Generator safety - Tucson News Now

If you lose power from the winter storm, many of you are ready with your generator.

But there are a few safety tips you're going to want to watch out for.

Eight to 10 feet, that's how far away your generator should be from your house. So while some people want to put it in the garage on their home, the experts say that's a bad idea.

Jeff Smith with Mission Air Power and Light said the carbon monoxide fumes from the generator can build up in your garage and creep into your home, making it deadly.

Smith also said you should turn your generator off and un-plug it while filling it with gasoline to make sure you don't start a fire.

He said it's important to know where your generator connects to your home.

"Some people have cords made where they can actually run it right into their power panel, and if that's the case, you want to make sure you have your main breaker off, to do that because you don't want your utility power coming back on, and this power being on at the same time," Smith said.

Smith said a permanent generator can be a good option fro some because it runs on natural gas or propane. It also has an automatic stand by, so users can regain power in a matter of seconds.

Permanent generators can run $5,000 to $10,000, while a portable run can run about $350.

Smith said a portable generator cannot run your entire home. He said it will run a refrigerator, TV, and a few lamps.

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