Use of Portable Generators
The use of a portable generator can be very convenient and very hazardous. Safety first, there
is no point in having the only home in the neighborhood with lights if you are laying on the
floor dead or the house that burns down because the fire department was on the other side of
town putting out another fire.

Never keep a running generator in your home or garage, carbon monoxide is a toxic by product
of combustion.

Never turn off a few circuit breakers and back feed an electrical panel. The panel can blow up
in your face or you can easily kill a utility worker.

Only plug in 80% of so of the load the generator is designed to keep running, over loading the
generator can cause it to fail, over heat or in a worst case catch fire.

If you are using extension cords use heavy duty ones. If your extension cord is more than
50 feet or so use one size larger wire than you normally do to avoid voltage drops.

Never fill a hot generator, you and the person helping you can find the heat of the generator
ignites the gasoline or a spark ignites the vapors.

Remember as much as it may be your goal to get your lights on and TV running it will do you
little good if you die trying.

Michael Del Greco is President of Accurate Inspections, Inc. A New Jersey home inspection
firm. He has performed thousands of home inspections in New Jersey since 1993. He has taught
the New Jersey Home Inspector Licensing classes and New Jersey Home Inspector CEU classes
as well as participated in developing questions for the National Home Inspector Exam.
Michael's home inspector resume may be viewed at http://www.mdelgreco.com

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Thanks,
Paul