Safety Tips If You Have an Emergency Power Generator

Power outages can be inconvenient and pose a risk to your health, as essential appliances like a heating and cooling system, medical equipment, and refrigerators stop working. While an emergency power generator can power all your necessities and provide comfort and safety, they pose life-threatening risks like electrocution and carbon monoxide poisoning. Here are some crucial safety tips to help you avoid potential dangers.

Use Outside Only

When your run an emergency power generator inside your house, shed, or garage, the carbon monoxide levels in its exhaust can become lethal in minutes. Don't run the generator indoors, even with an open door. Choose a location that's 20 feet or more away from your house. Also, ensure the exhaust doesn't blow against a neighbor's home or your home.

Purchase the Right Outdoor Extension Cords

Buy and use outdoor extension cords that match the generator outlet you want to connect them to. Use a 20-amp extension cord for a 20-amp outlet. Use 3-wire cords.

Don't Back-Feed

Back-feeding occurs when electricity flows in the reverse direction. When using an emergency power generator, back-feeding occurs when you use a generator power cord to plug into appliance outlets, such as your range or dryer. Back-feeding energizes your whole house, and the generator most likely can't handle that type of load. Electricity can also travel back through the main panel to the transformer.

Back-feeding poses a safety risk to you, your family members, neighbors, and utility workers. Therefore, don't back-feed.

Place It on Level Ground

The lubrication systems of many small generators scoop oil and then splash it onto the moving parts. Placing the generator on a slope can make some parts of the engine run dry because of the crankshaft dippers not reaching all the oil. Place the generator on a level spot.

Allow the Generator to Cool Down Before Refueling

A minor spill when refueling a hot generator can cause a fire. Wait for 10 or more minutes before refilling to allow the generator to cool down.

Unsafe use of an emergency power generator can lead to a tragedy. For your generator to be the lifesaver it's supposed to be, make sure you always use it correctly. If you're looking for an award-winning HVAC and plumbing contractor in Broken Arrow, contact us at Air Assurance.

Emergency Heat During Winter Storms

Having a source of emergency heat in the winter can make the difference between staying safe and healthy or having to leave your home to wait out a bad storm or a prolonged power outage. Each of these suggestions is a sound way to supply enough heat to wait out an emergency. Always make sure your CO detector is working before using any of these heaters.

Emergency Heating Equipment

• Tent heaters. You can find these at sporting goods and big box stores, as well as online. They’re small heaters that use propane canisters and are capable of heating small spaces. They’re safe as long as you crack a window open and use them as the manufacturer intends.

• Ventless heaters. These heaters are available from specialty stores and online. They burn clean, which means they produce few toxic gases, including carbon monoxide (CO). Each heater, whether a ventless fireplace or heater, has an oxygen depletion sensor that turns the unit off when the oxygen in the room gets too low. Whenever you use a ventless heater, be sure that there’s a window open or a door cracked to bring in fresh air.

• Fireplaces. If you’re lucky enough to have a gas or wood-burning fireplace in your home, it will provide reliable heat during the outage. If it’s gas and lights electronically, it may start if you hold a lighter near the gas orifice inside the firebox. If it’s wood burning, keep a supply of seasoned firewood to use in the event of emergencies.

Retaining Heat

• Be sure you have at least three days of food on hand. Eating enough calories gives you plenty of energy to keep yourself warm.

• Dress in layers. Instead of wearing a one layer of heavy clothing, wear a few layers. They trap your body heat better so that you won’t feel as chilled.

• Plug as many air leaks as possible to prevent drafts throughout your home.

If you’d like more information about using emergency heat because of power outages or a furnace breakdown, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.