Finally, the diesel or gasoline engine that drives an emergency generator has carbon monoxide in the exhaust.  Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly.  Always consult the owner’s manual or operator’s manual for your generator regarding proper placement of the generator.

BARC personnel are ready and willing to advise you regarding the installation of an emergency electric generator.  Please call us at any time.

The following information may help you better understand the subject of Emergency or Backup Generators and may help you determine the right solution for your home or business.
 
Fixed or Stationary Generators
Large, fixed generators are usually directly connected to building wiring to provide standby power during emergencies and power outages. However, the wiring needs to be properly installed by a qualified electrical contractor. Properly installing a “permanent” generator is extremely dangerous, and not a “do it yourself” job. If you plan to have this type of generator installed, you may need to obtain an electrical permit from your local
electrical or building inspector’s office.  Typical installations are described and pictured below.

Portable Generators
Small portable generators are available from most home supply stores.  The capacity of this class of generator is usually too small to power the entire household, but is adequate to handle some combination of necessary loads such as a well pump, outdoor woodstove fans and circulators, a refrigerator or freezer, etc.  As mentioned above, generators should NEVER be plugged into an outlet to “backfeed” your house.  Doing so will create the likelihood that your home wiring will become overloaded and overheat, representing a significant risk of fire.  You may also energize the “dead” power lines outside of your house creating life-threatening safety risk for linemen who are not expecting the lines to be “hot”.