Many homeowners, especially those that have gone through extended power outages before, consider a portable generator to be a “must-have” piece of equipment – just like a lawnmower, weed whacker, or set of power tools.
At the same time, not all homeowners have a lot of experience with the generators that they end up purchasing.
Many of them haven’t even turn on their generator for the first time until the power goes out, leaving them scrambling a little bit to get it up and running. Many have no idea if they can actually run a generator overnight, either.
Can you run a generator overnight? That’s something we are going to tackle in this quick guide.
Let’s jump right in!
- Can You Run a Generator Overnight Safely?
- How Long Can Generators Run for Continuously?
- What You Need to Do to Safely Run Generators for Extended Amounts of Time
- Regular Maintenance and Upkeep
- Buy Generators with Safety Switches Built In
- NEVER run a portable generator in an enclosed area
- NEVER Refuel a Generator While It’s Running
Can You Run a Generator Overnight Safely?
As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to run your generator overnight with very little concern whatsoever.
Today’s modern generators (especially portable generators) are designed with built-in safety features that make this kind of overnight operation a lot less dangerous than it would have been in the past.
Manufacturers understand that power needs aren’t always going to be limited to when the sun is up and conditions are ideal, also. They know that a lot of their end-users are going to have to rely on this equipment overnight to keep core appliances running, to keep HVAC systems going, and to deliver the power people need even while they sleep.
At the end of the day, the answer to “can you run a generator overnight safely” is almost always yes – though you can’t be complacent about it, either.
How Long Can Generators Run for Continuously?
Today’s generators are often designed to run for anywhere between 8 and 12 hours of continuous use on a single tank of fuel.
Obviously, some smaller portable generators aren’t going to run quite as long as this. There fuel tanks are going to run dry inside of anywhere between four and six hours (and maybe even sooner than that).
And then of course you have some larger generators that aren’t so portable (usually called “standby generators”) with tanks that can provide up to 18 hours or more of consistent power before a refueling is needed.
This is something that you’ll want to research before you purchase a specific generator for your own needs.
If you anticipate running a generator overnight on a regular basis (or even just want to have the capacity to do that in an emergency), you need to find a generator that gives you at least eight hours of power – and ideally 12 – all on a single tank of fuel.
What You Need to Do to Safely Run Generators for Extended Amounts of Time
As highlighted a moment ago, today’s generators are definitely designed to run longer than ever before – but there also designed to run safer than ever before, too.
At the same time, though, you don’t necessarily want to find yourself relying entirely on the safety features built into these pieces of hardware at the factory.
There are a couple of things you’ll want to do to make sure that generators are safe when running overnight, especially if you are going to be sleeping while these generators are plugging away.
Regular Maintenance and Upkeep
Secondly, you need to be sure that you have been maintaining your generator and it is in perfect working order.
A lot of people get complacent with regular maintenance and upkeep, especially with generators that usually don’t get a tremendous amount of use. Your average homeowner may only use a generator a handful of times (if that) each year – and often for very short amounts of time.
If your generator isn’t well maintained, though, it’s impossible to know what kinds of problems it could have “under the hood” that will manifest an hour or two after you fall asleep the first time you try to run it overnight.
Avoid these problems by frequently running your generator for 30 to 40 minutes every month as a “test drive”, stay on top of fluid in fuel changes, and keep the generator itself in tiptop condition.
Buy Generators with Safety Switches Built In
All modern generators are going to include a whole host of safety features, but none of them are as important as “kill switches” or “safety switches” that automatically trigger if a generator starts to misbehave.
Sure, it’s not a whole lot of fun to wake up shivering in the middle of the night only to realize that your generator turn itself off for safety reasons during a power outage in the winter.
But the alternative – that generator running and creating unsafe conditions while you sleep – is a lot less appealing!
Don’t rely 100% on the safety features that the manufacturer has included with a new generator if you’re going to be running hardware overnight. But definitely look for options that make this a point of emphasis, options that take your safety (the safety of your loved ones) just as seriously as providing portable power production.
NEVER run a portable generator in an enclosed area
Portable generators are not for enclosed areas. They produce too much exhaust gas containing carbon monoxide to seep into your home even if you open up the garage door, so avoid running one inside an apartment complex or house!
NEVER Refuel a Generator While It’s Running
Finally, it’s important that you never try to refuel a generator while it’s running!
Can you run a generator overnight and have it almost completely out of fuel when you wake up in the morning Absolutely!
Should you pop the top on the fuel tank and start pouring fuel into a generator that is actively running, though, to guarantee that it’s power production never slows down? Absolutely not!
That’s a fast track to a really unsafe (and potentially explosive) situation. Always power down the generator, give it a minute or two to cool down, and then start adding your fuel – slowly, carefully, and deliberately.
Only then are you going to be able to fire things back up, get your electricity going, and (potentially) run your generator for another six, eight, or twelve hours at a clip.
