Powering down a portable generator under load

Environment

This article applies to Generac portable generators. For information about powering down a home standby generator under load, see the How Do I Shut Down My Generator When It’s Powering My House (During an Outage)? article.

Removing power

Remove all loads before turning the generator off. First, turn off all appliances, lights, and items being powered by the generator. Then, unplug the items from the generator's receptacles and allow the generator to cool. Once you've done this, it is safe to turn the generator off. NEVER turn the generator off while loads are applied. Refer to the Generator Loads section of the owner's manual for complete instructions on adding and removing electrical devices.

To find a portable generator's owner manual, see the I Can’t Find My Original Owner’s Manual for My Portable Generator, How Can I Get Another Copy? article for more information.

My generator has breakers, can't I just flip or push those instead of unplugging my appliances?

Breaker types vary across generator models, which often have a combination of switch and push button-style breakers. While switch-style breakers can be used to disconnect appliances, the push button breakers only disengage when they pop. This means breakers alone cannot be used to remove 100% of loads. 

Additionally, if the breaker is faulty for any reason, the owner risks damage to the generator and their appliances. Manually powering off and removing the appliances is always the safest recommended method.