Back-up Generator

[MegaFan]

Just remember that when the power company comes to restore your service, if they see lights on, they are reluctant to do so until they can confirm you are separated from their system, regardless of manual or auto disconnect. If you are not home, you (and your neighbors) may be left in the dark until they can confirm you are not tied in.

 

[41mag]

Just remember that when the power company comes to restore your service, if they see lights on, they are reluctant to do so until they can confirm you are separated from their system, regardless of manual or auto disconnect. If you are not home, you (and your neighbors) may be left in the dark until they can confirm you are not tied in.

They will just remove your meter, do their repairs and then reinstall the meter. Once the repairs are complete, it dosent matter if you are back feeding or not.....it is ac power- alternating current.

Power company workers just dont want to have a gen set back feeding into the area of their work to prevent them from getting zapped. They dont care if you waste power. It wont damage anything.

Anytime i run my gen, i just flip the "main" in the breaker box. This isolates the house from the street.

 

[MegaFan]

They will just remove your meter, do their repairs and then reinstall the meter. Once the repairs are complete, it dosent matter if you are back feeding or not.....it is ac power- alternating current.

Power company workers just dont want to have a gen set back feeding into the area of their work to prevent them from getting zapped. They dont care if you waste power. It wont damage anything.

Anytime i run my gen, i just flip the "main" in the breaker box. This isolates the house from the street.

That's almost humorous... from personal experience, I have been asked to shut mine down, even when both 200 amp disconnects servicing my 400 amp panel were open on the side of the house. I love the "it is ac power - alternating current"... makes me wonder why I wasted 40 years of time and effort training nuclear and fossil operators on synchronizing to the grid, maintaining the right frequency, bucking and boosting VARs, etc. Heck, all they needed to do was just close those main transformer breakers, right, and send that generator 23kv output through the main startup transformer right to the 500kv grid? What could possibly go wrong, it's just AC power....

 

[jawja clay]

Yes,
Step 1. Disconnect main breaker.

my weekly outages are the next street over. If Ga Power would trim trees I wouldn't have weekly outages. I've been out of power more in the last year than 42 years in Gwinnett. I really just want to protect my Refrig and freezers. I have too much fish, meat and vegetables to let spoil. No it's not worth going back to Gwinnett. A Friend told me FP&L will install a plug that isolates house from the grid any time a cord is plugged in. And it's free.

I plan on calling GP to asked if they have a procedure they want electrician to follow. I want it safe for everyone and done by code.

 

[moosensquirrel]

I recommend that you get a new 8-12 circuit sub-panel and a transfer switch that connects it to the generator and at the same time, absolutely precludes connecting the generator to the utility. Simply jumper all your "emergency loads" over to the new panel. This way, you will not have to deal with the heavy incoming cables, possibly 2/0 or larger depending on service size.

 

[41mag]

That's almost humorous... from personal experience, I have been asked to shut mine down, even when both 200 amp disconnects servicing my 400 amp panel were open on the side of the house. I love the "it is ac power - alternating current"... makes me wonder why I wasted 40 years of time and effort training nuclear and fossil operators on synchronizing to the grid, maintaining the right frequency, bucking and boosting VARs, etc. Heck, all they needed to do was just close those main transformer breakers, right, and send that generator 23kv output through the main startup transformer right to the 500kv grid? What could possibly go wrong, it's just AC power....

Well, you being such an expert...you shouldve been running this thread from the beginning. Nobody here could possibly stand up to your knowledge.

 

[moosensquirrel]

Electricians are not magicians, although some think they are. Unless you disconnect the incoming utility leads from the lugs on your main breaker, anything short of a transfer switch that seperates Utility power from Generator power is an invitation to disaster. It could also be a danger to linemen working on restoration of power. Even a small 240/120v generator can back-feed enough voltage and current to partially energize a utility transformer and the local power lines and although not at full voltage, enough to cause injury or death to a lineman who thinks the circuit is dead (as it should be). While they should open the cutouts on all residences and ground the feeders, I have personally seen them omit this step.

 

[Smiley]

I have wondered about installing such at my house. I am currently upgrading the automatic transfer switches at two buildings to new closed transition systems that are pretty neat. They constantly monitor commercial power and at any sign of trouble, crank the generator, synchronize, and switch over to emergency power without the slightest hiccup. Even the little 200kW is a bit large for my house though...

 

[wirepuller]

try one of these
https://www.geninterlock.com/produc...o-homeline-150-200-amp-panel-transfer-switch/
go for 10 KW if possible , get a 60 amp line ran by one of the "magical" electricians to the location you will run the generator when need be.

 

[Peacekeeper]

I just bought a camper and have been looking into a small inverter generator. I figure I can use it for camping and when we have power outages also. Looking at a Champion 3400 that runs on gasoline or LP.