Backfeeding panel with generator power

[Speedy Petey]

Good post Jarcese.

 

[Jarcese]

Thank you

 

[foolishpride]

it depends on distance. soil resistance is per foot or per meter or whatever. how far apart are these two ground rods?

Again, the earth DOES NOT provide a low impedance path for fault current.

Yes, I believe some are confusing Earth resistance with Ground resistance.

Earth Resistance is the electrical property of the soil, which is measured in Ohms Per Centimeter. It is dependent on the soil type, moisture content, temperature, and salt content. It also varies depending on the month of the year.

A Ground Resistance measurement is the efficiency of a buried electrode (rod, grid, plate, parallel ground field, etc.) and is evaluated in terms of resistance (ohms). The resistance between the main grounding electrode and ground should be no greater than 5 ohms for large commercial or industrial systems and 1.0 ohm or less for generating or transmission station grounds unless otherwise specified by the owner. (Reference ANSI/IEEE 142)

The National Electrical Code states, "A single electrode consisting of a rod, pipe or plate which does not have a resistance of 25 ohms or less shall be augmented by one additional electrode of any of the types specificed by Article 250. Where multiple rod, pipe or plate electrodes are installed to meet the requirements of this section, they shall not be less than 1.83 m (6 feet) apart."
NOTES: The National Electrical Code (NEC) states that the resistance to ground shall not exceed 25 ohms. This is an upper limit and guideline since much lower resistance in required in many instances.
Reference: NFPA 70, 2005 Edition, National Electrical Code®, Article 250.56.
• How low should the ground resistance be?
o The lower the ground resistance, the safer. For positive protection of personnel and equipment, it is worth the effort to aim for less than one ohm. It is generally impractical to reach such a low resistance along a distribution system, transmission line, or a small substation. In some regions, resistance of five ohms or less may be obtained without much trouble. In other regions, it may be difficult to bring resistance of driven rods below 100 ohms.

 

[Alchymist]

Some good points here, also a lot of BS. And no one has yet to mention the neutral/egc bonding situation at the generator, something I suspect half the posters here never recognized as a concern. The NEC spells out exactly what is and isn't allowed; there are sometimes mods to the NEC code by the AHJ, but those codes are there for a reason. Violating any one of them through ignorance or willful neglect could put you in a world of hurt.

 

[green.bubbly]

Thanks Charles. I am currently waiting on a response from SLEMCO to see if they approve of and install this product. With the frequent hurricanes and tropical storms, I was considering a whole house generator setup.

According to Generlink, SLEMCO would not allow their product.

Thank you for your interest in the Generlink transfer switch. We have been in contact with SLEMCO and unfortunately it is their corporate policy that they do not allow any consumer owned product to be installed behind their meter.


Odd thing is that I was on the phone with Slemco today trying to explain to the guy what the product was and after running back and forth to the engineers, he said I could use it. His first response from the engineer was that it was a double pole double throw switch and I would be fine using it.

I pushed a little harder explaining that it was not just a switch and they still claimed I could use it. After a few minutes, we decided that I should bring in the Generlink brochure so the engineer could look at it.

Then I checked pricing on this thing and almost feel over. While it would be a perfect solution for my situation, at 700 bucks, no thanks. I will still go see the engineer and ask about the InterLock Kit or any other suggestions they may have.

I could probably pull off fishing some #6 wires into my main panel connected to a lock plug outside where I could connect my generator to.

 

[danv]

I have had a generlink installed on my home for quite a few years now and it has worked flawlessly on a good number of occasions. Simply the cheapest and safest way to get electricity when the power is out as far as I am concerned. We are thinking of selling and rebuilding and it adds value to the house we are selling and I intend on installing one on our new home.

 

[creativecars]

I have had a generlink installed on my home for quite a few years now and it has worked flawlessly on a good number of occasions. Simply the cheapest and safest way to get electricity when the power is out as far as I am concerned. We are thinking of selling and rebuilding and it adds value to the house we are selling and I intend on installing one on our new home.

Danv, I have been looking at these for several years. What size generator do you have? Which switch?

 

[Elmo4895]

Add a shunt trip breaker to your panel and wire the shunt trip to your power feed. When the power comes back on it will trip the generator breaker and then you can turn the main breaker back on. Zero chance of powering the power feed.

The best is a transfer switch.

 

[Elmo4895]

Here a significant current flow threw ground occurs (120 amps), still not enough to trip a 200 amp breaker using only ground rods.
http://yarchive.net/electr/ground_rods.html

I just get the impression that almost everyone who has posted here is saying the earth does not conduct any current or only tiny amounts.
And I suppose all these other articles or people on other forums are all BS?

I went on a service call no power to house. Found a home owner install with one power leg from the meter base was hooked to neutral and consequently to ground (bonded). It was a trailer house and the whole thing was energized. Called the power company to pull the meter and they pulled the ground rod also. It was four feet long and in dry dirt. Didn't even trip the fuse on the pole. That was a death trap waiting for a victim!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Danv, I have been looking at these for several years. What size generator do you have? Which switch?

I think there is only one GenerLink. Its a fits all that uses different cords depending on the receptacle on your generator. They have very little info on their web site, there used to be more info. I seem to recall that the GenerLink is designed for 30 amps.

The GenerLink does nothing that a physical interlock and generator input connection does, and a alot cheaper. With the Generlock you still have to manage your loads by physically tripping circuit breakers on the central air/heat pump and water heater, and such, to reduce loads to levels the generator can handle. You still have to pull the generator out of storage, set it up, connect it, and start it.

If you install a physical interlock, unless you have very high electricians fees or issues with the brand or design of your panel, the non-interlock installation can be done for less money.

Charles