Safety tips when using a generator

BANGOR, Maine — The entire state saw snow over the weekend and now many Mainers are beginning to clean up.

Sheldon Hartstone owns Fairmount Hardware in Bangor. Over the past 71 years in the business, he says before each snowstorm, there's a crowd looking for the essentials.  

“People do wait until the last minute, to see how much we’re going to get,” Hartstone said. “Always in the past is your salt items, and your snow shovel and every year in the past is your roof rakes.”

But when snow-covered powerlines translate into picking up a generator for the home, authorities across the state and beyond are urging folks to be aware of the dangers.

As of Sunday evening, Central Maine Power says more than 30,000 are still without power due to the wet snow and heavy canopies.

“It’s the areas that received that heavy wet snow is where we’ve seen the majority of the outages and the most damage," Vice President of Electric Operations Adam Desrosiers said. 

When installing a generator in an outage, Desrosiers says connecting properly to your home’s distribution panel is crucial.

“What we don’t want is for that generator to back feed power, creating a hazard for the line workers that are working to restore power," Desrosiers said.

When it comes to using a portable generator, The Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association works to keep safety in mind for customers.

Senior Director of Global Product Safety Guillermo Rodriguez says, making sure portable generators are 20 feet away from the house in a well-ventilated space is essential.

“Taking the generator outside is the only safe way to use portable generators. This means far away from doors and windows," Rodriguez said. 

If you’re unsure about something when using or setting up your generator, PGMA says the smart move is always to consult the instruction manual. 

“Always be sure to read and fully understand the instruction manual that came with the portable generator," he added.

Additional tips to keep in mind according to CMP are:

• Make sure to store fuels for the generator, such as gasoline, away from the home or the generator. 
• Make sure to not fuel while the generator is in use. 
• Don't smoke or use open flames near any fuel.
• Inspect and keep tabs on your generator's condition and any related extension cords.