Energy Adviser: Use portable generators in safe fashion

Blame dinosaurs and ancient plants. Anytime fossil fuels burn, they give off carbon monoxide, poisonous, colorless and odorless gas.

During power outages, carbon monoxide can be a serious problem for anyone running an auxiliary or standby generator to keep lights and appliances running.

“Running one near vents, windows or doors can cause carbon monoxide to seep inside your home, where it can build up,” said Michael Getman, safety manager for Clark Public Utilities. “Inside a home, the gas is dangerous and can cause sudden illness or death.”

Never operate generators in a garage or any enclosed space. Use them outdoors, well away from the house.

For Southwest Washington, where temperatures tend to be mild and the electrical system is more reliable than most, whole or partial home generators wired into your electrical system aren’t common and don’t make sense for the average homeowner. However, a portable generator is a practical and cost-effective means for maintaining power during an outage. Portable generators provide up to 7,000 watts of electricity, not enough to power your entire home but plenty to keep one or two appliances or electronic devices running.

Your generator’s wattage should be slightly greater than the entire simultaneous load. A generator putting out about 2,000 watts should be enough to run your TV, fridge, coffee pot and a DVD player. If you want to power your furnace, a well pump and fridge, then you’ll want a more powerful 5,000-watt unit. During an extended outage, use portable generators to power appliances on as needed basis — run the refrigerator for a while, then the stove, then the freezer, Getman advises.

Several portable models can be had for a few hundred to $1,000 dollars, depending on their capacity. They all consume fossil fuels, can be noisy to operate and their exhausts spit out carbon monoxide. To stay safe, Getman recommends placing standby generators well away from your home so that noxious gases don’t get in.

One reason these fumes are so dangerous is that carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms can be difficult to diagnose because they imitate other illnesses. If you’re running a generator and someone nearby complains of a headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain or seems confused, get them into the fresh air immediately, then call 911. Inhaling high levels of carbon monoxide may cause unconsciousness and death. Anyone asleep can die from poisoning before noticing any symptoms. Inexpensive carbon monoxide alarms can help prevent poisoning and many fire alarms include carbon monoxide detection. Both types of devices are available at most hardware stores and can save lives.

Here are some additional portable generator safety tips:

• Place your generator in a dry location and clear three or four feet around its sides to allow adequate ventilation and cooling. If necessary, shelter it from rain using a canopy.

• Don’t refuel your generator while it is running, because any spills may spark a fire.

• Getman also recommends buying an outside extension cord with its amperage rated for the appliances you plan to power with the generator. The amperage rating is listed on the cord. Appliances list their wattage and amperage ratings. Also, lay the cord where you won’t trip over it and use safety strips or tape to secure it. Plug the appliances you want to run directly into the generator using the extension cord.

• Never plug a cord from a portable generator into an outlet in your home. This can backfeed electricity into the utility system and can injure or kill workers repairing lines that should be de-energized. For permanent generators, a transfer switch for your home must be installed by a licensed electrician. The switch can be used to completely disconnect your home from the utility electric grid to ensure safety.

Should you experience an outage, report it by calling the Clark Public Utilities PowerLine, 360-992-8000, and use the online outage map at www.ClarkPublicUtilities.com to see the most current outage information.

Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.