Are there safety concerns associated with using a portable generator?
A. Yes. Portable electric generators can be a life-saver when faced with a lengthy outage, but if they are not installed and used properly, they also can cause serious injury and even death, not only to you, but to our linemen working on your line. Adding a standby generator to the electrical system of a home, farm, or business requires a suitable transfer switch to disconnect the electric loads from the power suppliers utility grid. This is a requirement of the National Electrical Code (see NEC Article 702-6) and all electric power suppliers, for two very good reasons: (1) it prevents the backflow of electricity into the utilitys lines during an outage, which could electrocute linemen working to restore power; and (2) it prevents damage to the generator when regular electric service has been restored, which can destroy the generator. For more information, please call 270-236-2521 or 1-800-633-1391.
