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Tools

Power out

  1. Tap where the generator runs. Watch the exhaust.
  2. Play the clip: what carbon monoxide does.
  3. Check your alarms and your food clock.

Where the generator goes

Generator
A house cut open from the side. A generator runs in the attached garage with the garage door open. Its exhaust fills the garage and spreads into the house. Garage Home CO in the house House clear Garage door open 20 ft ✓ CO is drawn amber. Real CO has no color, no smell.

Never in the garage, even with the door open. One portable generator makes as much CO as hundreds of cars. Deadly levels build up quickly and linger for hours, even after it shuts off. CDC CPSC

Why the garage isn’t safe, even with the door open

CDC CPSC EPA ATSDR

In the blood, CO holds on over 200 times more tightly than oxygen, so less oxygen reaches your body. ATSDR

Feel sick, dizzy or weak while a generator runs? Get to fresh air right away. CPSC

Your CO alarms

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How long food stays safe

Power out for

When in doubt, throw it out. Throw out food if it’s 40 °F or warmer. Ready.gov

Running a generator
  • Never plug it into a wall outlet to power the house. That can shock utility workers and neighbors. CPSC
  • Turn it off and let it cool before you add fuel. Store fuel outside living areas. CPSC

Sources

  1. CDC: Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Basics, updated Oct 26, 2026 · checked Oct 28, 2026
  2. CDC’s ATSDR: Toxicological Profile for Carbon Monoxide, ch. 2, 2012 · checked Oct 28, 2026
  3. EPA: Carbon Monoxide’s Impact on Indoor Air Quality, updated Jul 15, 2026 · checked Oct 28, 2026
  4. CPSC: Carbon Monoxide Information Center · checked Oct 28, 2026
  5. CPSC: Carbon Monoxide safety guide (one generator, as much CO as hundreds of cars) · checked Oct 28, 2026
  6. CPSC: Portable Generator Hazards safety alert, rev. Sept 2017 · checked Oct 28, 2026
  7. CDC: Discarding Food After a Power Outage (fridge 4 h; freezer 48 h full, 24 h half full) · checked Oct 28, 2026
  8. Ready.gov: Power Outages (40 °F), updated Jun 4, 2026 · checked Oct 28, 2026