Generator carbon monoxide safety and placement

A generator engine produces carbon monoxide (CO), a gas you cannot see or smell. It is the most serious hazard of running any fuel-burning generator, and it is entirely about where and how the unit is placed. This guide covers the placement rules federal safety agencies publish and the checks to make before you start a rental unit.

Why carbon monoxide is the main risk

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that portable generators are linked to a large share of non-fire carbon monoxide deaths involving consumer products. CO builds up quickly in enclosed or partly enclosed spaces, and symptoms such as headache, dizziness and nausea are easy to mistake for flu or tiredness. People who are asleep may never notice them.

Placement rules

• Outdoors only. Never run a generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or tent — including with doors or windows open.
• Distance from the building. CPSC advises placing it at least 20 feet from the house.
• Exhaust direction. Point the exhaust away from doors, windows, vents and air intakes, and away from neighbours' openings too.
• Dry, level, stable ground. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for weather protection; do not improvise an enclosure that traps exhaust.

Detectors

Install battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms in the home, following the alarm maker's placement instructions, and test them before the outage or event. If an alarm sounds or anyone feels sick, dizzy or weak, get to fresh air immediately and call 911.

Electrical and fuel safety

• Never plug a generator into a wall outlet ("backfeeding"). It can energise utility lines and injure line workers or neighbours. Use a transfer switch installed by a qualified electrician.
• Use outdoor-rated extension cords sized for the load.
• Turn the engine off and let it cool before refuelling, and store fuel in approved containers away from the unit and living areas.

Questions to ask the rental provider

• Does the unit have a CO safety shutoff feature?
• What clearance does the manufacturer specify around the unit?
• Will someone show you how to start, stop and refuel it at delivery?