Manufacturer’s have a duty to make their product safe and they know that these warnings labels don’t do enough. These are deadly machines and need to be changed.

How long the extension cord outside a residence needs to be is never something that experts seem to agree on but generally 20 feet is the recommended minimum. But what this theory of exculpation of the generator manufacturers fails to take into account is that in a high majority of cases when people are using a portable electric generator, there is a concern that the generator will be stolen. Picture the situation after the recent hurricanes. Leave your generator outside and it will get stolen. The manufacturers and their trade association have known about this theft risk for as long as the CPSC has been considering these mandates for cleaner CO exhaust, yet they haven’t added something as easy to design as a locking key to run the generator.

You should never operate a generator inside and it should always be at least 15 feet away from open windows or doors. That said, I really can’t argue with the idea of getting manufacturers to make them cleaner with lower carbon monoxide emissions.

Requiring generator manufacturers to clean up carbon monoxide emissions is not grossly regulating anymore than it was to do so on cars. Marine generators meet these standards and one manufacturer is already making such generators. TTI.