Generator Safety in Perth: Backup Power Without the Risk
A portable generator can keep the essentials running through a long outage, but generator safety matters enormously, because the mistakes people make can be fatal. Generator safety comes down to a few firm rules. Here is how to use backup power safely at your Perth home.
Never run it indoors
The first rule of generator safety is that a generator must never run indoors, in a garage, or in any enclosed space, even with the door open. The exhaust contains carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which kills. Run it outside, well away from windows, doors and vents.
6 rules of generator safety
- Never run a generator indoors or in a garage
- Never plug a generator into a wall socket
- Keep it dry and out of the rain
- Use quality, undamaged, correctly rated leads
- Let it cool before refuelling
- Have a changeover switch installed by an electrician
Never backfeed the house
The most dangerous mistake in generator safety is backfeeding, plugging a generator into a wall socket to power the house. It sends power back into the network and can electrocute the line workers trying to restore your supply. It also bypasses your protection. Never do it, under any circumstances.
The safe way to connect
If you want a generator to power your home’s circuits, the safe answer is a changeover switch installed by a licensed electrician. It isolates your home from the network before the generator connects, so there is no backfeed risk. That is the only safe, legal way to run your house on a generator.
Keep it dry
Generator safety in wet weather means keeping the unit dry and out of the rain, while still keeping it outdoors and well ventilated. Water and a running generator are a shock risk. A purpose-made, open-sided cover works; a sealed enclosure does not, because the exhaust must vent freely away from the home.
Leads and loads
Use quality outdoor-rated leads in good condition, sized for the load and as short as practical. Damaged or underrated leads overheat. Do not daisy-chain leads or overload the generator. Running a few essentials, the fridge, some lights, a phone charger, is what most portable units are actually for.
Refuelling
Petrol and hot engines do not mix, so generator safety means switching the unit off and letting it cool before refuelling. Spilled fuel on a hot exhaust can ignite. Store fuel safely away from the generator and the house, in an approved container, not in the garage next to the car.
Sizing a generator
Work out what you actually need to run, usually the fridge, some lights and device charging, and size the generator to that. Trying to run heavy loads like an oven or aircon from a small portable unit overloads it. Being realistic about the load keeps things safe and reliable.
Solar is not a generator
Many people assume rooftop solar keeps working in an outage, but a standard grid-tied system shuts down when the grid goes down, for the safety of line workers. Unless you have a battery with a backup gateway, your panels will not power the house during a blackout.
Test it before you need it
A generator that has sat in the shed for two years often will not start when the power finally goes out. Running it briefly every few months, and keeping fuel fresh, means it works when it matters. Backup power is only backup if it actually starts.
Why use a licensed electrician
Connecting a generator to your home’s wiring, with a changeover switch, is licensed work that must be done correctly for your safety and the network’s. A licensed electrician installs it properly. For outages and network faults, the Western Power outages and network page is the right first call.
Want backup power set up safely in Perth?
ACS Electrical installs changeover switches across the metro. Explore our what to do in a power outage guide, solar in a power outage guide or electrical maintenance and repairs service. Call 0419 967 838.