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With generators, simplicity, safety paramount - 2010-01-28
When trying to hook up your generator, it's better — and safer — to keep it simple, said a local electrician.
Rick Tallent, of Tallent Electric, said if someone doesn't have a main breaker on his or her home, it is best to just stick with using extension cords plugged into a generator, rather than trying to tie the generator into the breaker box to run the house's electric through the generator.
“If you don't understand electricity, and you go about trying to do this, wiring [your generator] into your breaker box, you could get hurt pretty easy,” Tallent said.
If someone tries to run his or her generator through the main breaker and does it incorrectly, when the power comes back on, it could short out that person's generator and household appliances — and not to mention send an electrical current to the power line that workers are trying to repair, Tallent said.
As people go to set up their generators, they should remember to keep them outside, Tallent said. Leaving a generator in an enclosed room, such as a garage, causes a buildup of carbon monoxide, which can be deadly, he said.
Tallent said people can contact electricians for help, but as of right now, parts to do the work are hard to come by.
For example, a parts supplier in Broken Arrow yesterday had 63 receptacles, a part to use when hooking up a generator, but is now out of that part, he said.
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