Below Are Some Resources and Guides to Help You Learn How to Use a Backup Generator
Starting and Operating Your Generator
Starting Your Generator
- Put gas in tank, if needed, and check oil.
- Be sure the exhaust can ventilate freely
(Keep away from windows and fresh air intakes)
- Plug in power cord to generator and inlet-box on house
- Make sure cord is tight and not hanging out of socket.
(Power cord ends may twist-lock, clockwise to tighten)
- Make sure the fuel lever is in the ON position
- First step to start motor, close CHOKE I/I
- Pull cord to start. Or press electric start button
- Almost immediately after starting, slide choke back to OPEN position
I I . Your generator should now be running.
Make Sure
- Circuit breaker is in the ON position.
- There are no obvious tears or damage to power cord
- Exhaust is facing away from windows, doors, and air vents.
- Choke is off when running.
- If it is raining or snowing your can put a piece of plywood on top of generator.
- Got Gas?
Inside at the GENERATOR PANEL
*Pushing a breaker towards the center of the panel is turning it ON
- Turn OFF individual breakers one at a time.
- Time to flip the Inter-lock, the Inter-lock is made so that both breakers cannot be in the ON position at the same time.
- Push main power breaker away from center of panel, OFF.
- Push generator power breaker towards center of panel, ON
- The generator panel is now energized, turn ON individual breakers one at a time.
- *Keep in mind your generator may not be powerful enough to run all circuits at the same time. So load sharing is needed.
- (Electric baseboard heat and ACs can draw a lot of power)
Reversing the Process
- Turn OFF all individual breakers one at a time
- Turn OFF generator. (You may want to turn off fuel lever and let the generator run till it dies to drain the fuel in the fuel line)
- Unplug power cord ends
- *If you turned off the main breaker in the main panel, not generator panel, turn off all breakers before turning the main breaker back on
- At the generator panel, flip GENERATOR POWER breaker OFF
- Flip the MAIN POWER breaker ON
- Turn on individual breakers one at a time
- You may want to check all your pumps and appliances are working properly
