Emergency Generators
Electricity, once a luxury, is now essential. Many households and businesses are investigating back-up power generators for use during an outage.
Generators are widely available in a range of sizes and configurations. Some come equipped with gas or diesel engines, with manual or automatic start. Others operate from the power take-off (PTO) attachment found on farm tractors. All generators have one thing in common -- they produce electricity at levels high enough to cause injury, death and property damage. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be used. But, like any other electrical equipment, they must be correctly sized and properly installed. |
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If you plan to provide enough electricity to power your normal electrical load during an outage, you will need a generator with a relatively large capacity. Generators are rated by the wattage they produce -- usually expressed in kilowatts (kW) and are sized according to the loads they need to serve. Also important is the kind of service you receive, either single-phase or three-phase power. Most homes, small businesses and farms are supplied with single-phase 120/240 volt power.
Keeping It Safe
NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage since toxic carbon monoxide can accumulate. If you use a portable generator, plug appliances directly into the unit. DO NOT plug the generator into a wall outlet, as that allows electricity to travel out of the house and onto the electric lines. Emergency generators must be completely isolated from Citizens’ lines to avoid “back-feed” into our system. During an outage, line workers trying to restore power - or anyone who contacts a downed line - could be seriously injured or killed by back-feed from an improperly connected generator.
If you are connecting a generator to your wiring system, a special switch must be installed to transfer your load from the utility power supply to the standby generator. The switch, called a double-throw switch, is designed to prevent a generator from feeding back onto Citizens’ lines and transformers. A properly connected switch makes it impossible to connect the utility power source and the generator at the same time. The double-throw switch is required by the National Electric Code when directly connecting an auxiliary power source.
Remember, the double-throw switch and wiring will carry the entire electrical load for the building it serves when it’s connected to Citizens’ lines during normal operation. These switches, like the generators they connect, are available in several configurations and power ratings. Choose a switch matched to your service configuration considering factors such as amperage and phase - not one matched to the generator output.
If you have questions concerning the safe installation and connection of an emergency back-up generator, contact Citizens’ Electric or your generator dealer. Together we can help you select and design a system that will safely provide temporary power without creating a safety hazard.