Safety tips for using a generator
Residents are urged to take note of the following safety tips when using a generator at their homes.
As more people buy generators to deal with load-shedding, residents were urged to follow their safe use instructions.
Speaking to Rekord, generator salesman Jaco de la Rey said residents need to ensure that the generator is SABS approved before purchasing it.
He said a generator that is not SABS approved is a fire hazard and could potentially lead to an explosion.
“Generators also need to be in a well-ventilated area when running due to carbon monoxide from the exhaust,” he said.
“Generators should never run in garages because a normal 5,5 KW home generator can extract as much carbon monoxide as six idling cars.”
De la Rey said he has noticed that many residents incorrectly connect their generators to their homes via a wall plug.
He said this was dangerous and illegal.
“A wall plug doesn’t take a lot of electrical current, so the current released by a generator is too much and could cause a fire,” he said.
“I advise residents to install a transfer switch, which is installed next to the DB board of the house and connected to both the generator and the DB board.”
“The switch allows you to choose between Eskom power and generator power,” he said.
Jaco urged residents to hire qualified electricians for generator installations.
He gave the following tips for safe use:
– Make sure it is not a VOV-generator as these types of generators are not legal to connect to a residential property.
– The generator should be SANS and SABS approved.
– Get a certified electrician to connect the generator to your house.
– Service your generator regularly.
– Do not leave your generator outside during rain and without proper covering.
– A generator should run in a well-ventilated room.
– Do not fuel the generator while it’s running.
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