Nailing it Down
By Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty
We sure hope our brand-new year comes in quietly.
However, it’s more than just a possibility that generator you have will be put into service sometime this year. When the power is out, generators can be a great source of energy to save your investment of food stored in the refrigerator or freezer; provide some lights; maybe even run a heating device. The big ones, when sized and installed right, may be able to run the whole house and come on automatically.
However, that same device wrongly installed or wrongly used can create deadly disasters of its own.
For generators, it’s important that people have a UL-approved transfer switch that isolates the Public Utilities District’s facilities from the homeowner’s — and vice versa. This needs to be installed by a qualified electrician, or by the homeowner and then permitted and inspected by the officiating electrical inspector serving the area.
If this doesn’t occur, the generator will “back-feed” active electricity to the transformer — the lines work both ways. So, if someone fires up a generator, it will go into the transformer at 120 volts and come out at 7,200 volts, causing injury or even death to PUD personnel working on the lines.
In addition to risking injury or death to workers, a generator that isn’t properly installed can be ruined when the PUD crews fix the outage and the power begins flowing through the lines again. Safety first!
USING A PORTABLE GENERATOR
Once it’s properly installed, a generator also needs to be properly used.
Here are some safety tips from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for preventing a fire or other disaster in your home due to improper generator use:
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Always use generators outside your home, away from doors, windows and vents. Using generators indoors or in partially enclosed areas — even with ventilation — is courting a disastrous run-in with fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. (One generator can produce as much carbon monoxide as 100 cars!)
Keep the generator dry. Place it on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure.
Dry your hands before touching the generator.
Plug appliances directly into the generator or use a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord. Ensure the entire cord is free of cuts and tears and that the plug has three prongs (including a grounding pin).
Never plug the generator into a wall outlet. This can cause utility workers and others using the same transformer to receive an injurious or even deadly shock.
Do not refuel the generator when it is running or hot. Before refueling, turn it off and let it cool. (Fuel spilled on a hot engine could burst into flame.)
Store fuel outside your living area in clearly labeled containers (not glass). Make sure the containers are kept away from fuel-burning appliances.
Place battery-operated or plug-in (with battery backup) carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Make sure to test the detectors often and replace batteries as needed.
Make sure to also have a “dual sensor smoke alarm” in your home. This device can sound fast for either smoke or flames.
Prepare an escape plan and practice twice a year. Talk with family members about escape routes from their bedrooms. There should be at least two ways to exit each room.
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
If a generator is used incorrectly, it can be a carbon monoxide poisoning risk.
Any fossil fuel — think people bringing barbecues or a kerosene lantern inside their home — can cause a severe risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
In the storm of 2007, and in storms since then, many people locally have been affected by the dangerous inhalation of those fumes.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, headache, confusion and nausea. Unfortunately, because most of these cases occur during the winter, people often confuse the symptoms with the flu.
If you or a loved one might have been exposed to carbon monoxide, get those lungs outside! It’s critical to get fresh air as soon as possible and call 911 immediately.
CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS
Carbon monoxide alarms are now required to be in every rental, hotel, apartment and remodeled home, as well as all new residential construction. That means the powers that be recognized the life-saving ability of the relatively inexpensive device.
With the average age of the housing stock on the Harbor somewhere around 80 years, it’s likely many homes around here don’t have a carbon monoxide detector. Don’t let your home be one of them. Start the new year with that extra bit of assurance. (They cost about $30 to $50.)
Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty are construction specialists at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor County, where Murnen is executive director. This is a nonprofit organization committed to creating safe and affordable housing for all residents of Grays Harbor County. For questions about home repair, renting, remodeling or buying, call 360-533-7828 or visit 710 E. Market St. in Aberdeen.
