Generator Safety Text
Rule # 1 – Don’t Energize the grid – At best your power system will trip its
breakers because of the overload. At worse case, you’ll electrocute some
lineman trying to get the power restored to your neighborhood!
If you are going to have backup power on your house, and you aren’t 100%
sure what you are doing, get a licensed electrician to install a TRANSFER
SWITCH. This is a switch that allows the user to choose between grid power
and backup power for selected circuits in the house. Properly installed, it
makes it impossible for your backup power to get to the grid. Choose those
outlets, lights, and appliances you want your backup power to run, and have
the electrician re-wire the circuit breaker box to your house so that these
lines are in a separate circuit breaker box. The transfer switch will
connect power from your main box to this separate box, and when thrown, the
power from the generator goes to this separate box.
Rule # 2 – Generators must be vented outdoors.
They consume a large amount of oxygen and put out carbon monoxide and heat.
The easiest way to vent one outdoors is to place it outdoors when it is
running.
Rule # 3 – Do not compromise your grounding system
The safety ground of your house provides not only a safe way to draw off
accidental power shorts, but is also used for surge protection for many high
tech appliances. A compromised safety ground means potentially lethal
voltages if a short occurs, and a lightning surge can get through the best
surge protectors and fry your computers, entertainment systems and other
lower power, high tech appliances. Again, if you don’t know what you are
doing, get a licensed electrician!
Rule # 1 – Don’t Energize the grid – At best your power system will trip its
breakers because of the overload. At worse case, you’ll electrocute some
lineman trying to get the power restored to your neighborhood!
If you are going to have backup power on your house, and you aren’t 100%
sure what you are doing, get a licensed electrician to install a TRANSFER
SWITCH. This is a switch that allows the user to choose between grid power
and backup power for selected circuits in the house. Properly installed, it
makes it impossible for your backup power to get to the grid. Choose those
outlets, lights, and appliances you want your backup power to run, and have
the electrician re-wire the circuit breaker box to your house so that these
lines are in a separate circuit breaker box. The transfer switch will
connect power from your main box to this separate box, and when thrown, the
power from the generator goes to this separate box.
Rule # 2 – Generators must be vented outdoors.
They consume a large amount of oxygen and put out carbon monoxide and heat.
The easiest way to vent one outdoors is to place it outdoors when it is
running.
Rule # 3 – Do not compromise your grounding system
The safety ground of your house provides not only a safe way to draw off
accidental power shorts, but is also used for surge protection for many high
tech appliances. A compromised safety ground means potentially lethal
voltages if a short occurs, and a lightning surge can get through the best
surge protectors and fry your computers, entertainment systems and other
lower power, high tech appliances. Again, if you don’t know what you are
doing, get a licensed electrician!
