Generator breaker vs. regular breaker-is there a difference?

[IHDiesel73L]

We recently got rid of our electric stove in favor of a gas stove, so now I have a 50 amp breaker in my box and about 30' of 8-3 cable that now feeds nothing. The breaker is at the top left of the box. Everything is relatively new-when we moved into our home in 2008 the house had a maxed out 100A service, so as a condition of the sale we had the previous owner upgrade to a 200A service, so the breaker, box, etc...was all replaced. The box is a SquareD and it appears that there is an interlock panel that will work with the box so that I can lock out the main breaker when the 50 amp breaker is closed, and vice versa.

The question is, is there any reason that the five year old 50 amp former stove breaker cannot be used to feed generator power into the panel? I'm pretty sure that in this case a breaker is a breaker, but I just want to be sure before I go ahead and assume. The plan is to run the 8-3 cable out the side of the house to a 30 amp weatherproof male receptacle, install the lockout panel, and be able to power the essential circuits in the house with a 4200W generator. Obviously the cable and breaker can handle much more than 30 amps, but even if I upgrade my generator I won't need more than the 30 amp capacity of the receptacle. Does this sound workable?

 

[Travelover]

Sounds good to me. Maybe someone more familiar with the electrical code can comment.

 

[Coyote machine]

Consult a qualified electrician. It's your house and potentially lives of family and linemen at stake. Your electric co. may be able to advise, but it is more likely they will refer you as I am. It shouldn't be complicated but you MUST meet code or risk loosing everything if something goes wrong; you will be liable and insurance will deny you fast as they can say- your fault.

 

[IHDiesel73L]

Consult a qualified electrician. It's your house and potentially lives of family and linemen at stake. Your electric co. may be able to advise, but it is more likely they will refer you as I am.

Just to reiterate I am not talking about backfeeding a regular panel. The panel will be fitted with an interlock device that locks out the generator breaker when the main breaker is closed and locks out the main breaker when the generator breaker is closed.

It shouldn't be complicated but you MUST meet code or risk loosing everything if something goes wrong; you will be liable and insurance will deny you fast as they can say- your fault.

Sure, I can definitely appreciate that, but my main question is whether or not the current breaker is acceptable to use. Everything else is pretty standard.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I am in the process of doing the same thing and the guy in the electrical supply store told me a 50 amp breaker is a 50 amp breaker. I would ask the building inspector as he is the one who has to approve it anyway.

 

[Travelover]

....... It shouldn't be complicated but you MUST meet code or risk loosing everything if something goes wrong; you will be liable and insurance will deny you fast as they can say- your fault.

It's true. If you even replace a light bulb without a permit and a licensed electrician, they will cancel your insurance.

 

[Gary Fowler]

As a homeowner you can do lots of work yourself including plumbing and electrical. It just has to be inspected by a qualified person and signed off on my the inspection agency of record. In my case it was the electrical company prior to energizing but since you obviously live in a permit zone, you may have to apply for a permit to do the work, then you can run the line, install the box and breaker but then the city or county inspector will have to sign off on the work. If you get a knowledgeable person then it may go ok if your work meets strict code requirements. My son (who is a certified electrician) once put in the main power supply lines to his house and used the correct size wire AND put it in conduit. The power company guy that came to look at it wouldn't pass it because "it has to be direct buried cable" and no amount of arguing that conduit installation is better than direct burial would convince him. Even showing him in NEC wouldn't convince him. We had to request a different guy to come inspect and of course he passed it with flying colors. Never did find out if they fired the other guy. Typically this can be the kind of person that inspects and can cause you some grief if they only know "this is the way we do it" type of action.

 

[Gary Fowler]

It's true. If you even replace a light bulb without a permit and a licensed electrician, they will cancel your insurance.

This is totally untrue. Insurance companies can cancel you at any time without giving a reason, but not for doing routine maintenance on your home. They cant cancel your insurance for cause if you do the work yourself and have it inspected if you own the property. Replacing a faulty circuit breaker, receptacle or switch can be done by almost anyone with a screwdriver in his toolbox and not need an inspection as long as you replace said device with like kind. Running additional wiring or adding additional circuits would likely need permits IF the county or city was aware of the work. Where I live there is no permits required for construction other than sewer so I don't have to concern myself with that at least. If you aren't familiar with the work, there is lots of stuff that you can do on your own to decrease the cost of an installation. You can pull all the wiring in a new house and just get an electrician to do the hook ups even if all the work is permitted. Most honest businesses will allow you to do any portion of work that you feel qualified to do and then just do the inspection, tie-ins and testing as required as long as you do it correctly. Many times they will come out, make a detailed wire pulling plan for size, number of runs, location of switches and receptacles etc and then come back to do the installation completion when you have done the grunt work (if you have the time and inclination) as most of this work is done by a helper anyway and not by the certified electrician. Same with plumbing, helpers dig the ditch, lay the pipe and glue it in many cases while the plumber just watches. All the solid copper lines were installed (below ground) in my house by the building contractor and stubbed up but had to have a licensed plumber to do the sewer piping connection, sewers and install the water valves and test the systems.

So far the government hasn't mandated that a person has to hire all his work done (unless they are like me and either don't have the time nor the will to climb around in the rafters, or handle a shovel), just that it has to meet code and be inspected prior to service being energized. Even a airplane owner can do his own work as long as it is inspected by a certified A&P mechanic and signed off in the log books.
The day we are being forced to get someone else to do all the work for us may be just around the corner, but thankfully it isn't here yet.

 

[hr3]

The breaker is fine to use,, Get the Sq. D interlock and a generator plug for the end of your wire and your golden,,

 

[whitewallgus]

Yes that breaker is OK to use. Some breakers are rated HVAC and HID for A/C and lighting loads that draw more current on startup. Call your local electrical inspector office and ask if you can apply for a self-wiring permit. Just make sure you have the proper trasfer panel, and they will inspect your work when you are finished and then you should be good to go.

I am a journeyman electrician and they have self-wiring permits available here.

 

[Coyote machine]

Just to reiterate I am not talking about backfeeding a regular panel. The panel will be fitted with an interlock device that locks out the generator breaker when the main breaker is closed and locks out the main breaker when the generator breaker is closed.


Sure, I can definitely appreciate that, but my main question is whether or not the current breaker is acceptable to use*. Everything else is pretty standard.

*Possibly, in conjunction with a transfer switch, which is why I referred you to a qualified electrician. See below too.

I read your post carefully. I understand about the lockout function and everything you stated. I maintain the answer to your question is to consult a qualified electrician in your area who is familiar with local code requirements and follow his advice.
Otherwise you'll be relying on people who tell you things like: 'you can't change a light bulb without insurance being cancelled' - ridiculous internet drivel...
You don't say in your avatar where you're located, so it's even more difficult to advise, except generically.

 

[Travelover]

........
Otherwise you'll be relying on people who tell you things like: 'you can't change a light bulb without insurance being cancelled' - ridiculous internet drivel.............

Don't get grumpy, I was just agreeing with your stern warning in your earlier post.

 

[Morning Wood]

The 50 amp breaker will work. But I would not use it with a generator that has 30 amp output. Buy the correct double pole breaker that matches the generator. Over sizing the wire is fine. You can plan on a larger generator in the future and save the 50 amp breaker. I'm doing the same thing. Pulling wire for 60 amp generator, but installing a 30 amp breaker to match my smaller generator

 

[Travelover]

The 50 amp breaker will work. But I would not use it with a generator that has 30 amp output. Buy the correct double pole breaker that matches the generator. Over sizing the wire is fine. You can plan on a larger generator in the future and save the 50 amp breaker. I'm doing the same thing. Pulling wire for 60 amp generator, but installing a 30 amp breaker to match my smaller generator

Wouldn't the service box breaker be sized to protect the wire but the generator's own breakers be sized to protect the generator?

 

[joshuabardwell]

Wouldn't the service box breaker be sized to protect the wire but the generator's own breakers be sized to protect the generator?

I'm not an electrician, but I agree here. As long as the wire on the circuit is sized appropriate for the breaker, there's no problem with sizing the breaker larger than the genny can output. Panel breaker protects the wire in the wall; genny breaker protects the genny.

EDIT: It has been pointed out to me that you want to use a 30A receptacle. That's a deal-breaker. All wiring, receptacles, etc... that are protected by the breaker must be sized to handle the breaker's rated load.

 

[hr3]

I'm not an electrician, but I agree here. As long as the wire on the circuit is sized appropriate for the breaker, there's no problem with sizing the breaker larger than the genny can output. Panel breaker protects the wire in the wall; genny breaker protects the genny.

EDIT: It has been pointed out to me that you want to use a 30A receptacle. That's a deal-breaker. All wiring, receptacles, etc... that are protected by the breaker must be sized to handle the breaker's rated load.

In your edit sorry but your wrong the breaker on the generator is feeding the 30a plug he is talking about.. Sooo what he is doing is fine.. legal and up to code,,

 

[joshuabardwell]

In your edit sorry but your wrong the breaker on the generator is feeding the 30a plug he is talking about.. Sooo what he is doing is fine.. legal and up to code,,

You're telling me that you can put a 30 amp receptacle on a 50 amp breaker? What stops a malfunctioning 30 amp appliance from overloading the circuit and burning up the receptacle?

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[PILOON]

A breaker is sized to protect the wire. It is the weak link. Its job is to trip before the wire heats up and starts a fire. Rarely, unless exposed to water will a breaker not do its job. Very few breakers are fast enough to protect the appliance connected to the circuit.
But do make sure that any outlet and or plug is rated at or above the breaker rating as well.

Recently my welder switch shorted and I was sure glad that I had all the correct rated components all the way back to the main panel. My shop sure stunk when the plastics in the switch cooked.

 

[Lightnsound]

Otherwise you'll be relying on people who tell you things like: 'you can't change a light bulb without insurance being cancelled' - ridiculous internet drivel...

I think you might want to work on your ability to recognize sarcasm. Just saying.

BTW, a breaker is a breaker, and interlock kits are great.

 

[hr3]

You're telling me that you can put a 30 amp receptacle on a 50 amp breaker? What stops a malfunctioning 30 amp appliance from overloading the circuit and burning up the receptacle?

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The 30 amp recepitical is protected by the 30 amp breaker on the generator not by the 50a breaker..
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSCF1719XR9kLw997WuEiVBtfHLPbUCpo64AhuH_aPNVBbraR9B

The only time the outlet gets power is when the generator is running,,