Running a generator in Vero Beach? Where it can sit, why the garage is off limits, and the standby permit

Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30, and plenty of Vero Beach garages hold a portable generator that has not been started since last year. Other neighbors are pricing a standby unit that kicks on by itself.

Either way, a generator is a small engine that makes carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see or smell. Used the right way, it is a lifesaver. Used the wrong way, it is one of the most common ways people get hurt after a storm. Here is what the safety agencies say, and what the local building office asks for when a generator is installed for good.

Why the garage is never the answer

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 85 people die in the U.S. each year from carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. That figure is based on 2017 to 2019 averages.

The commission's advice is blunt. Never run a generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or shed. Opening a door or a window does not let enough air in. Do not run it on a porch or in a carport either.

Instead, run it outside, at least 20 feet from the house. Point the exhaust away from your home and your neighbor's, and keep the windows and openings near it closed. If you are shopping for a new portable generator, the commission suggests one with a carbon monoxide shut-off, which turns the engine off when the gas builds up.

The alarm that matters most

Carbon monoxide gives no warning on its own, so an alarm has to do it for you. The commission recommends battery-operated or battery-backup carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Alarms that are linked together are best, so one going off sets off the rest.

Test them once a month. If one sounds, do not go looking for the cause. Get everyone outside right away and call 911.

Do not plug it into the wall

It can be tempting to run a cord from the generator to a wall outlet to power the whole house. Safety groups say do not. Safe Electricity, a program of the Energy Education Council, warns that plugging a generator into a wall can send power backward onto the utility lines. That is called backfeed, and it can hurt line crews and anyone near a downed line.

For a portable unit, plug appliances straight into the generator with heavy-duty extension cords. A generator that is wired into the house needs a transfer switch, which keeps its power from flowing out to the street. Safe Electricity says a qualified electrician should install the generator and the switch.

Two more habits: turn the generator off and let it cool before you add fuel, and keep it on a dry spot where water cannot pool, with dry hands when you touch it.

Standby generators: what the Vero Beach permit asks for

The City of Vero Beach shares its Building Department with Indian River County. Generator permits go through the Indian River County/City of Vero Beach Building Division at 1801 27th Street, phone 772-226-1260. If your property needs city approvals such as zoning or historic preservation, the city says those come before the building permit is issued.

The division's generator checklist asks for:

• A completed generator permit application, and an owner/builder disclosure statement when it applies.
• Proof of the job's value, such as a signed contract or estimate.
• Four copies each of a survey, the generator maker's specifications, and an electrical riser diagram with load calculations.
• A legible survey or site plan, in ink, showing where the generator will sit and how far it is from property lines and buildings.
• Sign-off from the county Planning Division and Public Works Department, plus Environmental Health approval if the home is on septic.
• A recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection if the job is worth more than $2,500.

The checklist also sets a few placement rules. The generator must sit at least 5 feet from windows, doors and air intakes, and the install must follow NFPA 37 and the current National Electrical Code. In any flood zone other than X, the generator must be raised at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, and an elevation certificate is due before the final inspection. Electrical, plumbing and tank work each need their own permit.

Note the two different distances. The 5-foot rule is the county's minimum for a permanent standby unit installed under a permit. The 20-foot advice is the safety commission's guidance for portable generators. They are not the same machine, so they do not get the same rule.

What to do this week

1. Find your portable generator, start it outdoors, and let it run for a few minutes so you know it works before you need it.
2. Pick its storm spot now: outside, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust pointed away, on dry ground. Not the garage, carport or porch.
3. Check that you have heavy-duty extension cords long enough to reach from that spot.
4. Put battery or battery-backup carbon monoxide alarms on every level and outside the bedrooms. Test them.
5. If you are thinking about a standby generator, look up your flood zone first, since it can change how high the unit must sit.
6. For a standby install, call the Building Division at 772-226-1260 or check the county's permit forms page, and make sure a transfer switch is part of the plan.