Electric Safety

Generator Safety
Generator Safety

Portable electric generators offer great benefits when outages affect your home such as saving food in your refrigerator or allowing you to keep other essential equipment running. However, a portable generator that is not installed properly could lead to serious safety hazards or even death.

To ensure your electric generator is wired properly, have it installed by a qualified technician. Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring without the proper isolation equipment can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly connected to your home’s wiring can cause a backfeed condition without the properly installed equipment. A backfeed condition occurs when your household wiring is connected to the utility and generator sources at the same time without isolation from the two sources. Once a backfeed condition occurs, the utility transformer will step up or increase this backfeed to thousands of volts—enough to kill a utility lineman making outage repairs in your area. You could also cause an electrical fire or inflict expensive damage to utility equipment, your personal household electrical/electronic equipment and/ or your generator.

The only safe way to connect a portable electric generator to your existing wiring is to have a qualified electrical contractor install a transfer switch. The transfer switch transfers power from the utility power to your generator power while isolating the two sources from each other. The easiest way to use a generator is to simply plug the equipment to be operated directly into the proper outlet on the generator. Never connect the generator’s electrical output to any live home or building electrical circuits. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Also:
• Avoid contact with bare wires and terminals.
• Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in any damp or highly conductive area.
• Consult a qualifi ed electrician to choose a generator and make certain it meets national and local electrical code requirements.

For additional generator safety information, please click on the link below:

Electrical Safety Foundation International