How do I safely use a portable generator during a power outage in New Brunswick?

Portable generators save lives and protect property during New Brunswick's frequent power outages — but improper use kills people every year across Canada. Carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution, and fire are all preventable risks when you follow proper safety practices.

The Number One Rule: NEVER Run a Generator Indoors

This cannot be overstated. A portable generator produces deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas and must never be operated:

• Inside your home


• In an attached or detached garage (even with the door open)


• In a basement or crawlspace


• On a covered porch or in a breezeway


• In any enclosed or semi-enclosed space

CO is colourless and odourless. It accumulates quickly in enclosed spaces and can kill within minutes. Every year in Canada, people die from generator CO poisoning during power outages — often during winter storms when the temptation to bring the generator "just inside the garage" is strongest.

Proper placement:

• At least 6 metres (20 feet) from any door, window, or vent opening — including your neighbours' homes


• In an open, well-ventilated outdoor area


• On a flat, dry surface (plywood on snow works in a pinch)


• With the exhaust pointing away from the house and away from prevailing winds


• Under a canopy or tarp shelter is acceptable for rain/snow protection, but the sides must be open for ventilation

Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Your Backup Safety Net

Even with proper generator placement, ensure your home has working CO detectors on every level, including the basement. New Brunswick building code requires CO detectors in homes with fuel-burning appliances, but they're essential during generator use regardless.

• Test batteries before storm season (September) and again in December
• Replace CO detectors every 5–7 years (check the manufacture date on the back)
• If a CO alarm sounds, immediately evacuate and call 911 — don't try to find the source
• Battery-powered or battery-backup CO detectors work during power outages; plug-in-only models don't

Electrical Safety: Never Backfeed Your Panel

Backfeeding — plugging a generator into a wall outlet or dryer outlet to power your home's circuits — is illegal, deadly, and the most dangerous generator mistake you can make.

Here's why: when you backfeed, electricity flows backward through your panel, out through the meter, and onto NB Power's distribution lines. It reaches the transformer, is stepped up to 7,200 volts or higher, and energizes what NB Power line workers believe are dead wires. Utility workers have been killed by backfed generators.

The only safe ways to connect a generator to your home's wiring:

Transfer switch (manual): A licensed electrician installs a transfer switch panel that lets you select which circuits receive generator power while physically disconnecting those circuits from the grid. Cost: $500–$1,200 installed, plus TSANB permit. This is the recommended approach for portable generators.

Interlock kit: A mechanical device installed on your main panel that prevents the main breaker and generator breaker from being on simultaneously. Less expensive than a transfer switch ($200–$500 installed) but still requires a licensed electrician and TSANB inspection.

Extension cords only: Run heavy-duty extension cords directly from the generator to individual appliances. No panel connection at all. This is the simplest approach and requires no electrician, but limits you to powering only what you can plug in directly.

Extension Cord Safety

If using extension cords (which most NB homeowners do with portable generators):

• Use outdoor-rated, heavy-gauge cords — minimum 12-gauge for up to 50 feet, 10-gauge for 50–100 feet
• Check the cord's wattage rating — it must exceed the total wattage of everything plugged into it
• Never daisy-chain extension cords (plugging one into another)
• Keep connections off the ground and out of standing water or snow
• Don't run cords under rugs, through doorways that can pinch them, or through windows that close on them
• Inspect cords for damage before each use — cracked insulation, exposed wire, or loose plug prongs mean the cord must be replaced

Fuel Safety

Gasoline handling is the second-biggest generator risk after CO poisoning:

• Never refuel a running or hot generator. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for it to cool. Gasoline spilled on a hot exhaust manifold ignites instantly.
• Store gasoline in approved containers only (CSA-approved red jerry cans)
• Keep fuel storage at least 3 metres from the generator and any ignition source
• Store fuel in a well-ventilated area — not in your basement, not in your attached garage, not near your furnace or water heater
• Gasoline goes stale after 30–60 days. Add fuel stabilizer (like Sta-Bil) if storing gas for outage preparedness — common in NB where hurricane season and ice storm season don't overlap but both require preparation
• Don't hoard excessive fuel — 20–40 litres is sufficient for most portable generators to run essential loads for 24–48 hours

Sizing: Don't Overload Your Generator

Overloading a portable generator damages it, can damage your appliances, and creates fire risk:

• Know your generator's rated (continuous) watts vs. maximum (surge) watts — rated watts is what it can sustain, surge watts is only for brief motor-starting loads
• Add up the running wattage of everything you plan to plug in
• Stay at or below 80% of rated capacity for sustained operation
• Start the largest load first (refrigerator, well pump) before adding smaller loads
• Never exceed the rated capacity — the generator won't "just slow down," it produces dirty power that damages electronics and motor windings

Common portable generator sizes and what they realistically power:

| Generator Size | What It Powers |
|---------------|----------------|
| 2,000W (inverter) | Phone/laptop charging, LED lights, small appliances |
| 3,500W | Refrigerator + freezer + lights + small appliances |
| 5,000W | Above + well pump OR sump pump (not both simultaneously) |
| 7,500W | Above + well pump + sump pump + window AC or space heater |
| 10,000W+ | Most essential home loads (not including electric baseboard heat or range) |

New Brunswick-Specific Considerations

Winter operation: NB's cold temperatures affect generator performance:

• Use winter-grade oil (5W-30 or synthetic) in temperatures below -10°C


• Cold gasoline vaporizes poorly — generators can be hard to start; keep in a sheltered area (not enclosed) before starting


• Clear snow away from the generator and especially from the exhaust


• Don't let snow accumulate and melt into the generator's air intake or electrical outlets

Well pump cycling: Many rural NB homes rely on well pumps. A well pump's starting surge is 2–3 times its running watts — a 1/2 HP pump runs at 750W but surges to 1,500–2,000W on startup. Plan generator capacity accordingly and avoid starting the pump while other heavy loads are running.

Freezer priority: During extended outages (24+ hours, common in rural NB after ice storms), keeping your freezer running is a priority — a full freezer stays frozen for about 48 hours without power, but a half-full one only 24 hours. Running the generator for 2–3 hours twice daily is enough to keep a freezer cold if you can't run the generator continuously.

NB Power restoration priority: NB Power restores power to the greatest number of customers first, which means rural feeders serving few homes are last. If you live on a rural road in areas like Chipman, Doaktown, Plaster Rock, or the Kingston Peninsula, plan for 3–7 day outages during major storms and size your fuel supply accordingly.

Before Storm Season Checklist

Start and run your generator for 15–30 minutes monthly — engines that sit unused don't start when you need them

Change oil annually (or every 100 hours of operation)

Check/replace spark plug annually

Verify CO detectors work on battery backup

Stock 20–40 litres of stabilized gasoline

Test extension cords — check for damage, verify gauge

Know your generator's rated wattage and your essential loads

If you have a transfer switch, test the changeover

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