General do’s and don'ts
- Keep the generator outside. Never use it indoors.
- Install a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm.
- Keep the generator dry. Do not use in rain or wet conditions. To protect from moisture, operate it on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure.
- Dry your hands if wet before touching the generator.
- Plug appliances directly into the generator. Or, use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads. Check that the entire cord is free of cuts or tears and that the plug has all three prongs, especially an earthing pin.
- Never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as "backfeeding". This is an extremely dangerous practice that presents an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbours served by the same utility transformer. It also bypasses some of the built-in household circuit protection devices.
- If you must connect the generator to the house wiring to power appliances, get a licensed electrical contractor to do it in accordance with AS/NZS 3000 Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules) (non-Queensland Government link) and Energex or Ergon Energy requirements.
- Avoid creating a fire hazard. Store fuel for your generator in properly labelled non-glass safety containers, out of the home and away from fuel-burning appliances (such as natural gas water heater in the garage).
- Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. Fuel spilt on hot engine parts could ignite.
About backfeeding
Backfeeding can happen when a generator is connected to your home wiring system without disconnecting from the Energex or Ergon Energy electrical system. The most common way this could occur is if you directly connect a generator to your electrical switchboard or to a circuit in your home.
If you feed power back into the electrical system during an outage, you will energise the transformer serving your house. This poses an electrocution hazard for Energex or Ergon Energy line crews and for your neighbours who may not know the lines is energised. If power is restored while your generator is backfeeding, your generator may be severely damaged.
Avoid backfeeding by always keeping generator power and Energex or Ergon Energy electrical system isolated from each other.
Portable generators are usually connected directly to an appliance or piece of equipment through its plug and supply cord. Therefore there is no path back to the electrical switchboard. Changeover switches are available to safely connect portable generators to building electrical systems.
Permanent generators are isolated from the electrical system with a changeover switch installed between the generator and the electrical panel. The changeover switch allows power to be fed from only one source at a time. A licensed electrical contractor must conduct the installation of a changeover switch.
Last updated March 22, 2006
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