7 Backup Generator Mistakes. (Have You Made One?)

Backyard Maine

14 Jun 202408:11

Summary

TLDRThis video covers seven critical mistakes to avoid when using portable generators for home backup power. These tips ensure safety for you, your family, and your pets, focusing on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, fire hazards, electrocution, and dangerous DIY setups like 'suicide cords.' The video emphasizes proper generator placement, safe power connections, avoiding wet generators, and careful fueling procedures. By following these guidelines, you can safely restore power during outages while minimizing risks. The creator also previews upcoming videos on backup power installations and testing new battery stations.

Takeaways

⚠️ Never run a generator inside enclosed spaces like garages, barns, or sheds due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
🚪 Always place generators outside and away from open doors or windows to prevent carbon monoxide from entering your home.
🔥 Never run your generator near combustible materials as the exhaust can get extremely hot and cause fires.
🔌 Never back-feed an outlet in your home to avoid electrocution risks and potential harm to utility workers.
🚫 Avoid using a suicide cord (a cord with two male ends), as it poses severe electrocution hazards and is illegal.
⚡ Always disconnect power cords safely by turning off the generator breaker to avoid dangerous arcing and equipment damage.
🌧️ Never operate a generator in wet conditions. Keep it on high ground, away from standing water, and make connections before starting the generator.
⛽ Never fuel a running generator to prevent fires or explosions caused by hot engine parts or sparks.
🔋 Always allow your generator to cool down before refueling to avoid any risk of fuel ignition.
🛠️ For safe home generator connections, consider installing a 30-amp inlet box and interlock kit with the help of a qualified electrician.

Q & A

What is the most important rule when using a portable generator?
-The most important rule is to never run a generator inside a building, including garages, barns, sheds, basements, or crawl spaces, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Why is carbon monoxide so dangerous when running a generator indoors?
-Carbon monoxide is a deadly, odorless, and colorless gas that diffuses evenly throughout a room. It can cause poisoning without any warning signs, which is why it's important to always run generators outside.
How far should you place a generator from your home to avoid fire hazards?
-You should place the generator well away from your home, keeping it at least a few feet away, and ensure the exhaust is not directed toward the house or any combustible materials.
What is a 'suicide cord,' and why is it dangerous?
-A 'suicide cord' is a modified extension cord with two male ends. It is dangerous because it can create an electrocution hazard, exposes live blades, and can present a risk to utility workers and neighbors connected to the same power grid.
Why is backfeeding an outlet with a generator dangerous?
-Backfeeding bypasses safety devices in the household electrical system and can present an electrocution hazard to utility workers and neighbors, as well as create dangerous arcing within the system.
What precautions should you take when connecting or disconnecting power cords from a generator?
-Always turn off the generator breaker before connecting or disconnecting cords, and ensure the generator is not running. This avoids dangerous arcing that could damage the generator or connected appliances.
How can you safely run a generator during stormy weather?
-To safely run a generator in bad weather, keep it on high ground, avoid standing water, and connect power cords before starting the generator. Ensure the generator breaker is off when connecting and disconnecting.
Why is it dangerous to fuel a running generator?
-Fueling a running generator is dangerous because the hot engine parts or sparks from generator connections could ignite spilled fuel or gasoline vapors, leading to fire or explosion.
What is the proper procedure for refueling a generator safely?
-To refuel safely, first turn off the generator breaker in your home panel, then turn off the generator and let it cool down. Once cooled, refuel the generator, restart it, and follow your switching procedure to restore backup power.
Why is it recommended to install carbon monoxide detectors when using a generator?
-Carbon monoxide detectors are essential to alert you of any dangerous gas levels that may leak into your home, even when the generator is running outside, ensuring your family's safety.

Outlines

00:00

⚠️ Common Generator Mistakes and How to Stay Safe

The introduction outlines the dangers of running portable generators improperly, highlighting common and lesser-known mistakes. The speaker stresses the importance of safe generator usage to protect homes, families, and pets. Notably, the first point discusses never operating a generator indoors, including garages, basements, and crawl spaces, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Although many people are aware of this danger, there are still approximately 2,100 deaths annually in the U.S. due to carbon monoxide exposure, many from portable generators.

05:01

🔥 The Risk of Combustibles Near Generators

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of keeping portable generators away from combustible materials, such as homes and vinyl siding, which can melt from the heat of the generator’s exhaust. The author recounts a near fire caused by a generator placed too close to a house, underlining the need to place generators far from any structures and to be aware of exhaust direction.

⚡ Avoid Backfeeding and the Dangers of DIY Cables

The dangers of backfeeding a home’s electrical outlets using a generator are explained. This unsafe practice can create a 'suicide cord' (a cable with two male ends), which presents severe electrocution risks for utility workers and neighbors sharing the same transformer. It also bypasses household protective devices. The speaker advises hiring a qualified electrician to install a safer and more reliable connection for generator use.

💀 The Hazards of Using Suicide Cords

This section discusses the specific dangers of suicide cords, which expose live electrical prongs and pose significant electrocution hazards. These cords are often used by individuals attempting DIY solutions for generator connections, but they are illegal and unsafe. The speaker advises against this method, warning of the potential harm to both the user and others nearby.

⚡ Safe Practices for Connecting and Disconnecting Generator Power Cords

Even with legally installed generator setups, the speaker explains that connecting or disconnecting power cords while the generator is running can cause dangerous electrical arcing. This arcing can damage equipment or cause injury. The speaker suggests always shutting off the generator and its breaker before making any connections or disconnections to avoid these hazards.

🌧️ Generator Safety During Stormy Weather

Operating a generator in wet conditions presents challenges, but the speaker offers safety tips. They recommend keeping the generator on high ground to avoid water exposure, connecting cords before starting the generator, and ensuring the breaker is turned off. Additionally, the speaker emphasizes the importance of keeping the generator dry and shares steps for safely connecting and disconnecting cords in stormy weather.

⛽ Refueling Safety for Hot Generators

The final point covers the risks of refueling a hot, running generator. Spilled gasoline on a hot engine can lead to fires or explosions. The speaker suggests a safe refueling process: turning off the generator, allowing it to cool, and storing fuel cans far away from the generator to minimize risks. They stress the importance of patience and caution during this process to avoid accidents.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Portable Generator

A portable generator is a device that generates electricity when power from the grid is unavailable. In the video, it’s emphasized as a backup power source for homes during outages, but the speaker warns about the dangerous mishandling of these machines. The theme revolves around safely using a portable generator to avoid accidents like carbon monoxide poisoning, fire, and electrical hazards.

💡Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is deadly when inhaled in large quantities. The video explains that running a generator indoors or near open windows or doors can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate in living spaces, leading to fatal poisoning. This is one of the key safety risks associated with improper generator usage.

💡Suicide Cord

A 'suicide cord' refers to a highly dangerous DIY electrical cable with two male ends. The video explains that using such a cord to connect a generator to a home’s electrical system poses severe electrocution hazards and bypasses important safety features. It can also endanger utility workers and neighbors by sending power back into the grid.

💡Backfeeding

Backfeeding is the practice of supplying power to a home’s electrical system through an outlet by using a generator. This method is unsafe because it risks electrocution and can harm utility workers. The video stresses the importance of having a proper interlock or transfer switch installed by a professional to avoid backfeeding hazards.

💡Exhaust Direction

The direction of a generator's exhaust is critical for safety. The video discusses how the exhaust can become extremely hot and should never point towards combustible materials, such as a house's siding, which can melt or catch fire. Ensuring that the exhaust is directed away from anything flammable is crucial to preventing fire hazards.

💡Interlock Kit

An interlock kit is a safety device that prevents a generator from powering a home’s circuits while it is still connected to the main grid. The video highlights the importance of installing an interlock kit to prevent electrocution and fire risks, especially when transferring power from the generator to the house.

💡Wet Generator

A generator exposed to water or used in wet conditions becomes a serious electrical hazard. The video mentions how power outages often occur during storms, creating a temptation to use a generator in the rain. The speaker provides advice on keeping the generator dry and managing cords to prevent electric shocks in wet conditions.

💡Arcing

Arcing is when electricity jumps through the air between connections, creating a spark. This can happen when plugging or unplugging generator cords under load, and the video emphasizes the danger this poses. Arcing can cause fires and damage both the generator and connected appliances, so the speaker advises shutting off the generator before making any connections.

💡Fueling a Hot Generator

Refueling a generator while it is still hot is a significant fire hazard. The video explains how gasoline vapors can ignite if they come into contact with the hot engine or a spark from the generator. The speaker recommends allowing the generator to cool down before refueling to avoid this risk.

💡Power Cord Connections

Proper power cord connections are vital for safely operating a generator. The video outlines the steps to avoid disconnecting cords under load, which can cause arcing or damage to equipment. It’s crucial to follow a set procedure, turning off the generator before plugging or unplugging cords, especially in wet conditions.

Highlights

Avoid running generators inside any building, including garages, sheds, and basements, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas responsible for 85 deaths per year in the U.S. due to portable generator use.

Always position generators far away from doors, windows, or ventilation systems to avoid gas diffusion.

Never place a generator near combustible materials; their exhaust heat can cause fires, as demonstrated by an instance where vinyl siding melted.

Never back feed an outlet with a modified extension cord; it risks electrocution to utility workers and bypasses household safety features.

Using a 'suicide cord'—a cord with two male ends—is extremely dangerous and illegal, as it exposes live prongs, creating electrocution risks.

Disconnecting cords that are under load can cause dangerous arcing, which may damage the generator and other connected equipment.

Always ensure the generator breaker is off before connecting or disconnecting cords to avoid damaging electrical components.

Generators should never be connected or run when wet. Stormy weather poses a challenge, so keeping them dry or elevated is essential.

Proper steps for using generators in the rain include keeping them on high ground, connecting cords before starting, and never in standing water.

Never fuel a running generator, as the hot engine parts and sparks could ignite gasoline, leading to fires or explosions.

Turn off the generator and let it cool before refueling to avoid safety hazards.

Store fuel cans far away from the running generator to reduce the risk of accidental ignition.

Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home to monitor for dangerous gas levels when using a generator.

In an upcoming video, the presenter will demonstrate installing a 30-amp backup generator feed with an inlet box and interlock kit.