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Portable generator safety?
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:05 pm
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:05 pm
My elderly neighbor is planning on setting up her portable home generator using natural gas in her detached garage in the event of a hurricane. The garage is about 50 feet from her house and she will leave the door partially open for ventilation. She’s having someone come out to set up a flexible gas hose to run from her house,and extra long extension cords to her panel box. I’m concerned that this is not a good idea, can someone assure me that this is safe?
21
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:07 pm to Nonnijo
Why not just put it outside?
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:08 pm to Nonnijo
Probably
quote:
someone come out to set up
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:09 pm to Nonnijo
Not a good idea.
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:09 pm to Nonnijo
In garage is fine if garage door is completely open, generator is near garage door, exhaust is facing out and all exterior house doors are shut
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:12 pm to Cosmo
quote:Bad idea in a hurricane, probably.
In garage is fine if garage door is completely open,
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:13 pm to Scruffy
quote:
Bad idea in a hurricane, probably.
Well yeah
But the shite part of a hurricane is generally over in a few hours
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:14 pm to Cosmo
My assumption was this lady planned on running it during a hurricane, otherwise, why put it in the garage with the door partially open?
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:15 pm to Nonnijo
Wouldn’t the company she bought it from and who’s installing it be the one to make that call?
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:16 pm to Nonnijo
I have a detached garage. When I built it I added a 220v plug to run a portable generator in it to feed my home for hurricanes and power outages. When I used it I left the 16 foot wide garage door open about 3 feet up and had a large fan blowing facing the opening. No issues. Now I have a whole house so I don’t do that anymore. The one thing that I’d worry about is the flexible gas hose.
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:17 pm to Nonnijo
A flexible hose at the standard 7” WC of pressure will not run a generator. She neeeds to have a plumber run some plastic pipe thst is rated for gas underground to the location. No problem with the extension cord, but you would have to get a hell of a large cord.
My biggest concern is thst you have to pipe the exhaust somewhere. You can’t just let it blow in the same room as the generator, because exhaust doesn’t contain oxygen and the generator has to have air (20%) oxygen to run on.
So yeah. …she is gonna spend a lot of money and it won’t work.
My biggest concern is thst you have to pipe the exhaust somewhere. You can’t just let it blow in the same room as the generator, because exhaust doesn’t contain oxygen and the generator has to have air (20%) oxygen to run on.
So yeah. …she is gonna spend a lot of money and it won’t work.
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:21 pm to Nonnijo
As long as it’s far enough away from the house that the carbon monoxide fumes don’t enter the house and she doesn’t stay in the garage with it without proper ventilation she should be ok.
Posted on 8/22/25 at 10:31 pm to CocomoLSU
She purchased the generator after Ida that runs off of natural gas or gasoline, she used gasoline during that time. The person setting it up is a handyman and just following her instructions. .
Posted on 8/23/25 at 4:06 am to Spankum
quote:
flexible hose at the standard 7” WC of pressure will not run a generator. She neeeds to have a plumber run some plastic pipe thst is rated for gas underground to the location.
Explain how flex pipe flows gas differently than plastic pipe.
Posted on 8/23/25 at 7:11 am to Nonnijo
Just open the door and it'll be fine if it's a detached garage.
Posted on 8/23/25 at 7:17 am to Nonnijo
quote:
extra long extension cords
Cords?
Should just be one whip….
Posted on 8/23/25 at 7:26 am to Nonnijo
Should probably tell her to buy some CO2/smoke detectors and install one in the garage, one in each bedroom and one in the house in the closest room to the garage. Cheap way to ensure safety.
Posted on 8/23/25 at 7:30 am to jbgleason
quote:
Explain how flex pipe flows gas differently than plastic pipe.
It's smoother and the bore is larger for a given size.
That was easy, what do i win?
Posted on 8/23/25 at 7:30 am to Suntiger
CO is heavy and sinks and generally isn't going to accumulate anywhere if the door is open.
This post was edited on 8/23/25 at 7:31 am
Posted on 8/23/25 at 9:06 am to Nonnijo
quote:
I’m concerned that this is not a good idea, can someone assure me that this is safe?
Yeah, sounds like she trying to go the cheap route and the person doing the work isn't going to tell her it's a bad idea. The basic premise is ok but should definitely have a proper gas line ran and a generator interlock panel installed. In a detached garage, I'm less concerned about CO and more concerned this lady is going to create an electrical or fire hazard or both.
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