As we start to move from winter storms to spring storms, it’s important for our members to keep safety in mind. During storm outages, many of our members use generators. Generators are useful tools but should always be used safely.
A generator should never be used inside the home or in wet conditions. The greatest dangers generators pose to people are electrocution and carbon monoxide poisoning. A generator should be set up on a dry, even surface under an open canopy-like structure, and you should never touch one with wet hands. If a generator needs to be refueled, it is safest to give it time to cool down to avoid the risk of hot engine parts igniting spilled fuel. Fuel should always be stored in approved containers and away from sources of open flame.
Properly installed whole-home generators can power your home safely in an outage, but you should never attempt to power your house with a portable generator by plugging it into a wall outlet. This causes “backfeeding” and can be extremely dangerous to you, your neighbors and the linemen trying to restore power. The same transformer that steps down the voltage from the distribution lines to what is safe for your home will step up the voltage of backfed power to dangerous levels for linemen expecting the line to be dead.
It bears repeating that generators, or any other gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning devices, should not be used indoors. Carbon monoxide is odorless and opening doors and using fans will not prevent a potentially lethal buildup. Installing CO alarms or combination CO/fire alarms in each room of your home is an easy way to help protect yourself and your family. Carbon monoxide can quickly incapacitate you, so if you should ever feel sick, dizzy or weak while operating a generator, get to fresh air right away.
Don’t forget to be on the lookout for your member number in the center section of this magazine. There are three member numbers hidden in Clay Electric News. If you find your number and give us a call you win $5 off your next bill!
Generator photo courtesy of Honda