Once a luxury, electricity is now essential to our everyday lives. To deal with weather related electrical outages that can occur, many households and businesses are looking into back-up power generators for use in an emergency.
There are many different sizes and configurations of generators available. Some of them are equipped with a gas or diesel engine and others operate from the power take-off (PTO) on farm tractors. All of these devices have one thing in common—they produce electricity in sufficient quantities to cause injury, death, or property damage. Like other types of electrical equipment, these generators need to be correctly sized and installed properly.
One of the first things you need to decide when getting a generator is how much of your home you are going to provide power for. You will need to add up the wattage you will need to meet your needs and use this as a guide when looking at generators. Please link to our Sizing Your Generator page for more information.
Be sure you know if your service is single phase or three phase and the voltage of your service. Most homes and farm operations have single phase power with 120/240 dual voltage available. If you are not sure what type of service you have call Twin Valleys Public Power District office at 308-697-3315 or 800-658-4266.
More important than the size of your generator is the correct installation. Auxiliary power sources must be completely isolated from Twin Valleys Public Power District lines that are attached to your meter. This is to prevent “backfeed” of electricity into our electric system. When our crews are working to restore your power this backfeed could seriously injure or kill anyone who comes in contact with the line and it could damage your generator. To prevent this from happening a special switch, called a double-throw switch, is required to eliminate a generator's feedback from passing through Twin Valleys Public Power District transformers and power lines.
To protect yourself, your family, and your property, read the following guideline for generator safety:
- Always use a double-throw switch when installing your generator. It is required by the National Electrical Code.
- Make sure the generator’s electrical system is adequately grounded to prevent electrocution.
- Always operate your generator in a clean, dry, and well ventilated area to avoid electrical hazards, like shocks, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Never use a worn, damaged, undersized, or ungrounded extension cord with your generator.
- Place your generator on a surface, like a concrete slab, to provide lower conductivity.
- Don’t exceed the rated load capacity of your generator by attaching too many items or appliances with high load ratings above what you used to size your generator.
- Never attempt to fuel your generator while it is running. Always turn the engine off and let it cool before beginning the fueling process.
- Always have a fire extinguisher available during the fueling process.
- Make sure you properly disconnect from Twin Valleys Public Power District service BEFORE starting you generator.
- Installation of your generator is not a do-it yourself project. Hire a qualified electrician; working with electricity can be dangerous, especially if it is not done correctly.
