Here is another question. If I'm working in a house that has no power, can I use a generator to power the lights and outlets in the house. If so, how? The reason I ask is because the business I am thinking of involves working in vacant houses without power and I may need to run a compressor or vacuum on second floors.

 

**Not a electrition, Just common sence at work here before you PROs rip me a new one!**

In order for you to get power to the second floor of the house you would have to "TAP" the fuse breaker box or the point that the power enters the house and place your generator in the place of the power company... Or you could just run an extention cord up to where you need the power.

I wouldn't mess with the breaker box cause that could lead to problems down the line ... You will probablly be better off running a cord up to the second floor.

 

Just run one of those heavy 12AWG extension cords up to the second floor. Messing with the breaker box could get hazardous and extremely costly, not to mention killing someone...

 

Can't remember where but someone makes a cord to plug from the generator to the outlet to power the house. You could make your own. I wouldn't do this though for safety reasons (never know if a problem in the house wiring) and you don't wanna be the one responsible.

However if your just gonna run a couple items you'd be better off just getting a good extension cord or 3 with multiple outlet ends on em.

Most people that are doing extensive remodeling on a vacant house will set up a pole outside the house to run extension cords from. Some codes require a reinspection of the house electrical system if the power has been off for longer than a preset time (check local codes or ask at the power company). If so you may have to rewire a few things to pass code

If your just a sub working on just certain things I wouldn't mess with the box or house electrical system just for piece of mind. Most people don't turn off the electricity to a house unless they plan on doing some rewiring and you don't wanna mess with someone elses work.

 

We do it all the time, but in most cases we use a transfer switch. It transfers the source of ac from utility to generator. Some of our remote equipment sites have a manual breaker transfer. Basically you have one breaker that's connected to utility and one to the generator. Breakers work both ways. There's a keeper on the generator breaker that only allows one or the other to be turned on. You must have one turned off to turn the other on. YOU DON'T WANT TO SEND THE GENERATOR POWER BACK TO THE UTILITY! Just flip the utility off and the generator on and your in business.

It all depends on how comfortable you are working in distribution panels. But it is possible to do.

 

Like the other guys said, to do it right, DO NOT do it.

I've run my mother's house on a generator for days after hurricane Gloria (no power for 8 days).

I turned off the main breaker, and plugged the generator into a wall outlet.

With a two-phase house, that means half the house is unpowered. I then connected a plug-to-plug cord between two outlets that were known to be on opposite phases, so the entire house had power. BUT - I was very careful to make sure everything was turned off in the house, unplugged, etc.

Now, the downside - you have to go around and unplug everything that could possibly come on, so as not to overload the extension cord. That means turning off all the circuit breakers except for the ones you need. That can be a pain, and leaves a lot of guesswork.

Best thing, don't do it. Especially if you are licensed/bonded and want to keep your "good" status.

When I first turned on the generator, the mains were still connected and it popped the breaker in the generator. My neighbor came running over thinking the lights were coming back on ! He was quite depressed when I told him what had happened My generator fed back into the utility lines which fed a few houses nearby - enough to flicker their lights for a split second ...

Again, unless it's your house and you are going to take responsibility for EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong, don't do it.

 

Wow the things you learn...

 

And this is what can kill a lineman working to repair the lines.

 

Yup, you are absolutely correct.

Especially if you can generate enough to go back through the transformer and wind up giving 13.5Kvolts to the guy ...

 

It is ILLEGAL in most states to provide generated power to the permanent electrical system of a house that is connected to the utility system without disconecting the service feed from the main breaker. this can be done by either removing the electric lines from the pole to the main breaker or using the previously mentioned aproved transfer switch. can you do it by just turning of the main, yes, should you and is it a legal method, no.

And yes a "small" 5Kw generator WILL feed back through a transformer and you could be liable for manslaughter or damages if a lineman is killed or injured due to your illegal actions.

I worked for a lumber yard as an electrical consultant and have read the code on this, not something i wanna go wrong on.

Bone

 

Thanks Bone...

 

I just knew those boring hours of reading electical code would come in handy for something some day. I should mention, i have a 15 Kw diesel generator and instaling the appropriat discoonect was a no brainer, yea it costs $500, but thats alot less than the fine should you get caught or worse yet the feeling of remorse and regret should someone be killed by me being to cheap to do it right.

as a side note, if you do disconnect the supply lines from the pole, connect the generator to the main breaker. My uncle was a fire chief and ive heard of alot of homes/structures burnt to the ground by trying to backfeed through a reseptical. one piece of 14 gauge wire should not be used to power half of a 2 phase home.

Bone

 

Now if I could just get these guys that want to install PVC airlines in their shop to realize how bad they will feel if the neighbor kid comes over and gets a hand blown off or blinded by flying shrapnel from an air line blowing up. Or one of their own kids, or the neighbor or themselves...

A shop down the road from me had a line fail that blew pieces all over in the middle of the night. Luckily nobody was around when it blew!

 

I hear ya there. My neighbor has a pvc airline system in his shop, I wont go in unless he has the rubber feed line disconnected. In another shop I have seen a photo of pvc exploding and sending shrapnel through a car windshield. I have not read the code on airline plumbing, but I do know pvc is not reccomended, and OSHA can shut a bussiness down for using it.

Bone

 

Whether you go the transfer switch route of just run a bunch of extension cords around, most generators have a ground lug on them somewhere. It's there for a reason. Run a hunk of 6 ga. from it to a good earth ground (like the one the house's main service panel is connected to). The butt you DON'T fry could be yours.