How Far Away Can I Install My Generator from My Home? 

How Far Away Can I Install My Generator from My Home? 

Investing in a standby generator is a great decision. A standby generator can provide automatic and consistent power to your home in the event of a blackout. If you’re ready to purchase a generator and start planning your installations, you probably have a lot of questions, including 1) Where’s the best location for a generator? and 2) How far away from my home can I install my generator?

At Generator Technologies Inc., our job is to help you find the best generator for your needs and to identify the best location for placement. Call us today to learn more.

Clearances to Keep in Mind

The first thing to know about generator installation is that there are some mandatory clearances to keep in mind. These clearance requirements are in place as a safety precaution. You want to make sure that your generator is placed at least:

• 18 inches from your house
• 60 inches from windows, doors, and other areas considered to be fresh air intakes
• 36 inches from any other objects in front of the generator (for servicing room)

Other Things to Think About When Choosing Location

The above mandatory clearance may sound great to you—in fact, you may be wanting to place your generator much farther away from your house than that! Here’s what you should know—

In addition to the mandatory clearances, perhaps the most determining factor when choosing the location of a generator is the location of the power source. For example, if you are connecting your generator to a home natural gas line, installing your generator as near to your gas meter as possible will be advantageous so you don’t have to pay for additional piping and labor costs to fuel your generator. 

Outside of the fuel source, other things to think about are proximity to a neighbor’s home and proximity to windows, doors, and fresh air intakes. Exhaust—which is what will be produced when the generator is running—contains carbon monoxide, which is poisonous and deadly. You do not want exhaust coming into your home! Additionally, while we do have quieter models of generators available, having a generator too close to windows can cause noise pollution.

Call for Generator Installation Today

To learn more about generator installation in Illinois and Indiana and how our team can help you to select the perfect location for your generator and manage the installation from start to finish, call us directly or send us a message online.