Generator safety, in plain language
After big storms, carbon monoxide from generators kills more people than the storm did. Every rule below exists because someone didn't know it.
Do this now
- Outside only. 20+ feet from the house, exhaust pointed away from every window, door, and vent.
- Never in a garage — not with the door open, not "just for a minute."
- Never plug the generator into a wall outlet. That's called backfeeding — it can electrocute the line worker fixing your street and burn your house down.
- Plug appliances into the generator with heavy-duty outdoor extension cords, or have an electrician install a transfer switch.
- Working CO alarms on every level — battery-backed, tested tonight.
Why 20 feet
One portable generator produces as much carbon monoxide as hundreds of idling cars. CO drifts, pools, and seeps through soffits, window gaps, and vents; "near the open garage door" and "on the covered porch" are how most generator CO deaths happen. Distance plus direction is the whole defense — that, and the alarm that wakes you.
Fuel, dry hands, cool engine
Refuel only with the engine off and cool — gasoline on a hot muffler ignites. Store fuel outside living areas in approved containers. Run the generator on a dry surface under an open, canopy-style cover; wet ground and rain are electrocution risks.
Size the load honestly
A portable unit runs the fridge, some lights, phone chargers, and maybe a window unit or furnace fan — not the whole panel. Overloading trips it at 2 AM and cooks the food you were protecting. List what matters, add up the watts, stay under.
Do not
- Don't run it in a garage, basement, carport, or near open windows — ever.
- Don't backfeed a wall outlet — it can kill a utility worker down the street.
- Don't refuel a hot engine.
- Don't run it in rain or standing water without a proper canopy.
Common questions
How far from the house should a generator run?
At least 20 feet, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. Closer placements — porches, garages, carports — are where generator CO deaths happen.
Can I plug a generator into a wall outlet with a double-ended cord?
No. Backfeeding energizes the utility lines, can electrocute line workers, bypasses every breaker protection, and is illegal. Use extension cords to appliances or a professionally installed transfer switch.
Why does my CO alarm matter if the generator is outside?
Wind and house geometry can still pull exhaust toward the structure. The alarm is the backstop that wakes you before symptoms start.
Sources — official guidance
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