Portable Generators Killing Again

More and more often, natural disasters from summer hurricanes to winter snow storms don't blow through without leaving injuries and deaths in their wake -- not from the event itself, but from misusing power generators to keep the lights on when the power goes out.

After Hurricane Katrina left much of the Gulf Coast in the dark last year, a dozen deaths and scores of carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings were blamed on portable gas-fired generators in the hands of those unfamiliar with their proper use.

An early winter snowstorm in the Buffalo, NY area just months ago turned out the lights for hundreds of thousands of residents and half the six storm-related deaths were attributed to CO poisoning from gas fired portable generators. Area hospitals reported dozens of cases of CO poisonings caused by the appliances.

After a snow storm with hurricane force winds knocked out power to 1.5 million customers in the Pacific Northwest, including homes and businesses, hospital officials said CO poisonings reached "epidemic" levels. Just a week before Christmas, at least one man died of inhaling the colorless, odorless gas, more than a hundred were treated at area hospitals and dozens were sent to pressurized hyperbaric chambers which forced oxygen into their blood.

At least 222 Americans died from portable generator-linked CO poisoning from 2000 through 2005, with more than a quarter of them (64) occurring last year alone, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The commission is researching product safety improvements including reduced emission, automatic shut offs during high levels of CO, weatherization and electrocution protection. It also recently approved plans to mandate generator makers replace ambiguous text-based "CAUTION" labels with more prominent labels that include international symbol-like pictograms and statements that include "Using generators indoors will KILL YOU IN MINUTES."

With greater incidences of harsh weather in recent years, more and more people are using portable generators for the first time and often under stressful, emergency conditions and that can cause them to use the otherwise helpful appliances in an unsafe manner.

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports says generator sales have risen roughly 20 percent in each of the past two years with the portable generator variety accounting for 92 percent of that total.

In addition to operating fossil fuel powered portable generators to avoid harm from deadly carbon monoxide, there are other considerations that come with owning one.

• Not only should you never operate a generator in an enclosed space (including anywhere in your home or garage -- even with the garage door open), you should keep them out doors away from windows and downwind from your home.

• Operate the generator in a well-ventilated, dry area, protected from direct exposure to rain and snow, preferably under a canopy or other open structure.

• Do not use fuel around ignition sources, such as a water heater, cook stove or the generator (except to get it started) which heats up as it operates.

• A propane gas-fired generator with it's own fuel line can avoid the storage problems of liquid fuel, but it could require special permits to install the tanks. Zoning regulations may prohibit the use of propane.

• Store fuel in appropriate metal containers away from wood, plastic and other flammables. Don't stockpile your fuel, but rotate it with fresh fuel every few months as you burn through it with test-runs to help maintain the generator and be sure it's in top operating condition. The engines are built to run and you'll have to test-operate them for 15 minutes or so every week to make sure they will work when needed.

• Given the noise associated with portable generators (90 to 95 decibels -- much like the sound level of heavy traffic) you may want to alert you neighbors before starting up or advise them of some preset test run schedule. However, be prepared for neighbors who won't tolerate frequent high-noise levels and may appeal to local officials about you violating noise or "right to peaceful enjoyment of your home" ordinances.

• Service the generator once a year by changing the oil and filters and by checking for pest damage and any other wear and tear. Your manual provides detailed information about your generator's installation, its use, servicing and fuel. Read it. Learn it. Know it. Read it again.

• Choose the generator with sufficient power based on what equipment you'll need to operate when the lights go out. Choose an underpowered generator and you'll burn out the motor or the appliance trying to power appliances that need more juice.

• If you cannot determine the amount of power you'll need, hire a licensed electrician to make the decision. Likewise, before an emergency, get an electrician to install a power transfer system that redistributes power from the generator to the home's circuit box without creating "back feed" which can injure utility workers working to restore grid power. Otherwise you'll have to fumble with extension cord gauges, lengths and other specifications.

Such power transfer system can cost from a few hundreds of dollars to more, but they reduce the need for multiple extension cords running from the generator to specific appliances.