These days, most of us rely heavily on technology for everything from work to entertainment—making a power outage a significant inconvenience. As a result, generators offer a lot of advantages to homeowners by allowing them to keep their appliances powered on until service is restored. To use them most effectively, follow the guide below.

Do:

Select your generator carefully. 

Choose a generator based on the size of your home, the number of appliances you want to power, and how long you think you will need to rely on it as your primary source of electricity. After selecting one, make sure to read the manual for all safety information since it can be hard to review in the dark during an emergency. 

Operate them in an open-air environment.

Generators burn fuel to create electricity. This process produces carbon monoxide (CO)—an odorless, colorless, and toxic gas. As such, never use generators indoors.

Also, place them at least 20 feet from open windows, doors, and vents. Be sure the exhaust is pointing away from your home's openings. As an added safety measure, consider installing battery-operated CO alarms in your house.

Don't:

Connect to a wall outlet.

Backfeeding, the process of powering your home by connecting the generator to a wall outlet, is very dangerous. It can ruin your appliances and cause fires. Moreover, it is an electrocution risk for utility workers repairing lines and neighbors sharing the same transformer. 

Have a licensed contractor install a transfer switch to link your generator to your circuit panel. Aside from helping avert hazards, it will also keep your unit from being damaged once electricity is restored.

Refuel a hot engine.

Keep in mind that spilling fuel on an operating engine can ignite a fire. To avoid this risk, turn off your gasoline- or diesel-operated machine and let it cool down for 15 minutes before refueling it.

If you are looking for professionals to assess and repair your generator, turn to Aero Services, the largest motor shop in interior Alaska. For more than 60 years, this locally owned and operated company has served residents of Fairbanks, servicing electric motors, air compressors, and other devices. For a complete list of their capabilities, visit their website. Call (907) 479-6666 with questions.