Home Generators

[whistlepig]

When you read some of the threads you would think preparing your house for a home generator is like building a nuclear power plant and costs as much. It's not all that difficult or expensive. For sure have a qualified electrician check every step of the way. There are $1,400 power management systems that are available. These are very nice. One get by with a lot less money spent.

 

[woodchuckie]

Yea it didn't cost much for my setup and I understand there may be some danger involved if someone other than me did it at my home. I've been doing it for 30 years. Most of the time with just a 1200 watt Generac. I've had the newest one for three years. It's a 5500 watt.

When my power goes out and I decide, after determining the problem, that I want to use the generator I go to the outside breaker box and cut off the main house circuit breaker. This is the 120 volt. I leave the water heater breaker on and the A/C/Heater on and the oven. This way I know when the power comes back on because the air will come back on or the light on the oven will catch my attention.

I then take the gererator outside, crank it up and plug it to a heavy duty cord with male plugs on both ends. The other end goes into a plug in my shop. This gets power to the entire house. This is one thing I don't understand. Sometimes only half the house has power and I have to bridge it with another cord with the male plugs. I have to cut my water pump to my booster pump off as it will cause the breaker on the generator to trip. We still have water just a little low on the pressure. We usually forget the power is even off till it runs out of gas or the A/C comes on.

I let it run the fridge and freezer, TV and sat. receiver and whatever lights we need on, the ceiling fan and if we need it the attic fan. We don't try the microwave oven.

 

[BobRip]

This is one thing I don't understand. Sometimes only half the house has power and I have to bridge it with another cord with the male plugs. .

You are only feeding one side of the 220 volts, so 1/2 your breakers have no power. Sometimes something that runs off 220 is feeding the other side, but at reduced voltage. Always feed both sides or you risk damaging equipment.

I guess you are aware of the safety issues doing it this way, so I won't explain them.

 

[whistlepig]

Here we go again. People trying to back feed a house from a generator. If you are lucky your house won't burn down and you won't electrocute a linesman. Don't back feed your house. It's illegal in most states and should be. You can hook a portable generator up in such a way that it is isolated from your house wiring and to keep your house the linesmen safe. Not that expensive and not that difficult. You have to have people that are wise to help you.

 

[BungeeII]

When you read some of the threads you would think preparing your house for a home generator is like building a nuclear power plant and costs as much.

It is funny.

You also have the guys that start screaming about backfeeding an entire grid. I guess in Michigan our generators are the only ones with 30 amp breakers. Every time I try to use too much in my own house it trips. I can only imagine how well it'd supply voltage to a whole neighborhood.

 

[valley]

Greetings, I've done a couple. Useing a Transfer Switch can make it safe for the house and for anyone working on the line. when the power goes out you start your generator, throw the switches on the transfer box and there you are. Each switch you throw
seperates one leg from panel. I installed a small Transfer Switch at our place 8 switches. Two banks each with a hot leg. So two are used for the well {220v] and the remaining 6 are one each for the kitchen, heater and garage, front room, barn, ect. Not every thing is powered. With a large enough generator you can power every thing you have. I installed a larger box at my sisters [more stations] that required a larger generator. You match your transfer Switch to your generator. None of you guys are backfeeding are you? If you don
t throw you main you are. A T switch does it for you. Richard

 

[atgreene]

It is funny.

You also have the guys that start screaming about backfeeding an entire grid. I guess in Michigan our generators are the only ones with 30 amp breakers. Every time I try to use too much in my own house it trips. I can only imagine how well it'd supply voltage to a whole neighborhood.

It can be done, I've seen it. If you backfeed a transformer than until the gen dies (and it will, seen that also) you are feeding 7200 out the otherside of the transformer. Only takes a split second to kill a lineman.

I just ordered this one with a 200 amp auto tranfer switch : Yanmar Powered 6,875 Watt Diesel Generator

No more pto back feeding for me. Tired of hooking it up in the rain etc.....

 

[atgreene]

FWIW, if you want to feed your house with a portable generator, this seems like the easiest way to go. Replaces the meter yet allows you to feed the whole house with no chance of backfeeding. I thought about it, but wanted auto start etc...

Generlink Automatic Transfer Switch — 50 Amp, Model# MA24-N | Transfer Switches | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[valley]

You have to break the seal on the meter. Thats good while your building before you tie in. Methinks the transfer switch is the best. We set a dieses unit at the old Harras mansion Tahoe, owned now by a private party. It senses a power out throws its own Transfer Switch starts the engine and powers on. When it senses power in, it turns of the diesel and throws the transfer switch and she is back on line.

 

[valley]

Woodchuckie, You are powering only one leg of your house, when you plug in the second cord you are sending power to the other leg. Your newer generator is 220v I'm sure. Once exceede what your generator can cover you blow a breaker on the generator. Hope this helps.