Running a generator safely during an outage
Never indoors — not even the garage
Portable generators produce carbon monoxide (CO), an odorless, invisible gas that kills in minutes in enclosed spaces. The CPSC attributes dozens of US deaths every year to generators run indoors, in garages (even with the door open), in basements, or on porches.
20 feet from the house
CPSC guidance: run the generator at least 20 feet from your home, exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents — yours and your neighbors'. Battery-powered CO alarms on every level of the home are the backstop.
Keep it dry
Electrocution is the other killer. Operate on a dry surface under an open canopy-like cover; never in rain or standing water; dry hands before touching it.
No backfeeding — ever
Plugging a generator into a wall outlet ("backfeeding") energizes lines that crews and neighbors believe are dead. It is illegal in most states and lethal to line workers. Use a transfer switch installed by an electrician, or plug appliances directly into the generator with outdoor-rated cords.
Cool before refueling
Gasoline on a hot engine ignites. Shut down and let it cool before refueling, and store fuel outside living areas in approved containers.
Recognize CO poisoning — and what to do
Early carbon-monoxide symptoms per the CPSC read like flu without the fever: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion, blurred vision. Higher exposures cause loss of consciousness — and because CO is odorless, victims often don't realize what's happening. If an alarm sounds or symptoms appear: get everyone to fresh air immediately and call 911. Don't re-enter to open windows; just leave.
CO alarms: the non-negotiable backstop
Install battery-operated CO alarms (or plug-ins with battery backup) on every level and near sleeping areas, test them monthly, and replace per the manufacturer's schedule. If you ever run a generator, the alarm is what catches the mistake you didn't know you made — exhaust drifting to a window you forgot about, a breeze change, a neighbor's vent.
Buy the safer machine if you're buying
The CPSC recommends choosing a portable generator with a built-in CO safety shutoff — models that switch off automatically when CO accumulates around the unit. They're widely available now and meaningfully reduce (but do not eliminate) the risk; the 20-foot rule still applies.
Cords and loads
Plug appliances in with heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords, sized for the wattage and free of damage. Add up the watts of what you're running (motors like refrigerators surge on startup) and stay under the generator's rating — an overloaded generator trips, browns out equipment, or overheats.
Between outages
A generator that won't start in a storm is a common story: run it briefly on the maker's schedule, keep fuel fresh (stabilizer for gasoline), and store fuel in approved containers outside living areas. Keep the manual with the machine — the next user may not be you.
Placement in a real yard
Twenty feet is the radius; the details are wind and openings. Point the exhaust away from every door, window, and vent — yours and your neighbors' (CO doesn't respect property lines, and attached homes share walls and airspace). Keep it out from under awnings, carports, and overhangs, off dry leaves, and reachable by cords that don't cross standing water. If the safe spot changes with the wind, move the generator, not the rule.
If you don't own one: the CO risk can still be yours
Attached homes, townhouses, and close-set houses share air. If a neighbor runs a generator, your battery CO alarms are your protection — another reason every level of every home should have one, generator owner or not.
Know how long you actually need it
Fuel planning depends on outage length. Our live tracker shows the utility's posted restoration time alongside an independent estimate from the outage's real recovery trend — check it before a fuel run.