A Portable Generator Is a Life Saver When You’re Without Power
(But Heed This Carbon Monoxide Poison Warning)

Halt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning!
Currently, over a quarter of a million people in Kentucky are still without power after a major cold front and winter storm literally brought the state to a grinding halt.

Numerous residents did the smart thing and either had or went out and bought a portable generator to provide them with back up emergency power until the various utility companies could restore electricity.

That was a smart move and we applaud them. To go without power for one day is unbearable for most people. To be without power for days and potentially weeks, especially in a heavy winter storm is unthinkable.

After being in the generator business over 15 years, I noticed some common patterns that are very harmful and in many cases deadly. The one I’m going to focus on today is the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning after installing your portable generator. 

Every year men and women die from carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. In my research and investigations, these are deaths that could have been avoided altogether. In virtually every case, sadly and unfortunately, someone placed a generator in a location that spelled imminent and instant DANGER!

This mishap can be eliminated by simply reading the instruction manual and using some common sense. I don’t say that to be harsh, only to get my point across. There are some things people never give thought to until it’s too late. I had a customer who after purchasing their first microwave immediately had two scary incidents. In the first incident, the wife placed a dish in the microwave that was covered in aluminum foil. She found out the hard way that you don’t put aluminum foil in a microwave. The husband came behind her a couple of days later and tried to cook a whole egg in the microwave and of course it exploded and frightened everyone.

Here’s my point, those incidents never would have happened had they read their user’s manual. When you read the user’s manual of practically ever generator brand, you will quickly learn that generators are not designed to be in enclosed spaces. They are designed to be in open-air areas with proper ventilation due to the fact that they emit a highly toxic gas that is odorless, tasteless and colorless.

By properly situating your unit in only approved locations, areas and spaces, you avert any potential dangers from this deadly gas. WARNING: NEVER place a portable generator inside a home, apartment, mobile home, RV or in any type of enclosed space! NOTE: there are no exceptions to this rule. That means no matter how cold it is outside and no matter how convenient it may be to bring the unit inside, even for a few moments, DON’T DO IT!

Carbon monoxide is so toxic that it can kill a healthy person within a few minutes! If I ran off the list of individuals who have lost their lives to this tragedy over the past seven years, you’d probably be shocked. In my opinion, one death is way too many, especially when it could have been circumvented.

TO BE CLEAR: your generator should be outside, period and end of story! If you place that unit on the inside of any structure, you are begging for a catastrophe that could potentially come with loss of life. Portable generators are life savers for sure, but they do come with some safety caveats. One of the greatest warnings is putting a unit in a place that could make you susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning. Be safe and read your user manual from front to back prior to starting your unit.

This is a safety advisory by Joe Elliot of FindGenerators.net