North Star M165930R Owner's Manual page 24

Operation (cont'd)
WARNING : Diesel fuel fire hazard
Standard diesel fuel is a combustible liquid. High heat, sparks, and
flames can ignite diesel fuel vapors. A fire could result and cause serious
injury or death. Use extreme care when handling diesel fuel, especially
ethanol-diesel (e-diesel) blends, which are more flammable than standard
diesel and nearly as flammable as gasoline. Carefully follow all the
instructions in this section to avoid the following conditions which could
result in fuel vapor ignition:
•
gas vapor collection inside enclosures
•
static electric sparks
•
sparks from electric wiring, batteries, or running engines
•
sources of high heat (such as a hot engine or exhaust)
•
open flames, including pilot lights
1) Before starting, review the following general safety precautions for fueling:
a) Never pump fuel directly into the generator's tank at a gas station – high
velocity flow from the pump could result in a static electric build-up in the
generator's tank. Always use a portable container to fill the tank. See
warning box about static electric spark hazards below.
b) Fill fuel tank OUTDOORS – never indoors.
c) Stay away from all sources of heat, sparks, and flames. Do not smoke.
2) Turn generator engine off and allow to cool for at least two minutes before
removing gas cap.
Note: A running or still-hot engine is hot enough to ignite fuel.
3) Remove generator fuel cap.
4) Add fuel through the fill opening:
- Use only a UL-approved portable fuel container to transfer the diesel fuel to
the generator's tank. Follow the safety warning and instructions below for
avoiding static electric sparking.
- Do NOT overfill the fuel tank. Allow at least 1/2" of empty space below the
fill neck to allow for fuel expansion.
WARNING: Static electric spark hazard
A static electric spark can ignite fuel vapor, resulting in a flash fire that
could cause serious injury or death.
To avoid static electric sparking while filling the fuel tank, the following
steps must be followed to minimize and safely dissipate static electric
charge build-up before and during the fueling process :
•
Always dissipate static charge from your body before beginning the
fueling process by touching a grounded metal object at a safe distance
from fuel sources.
•
Never fill the generator's fuel tank directly from the pump – the
generator's tank is not grounded and high velocity flow from the pump
can cause static electricity build-up. Use an approved portable
container to transfer gas to the generator's tank.
•
Never fill the portable gas container while it is sitting inside a vehicle,
trailer, trunk, or pick-up truck bed. ALWAYS place container on the
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