Generators and CO

[buickanddeere]

Our generator is located in a lean-to on my shop. I can back-feed the house from there.

Wait a minute. What do you mean "backfeeding" ? No transfer switch and back feeding 120/240 into a welder receptacle ?

 

[MikePA]

Mike, unfortunately even the efforts you made wouldn't slow a thief down more than 30 seconds.

I am not under any illusion that my installation would be nothing more than a brief diversion to someone determined to steal the generator, but that's true of all security measures.

In this day & age, there are lots of handy tools which most of us have that make traditional methods of securing items literally worthless.

No offense, but according to this logic, i.e., 'literally worthless', people should not lock their doors to their houses, or cars or anything else.

Even on your front porch if the wind is blowing right, carbon monoxide can be send into your home via soffits, drafty windows, & doors.

This is true for any structure downwind from a running generator. If my doors and windows are that drafty, then I figure enough fresh air is entering somewhere else. The goal is not to eliminate all risk from a running generator, since that's impossible. The goal is to take reasonable steps to minimize it and understand the risks that remain.

For some folks in certain areas there is no good place to have the generator. What if you live in an upstairs apartment without an balcony?

If they have no good place to have a generator, then they shouldn't have one.

Our generator is located in a lean-to on my shop. I can back-feed the house from there.

I truly hope you are not backfeeding your house and placing the people trying to restore utility power at risk.

 

[kenmac]

Mike, unfortunately even the efforts you made wouldn't slow a thief down more than 30 seconds. In this day & age, there are lots of handy tools which most of us have that make traditional methods of securing items literally worthless.

You can make up all the excuses you want. You risk your generator being stolen , or the life of your family. I secure mine in a somewhat similar fashion. I can tell you for sure which I'll risk. This likens to people that store their propane tanks inside the home. garage, etc and, have no idea why their home exploaded

 

[Mike476]

When I built the house almost 15 years ago we installed a generator panel (given the climate and history for power outages in our area). If I remember the cost was under $500, not much when considering the cost of building a home.

You would think, in the interest of preventing people from rigging something up themselves and unknowingly placing other people's lives at risk, that this would become a code requirement for new construction. What area isn't susceptible to a power outage given today's weather patterns?

As far as those who have lost their lives, their tragedy is enough to remind the rest of us that a moments lapse in judgement is all it takes; most of us can tell stories of things we've done that we knew better than to attempt, and thankfully got away with it.

These folks weren't so lucky, there are those who believe if it's OK to start their car in the garage how can it not be safe for me to run a generator there; not such a stretch............ I certainly won't judge them for it.

 

[MikePA]

You would think, in the interest of preventing people from rigging something up themselves and unknowingly placing other people's lives at risk, that this would become a code requirement for new construction. What area isn't susceptible to a power outage given today's weather patterns?

How would the installation of a generator panel have prevented this CO poisoning? The issue is not how the generator power is fed into the home (through a panel), it's where the generator is located. Installing a panel could actually increase the problem by making it easier to plug a generator in without considering its location. No offense, but far too many regulations are created with the best of intentions (an emotional reaction to a tragedy) but absent any facts, e.g., risk analysis or a study of whether power outages are increasing, are they tied to 'today's weather patterns', etc., and if they actually solve more problems than they create, which generates more regulations. Laws could also be passed that all power lines be underground. Where does such emotional reaction to tragic, but isolated, episodes end?

These folks weren't so lucky, there are those who believe if it's OK to start their car in the garage how can it not be safe for me to run a generator there; not such a stretch............ I certainly won't judge them for it.

Again no offense, but I don't think people confuse starting their car in the garage, with the intent of driving away, with running a generator.

 

[Mike476]

No offense taken, we're all entitled to our opinions and form them from our own experiences. I enjoy a good discussion.

The comment regarding the generator panel was in response to the the observation you and others made regarding backfeeding, the installation of a generator panel by a licensed electrician comes complete with the protection switching required to prevent injury to lineman working on power lines. It also automatically switches from the emergency panel to my normal panel when normal power is returned.

As far as whether people confuse starting their car with the intent of driving away and the running of a generator is concerned, most of us would know the hazards associated with doing it, for those who do not, as I said it's not such a stretch to understand how they could have come to that conclusion.