Generators and Carbon-Monoxide Safety
A generator's exhaust is invisible, odourless and lethal. The starting sequence matters — but the safety rule is the one that keeps your family alive.
The rule that saves lives first
A generator's exhaust is invisible, odourless carbon monoxide, and it kills fast. Run it outdoors only, at least 3 m from any building, never in a garage, basement or near windows — and never wire it directly into a house socket (back-feeding can kill line workers and start fires). If anyone gets a headache, dizziness or nausea near a running engine, get to fresh air immediately.
Starting it, step by step
- Prep: check oil (between MIN and MAX), fill fuel leaving 3–4 cm of air space, fuel tap ON, load switch OFF.
- Start: close the choke, pull the cord sharply; once running, open the choke after ~30 seconds and warm up 2–3 minutes.
- Connect: add devices one at a time, least powerful to most, and never exceed 80% of rated output.
- Stop: disconnect all devices, run unloaded 2–3 minutes, switch off, then close the fuel tap.
Fuel discipline
Petrol in a sealed metal jerry can lasts 12+ months (up to ~24 with a quality stabiliser). A sour, varnish-like smell or a darkening of the liquid means it's degrading — "dead" fuel clogs injectors and strands you. Store fuel cool, sealed, and away from living spaces and ignition sources.
Make it last
A generator is a sprinter, not a marathon runner: run it in bursts to charge batteries and drive heavy loads, then switch to stored power. Continuous running burns fuel you can't replace — and broadcasts your location.