also cause expensive
damage to utility equipment and your generator. The only safe way to connect a portable electric
generator to your existing wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch. The
transfer switch transfers power from the utility power lines to the power coming from your generator.
Never plug a portable electric generator into a regular household outlet.
Plugging a generator into a regular household outlet can energize "dead" power lines and injure neighbors
or utility workers. Connect individual appliances that have their outdoor-rated power cords directly to the
receptacle outlet of the generator, or connect these cord-connected appliances to the generator with the
appropriate outdoor-rated power cord having a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.
Don't overload the generator.
Do not operate more appliances and equipment than the output rating of the generator. Overloading your
generator can seriously damage your valuable appliances and electronics. Prioritize your needs. A portable
electric generator should be used only when necessary, and only to power essential equipment.
Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage.
Just like your automobile, a portable generator uses an internal combustion engine that emits deadly
carbon monoxide. Be sure to place the