Generator hookup
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 2
From: Southern MD
I've had a friend 'Zapped' by more voltage/current than you will ever believe.
He was literally on FIRE when the medics got to him. (He worked for the electric utility company in Washington, DC.)
Please don't 'Rube Golberg' this sort of set-up.
I highly recommend and suggest watching a video/show that was on History Channel, called "High Voltage".
It shows just exactly what happened to my friend, when 'hit' with over 11,000 volts.
(Yes, my friend died instantly. The current jumped over 11 feet!)
Get the proper equipment. My dad worked for the local elec co. and someone got seriously hurt while working a downed power line because someone hooked a generator up like that and didnt turn main breaker off. They did find the source. Well lets just say that the gentleman that forgot to do this got his butt in real hot water. First his insurance had to pay for the air lift, hospital stay and follow up visits, plus the utility yanked the meter for a few weeks until he had the proper equipment installed and inspected. The elec company was gonna press charges, but I'm not sure what happened with that.
The following is done ONLY becasue I know what I'm doing! I pull the meter socket before hooking up the generator. Then there is no chance of an accidental backfeed. This is how I was told by a lineman during a bad ice storm last year and we had no power for 8 days.
I installed a outdoor style plug on the side of the house that feeds into my outdoor disconnect box for the house. It has its own dedicated 30amp breaker that will feed everything in the house but the dryer. To insure no accidents happen, that breaker is locked out so that I am the only one who can turn on that breaker.
I installed a outdoor style plug on the side of the house that feeds into my outdoor disconnect box for the house. It has its own dedicated 30amp breaker that will feed everything in the house but the dryer. To insure no accidents happen, that breaker is locked out so that I am the only one who can turn on that breaker.
(The utility can disconnect your service. The meter belongs to the utility.)
There was one employee here, that was 'terminated' because he gave some 'meter locks' to various friends/family, that did the same thing.
Is it worth it???
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 1
From: None of your business
Running extension cords is not really a good idea...you will have to leave a window or door open and code actually prohibits doing this with portable power cables....not to mention the hassle of plugging things like your fridge and other things that are not fitted with cord ends.
As far as code, you should be in the clear for temporary use. I know my fridge has cord ends and I haven't seen many that don't. Most appliances have cord ends.
Mike
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 343
From: SE Iowa
Good point though. Check your utility first. Sometimes exceptions are made for pulling the socket in emergencies where the power will be off for long periods of time.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 5,983
Likes: 2
The correct way is to install a manual or automatic transfer switch. With that said, the next best bet in an emergency is to backfeed your central air conditioning compressor if you have one; turning tha main breaker off.
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 1
From: None of your business
The correct way is to install a manual or automatic transfer switch. With that said, the next best bet in an emergency is to backfeed your central air conditioning compressor if you have one; turning tha main breaker off.
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
As an example of anything can happen, we had a fire chief killed around here because he stepped on a cable line. When it broke, it fell on some wires 100s of feet away. He stepped on it and completed the circuit. No one would think of that happening. In an emergency, anything can happen.
Mike
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 2
From: Southern MD
Anything is possible. If you have intact lines from your house to the pole and they are broken after that, then it wouldn't overload. It would just wait until someone touches those lines.
As an example of anything can happen, we had a fire chief killed around here because he stepped on a cable line. When it broke, it fell on some wires 100s of feet away. He stepped on it and completed the circuit. No one would think of that happening. In an emergency, anything can happen.
Mike
As an example of anything can happen, we had a fire chief killed around here because he stepped on a cable line. When it broke, it fell on some wires 100s of feet away. He stepped on it and completed the circuit. No one would think of that happening. In an emergency, anything can happen.
Mike
Nothing says that a circuit has to be completed (or closed) within 'so many feet' of somebody's house.
Energizing a circuit that backfeeds the utility is an accident waiting for a place to happen.
Getting "Zapped" with 110v is bad enough. 220V, 440v, 880v or especially 11Kv, 230Kv, 500Kv is not tickling voltage.
If you utilize a portable generator, do it 'by the book'. You just might save a life.
Electric current doesn't discriminate. It just wants to find 'ground'.
Again. . . . for those that haven't seen it, watch the show "High Voltage" that was on History Channel.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,562
Likes: 2
From: Southern MD
Around here, the electric utility will seek "Tampering with an Electric Meter" to start with.
"Theft" is another.
Getting your 'juice' turned off is almost a certainty.
There are risks to removing a meter. No-one should just 'yank it out'.
PPE is mandatory.
Safety First.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 414
Likes: 1
From: Accokeek, MD
Has anyone ever heard if this works or not?
When the power goes out , shut off your main breaker.
Take your generator and using a cord with 2 males ends plug it into a outside plugin.
Turn off some of your breakers , like electric stove or any other high power use item.
The power feeds back through your wiring and you have lights etc as normal?
When the power goes out , shut off your main breaker.
Take your generator and using a cord with 2 males ends plug it into a outside plugin.
Turn off some of your breakers , like electric stove or any other high power use item.
The power feeds back through your wiring and you have lights etc as normal?
Now, if you have a generator, purchase a service disconnect and connect your generator. This switch will isolate the generator from the commercial power grid keeping the linemen safe. These isolating switches are available for manual use or automatic.
How do I know this? 12 years with US Air Force Power Production. I get paid to install and maintain power generation systems....PM me if you need any more info on this.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
You could probably snake the cords between some weatherstripping. I know I could run the cords between my garage door and the wall no problem.
As far as code, you should be in the clear for temporary use. I know my fridge has cord ends and I haven't seen many that don't. Most appliances have cord ends.
Mike
As far as code, you should be in the clear for temporary use. I know my fridge has cord ends and I haven't seen many that don't. Most appliances have cord ends.
Mike
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
Also in agreement about removing the meter...not really a good idea...I once removed a meter from a temporary service because a builder owed us for it and....well.....I put it back PDQ after a discussion with the supply authority.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
The correct way is to install a manual or automatic transfer switch. With that said, the next best bet in an emergency is to backfeed your central air conditioning compressor if you have one; turning tha main breaker off.
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
To the board: in a subdivision (with many homes) not a rural area, what are the odds the backfeeding the grid would not pop the main breaker on the genset from an instant overload?
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,166
Likes: 2
From: wi
im a lil backwoods but have a lil comon sense so when hurrican rita come threw and f'ed up our house i hook up my generater as follows, shut off main breaker make cord with to male plugs , plug into the 220 outlet on gen, the other end went into the dryer plug on the porch. its simple if your smart enuff to remember to shut off the main there wont be a problem. shure if ya gota pocket full of$$$$ go ahead and get all the safty switches and all but realy ya dont need it. my house ran for 37 days like that and no problems
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 97
Likes: 0
Have any of you guys that propose methods other than the proper way ever seen anybody with arc burns???....ever smelt burning flesh as several thousand volts run through it??...I normally don't get too excited about what I read on forums but the suggestions I have seen here are something else. So the way I figure it, saving maybe a thousand dollars is about the cost of someones life...hmmm..cool...well at least an amount could be put on it. I like the male to male plug idea....lets see what happens when a child pulls it out and chews on it...sorry about the rant but this whole thing falls under the "well I can run natural gas through a garden hose 'cause it is only a .25lb pressure" category....if you are going to do a back up generator....do it properly.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,512
Likes: 8
From: Cook Forest and Irwin PA
....ever smelt burning flesh as several thousand volts run through it??...