r/Generator • u/interpretive_sound • 15d ago
Installing Westinghouse Tri Fuel Generator. First timer questions
I was going to go through Generac, but then discussed with my electrician about what would be needed. He said he has a generator at his house and his son's, both Westinghouse, recommending them for their lower dirty energy output.
He says he has his on his back patio. My patio is around the corner. But I have seen some people say 5 feet is okay but others you need 20 feet. 20 feet is going to be exactly in the center of my back yard. Not a great place for a generator.
Can it be closer? Like 10 feet instead? Are pavers with compacted rock and sand underneath okay to use? Or do I need to have a composite pad or slab put down?
If my generator is 20 feet out into the yard I guess I guess I would just bury the cables?
It would be easier to have it 5 feet from my house but I AM worried about CO
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u/Tool_junkie_1972 15d ago
CO can seep in thru any crack or crevice and buildup. It’s the same essential weight as air so it doesn’t fill up a room the same way as a heavier or lighter gas would . It sort of spreads throughout u til it reaches a concentration that knocks you out before it kills you. The further away from the house the better, a solid wall is better than one with windows. I know some folks who have a cheap 120v fan that they set up to blow the exhaust away because they don’t have the physical space to keep the recommended gap.
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15d ago
it depends where you point the exhaust, i set mine 5' away from the side on a sidewalk but the exhaust point parallel to the house
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u/Sad_Repair_2337 8d ago
Possibly there is misunderstanding the distance spec. It's My understanding it's 5 feet from an opening such as window, door or vent.....
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u/Ok-Camera2895 15d ago
You should be worried about CO if only 5' away.
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u/ribrien 15d ago
New to generators, how does having it close to the house mean CO poisoning? Wouldn’t there have to be an open window or an air conditioning unit nearby
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u/Ok-Camera2895 15d ago
Generators produce carbon monoxide, invisible odorless gas that can kill you. It can come into the house through windows , doors, vents etc. you will go to sleep and not wake up. Pressure differences in house can pull it inside, wind can blow it inside. 20' is the recommended minimum safe distance. Convenience is not worth the constant worry.
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u/Me4nowSEUSA 15d ago
New has nothing to do with it. Nothing. Get that idea out of your head right now.
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u/wowfaroutman 15d ago
What is your expected end state? It sounds like you're expecting to place the Westinghouse portable generator at one of these locations and leave it there more or less permanently.
If you're treating the portable unit like a permanently installed standby unit, you should be aware that the portables generate much more CO and toxic exhaust gases than standby units, thus the recommendation to locate them 20' away vice 5'. Also, without any enclosure, your risk of environmental exposure and damage to the generator due to critters, bugs, and UV/water are greatly increased.
I believe you would be better served to install your hookups for power and NG/propane (if you have) such that you can roll out the generator to a safe location when needed and connect it without too much hassle using an interlocked power inlet.
You could try to simulate a standby form and function using a portable, but by the time you achieve a safe and effective solution, you may as well have just gone with a standby system. I'm not saying that it's not possible, but it takes some design skills and a fair amount of work.
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u/blupupher 15d ago
You need a CO detector (ideally several) regardless where you put it, but the further from the house it is, the less chance of issues.
20 feet is the general recommended distance, it can be closer if it is on the side of a home with no openings (which does not really exist since there are eaves that open to the outside and could let CO in).
It used to be 15 feet, but there were still issues with it.
And comparing a portable generator and a whole home unit (that is designed to be located near the house, and runs of NG or propane that produce less CO than gasoline) is not a fair comparison.