How to hook up a generator?

[Old Moparz]

I always love reading the generator threads.

 

[oldgoat]

Wow, there are a bunch of safety nuts on here. I thought this was a DIY forum.

You need to shut off the main (or mains, in the case of a split bus) first. Then shut off all high-load breakers (central air, electric oven, range, cooktop, water heater, dryer etc.) then plug your second male/male rig into the OTHER set of outlets on the generator, not the same one (after you have one end plugged into a dead outlet, of course). Always plug in the generator ends last.

This is not voodoo or rocket science, as some would have you believe. Also, I've talked to many electricians who don't have even a basic understanding of electricity. All they know is the code and what happens if.
With a basic understanding of electricity, you can do this safely. It sure sounds like you lack a basic understanding of electricity, so I would suggest that you get someone who knows a good deal more about it than you know. I'm not trying to be condecending, but each of us have different skill sets and knowledge bases.

Safety nuts or people that are just as concerned about their own hides as much as the people trying to restore power. I have friends that work the lines for the electric company and one of their worst fears are idiots like you that believe they have the skill set to make these decisions. I would strongly suggest that YOU go talk to someone that works the lines before you give out bad information that can kill people. You are the type of person that gives DIY's a bad name and get their picture of the result of their so called skill sets when they get killed.

 

[MoparTrucks]

Man rough crowd. It is very dangerous to hook up a generator like your trying to do and in addition to some of what has already been said you can end up burning your house down or frying half your stuff if you forget to turn off the main breaker during a power outage and your hooked up with the generator and the power comes back on.

But its very easy to hook up your own power transfer switch which will isolate circuits of your choosing so you can just plug in your generator and only run what you want to or actually need to. We get power outages all the time and I have hooked up the furnace, refer/freezer, and the family room lights and outlets so we can see TV, use the computer..i.e., stay connected in emergencies. For cooking we use a propane camp stove and though we have two wells, our drinking water comes from a county hookup that is gravity fed and rarely goes out.

This cost us $150.00 and about 2 hours time to hook it up and balance the load. It would cost about twice that to have an electrician do it and it would be well worth the money for piece of mind if your not very experienced with doing your own electrical work. Good luck.

 

[Crazy Car Guy]

GEEZE! main on the pole off, main in the main box off, turn extra 30a 220 breaker in box on, go fire up gen set and enjoy power. is it code ? prob not. is it safe ? you decide.
i would not accept a free installed transfer switch if they were giving them away
YMMV

 

[StingRay]

Funny but around here when ever I ask an electrician about transfer switches they just look at me funny and tell me to back feed the panel. They know how to do it and know that I know how to do it properly too. They can't imagine why I'd want to spend the money to do it. Opinions vary depending on where you are. For the majority of people it's not a good thing to do but there are some common sense people still left on the planet that can do it without hurting a flea. The problem is trying to figure who is who. Because of this the system says err on the side of caution and nobody do it.

 

[Alchymist]

Funny but around here when ever I ask an electrician about transfer switches they just look at me funny and tell me to back feed the panel. They know how to do it and know that I know how to do it properly too. They can't imagine why I'd want to spend the money to do it. Opinions vary depending on where you are. For the majority of people it's not a good thing to do but there are some common sense people still left on the planet that can do it without hurting a flea. The problem is trying to figure who is who. Because of this the system says err on the side of caution and nobody do it.

I consider myself in the common sense category....but I'd not want to backfeed a panel. Too much risk of something going wrong.

GEEZE! main on the pole off, main in the main box off, turn extra 30a 220 breaker in box on, go fire up gen set and enjoy power. is it code ? prob not. is it safe ? you decide.
i would not accept a free installed transfer switch if they were giving them away
YMMV

Why?

Couple hundred bucks, couple hours, done right. Small box on the right in the picture.

 

[arroberts]

This cost us $150.00 and about 2 hours time to hook it up and balance the load.

Where did you get it for $150? Everywhere I have seen is 300 or more. Getting ready to pull the trigger but would love it for half.

 

[aussiek2000]

I always imagine people who vouch for this method to be the same guys who think it's okay to swing an "unloaded" firearm around at the range with the action closed. Sure, you're pretty sure it's empty.. but it only takes one *******, cheapass ************ to kill someone with a forgotten round or a forgotten main breaker.

ps: the OP absolutely must be a troll, right?

I don't go to the range. I have hundreds of acres of land to shoot on with no one around for miles. But my 9mm always goes in the holster if I'm not shooting it, and my 10/22 action gets locked back and the trigger safety set.

But come around while I'm shooting, I may even have a negligent discharge.

 

[Harix]

Thank you for saving me and my family.

So the description says 6 circuits, means only 6 items in the house? The rest of the house outlet or other rooms will still has no electric?

 

[Major Ramifications]

I have a healthy respect for both electricity and firearms. I am not the ***** who does not obey rule number one at the range. But I also know that electricity is here for us to use, not to make us cower in a corner and call an "expert".

If the OP had asked how to weld something, we would have given him a ton of advise, no told him to call in a pro weldor.
If he had asked about a repair or modification to his vehicle, we would not have told him to bring it to a mechanic.
I don't see how this in any different.
But then I don't understand the whole mamby-pamby politically-correct afraid-of-it's- shadow way of thinking that this country is succumbing to.
Like the fat guy with the funny accent says, "Git r done!"

 

[Alchymist]

Thank you for saving me and my family.

So the description says 6 circuits, means only 6 items in the house? The rest of the house outlet or other rooms will still has no electric?

Yes, that's what it means. My reliance ts has 8, but how many circuits do you truly need in case of an emergency (power loss). If you look at the pic I posted, only 5 circuits are currently used. This gives an outlet in the kitchen, a water heater circuit, a well pump circuit, one for the gas furnace, and one for the refrig and freezer.

 

[Alchymist]

I have a healthy respect for both electricity and firearms. I am not the ***** who does not obey rule number one at the range. But I also know that electricity is here for us to use, not to make us cower in a corner and call an "expert".

If the OP had asked how to weld something, we would have given him a ton of advise, no told him to call in a pro weldor.
If he had asked about a repair or modification to his vehicle, we would not have told him to bring it to a mechanic.
I don't see how this in any different.

True - but you have to give the correct advice......why do you think that someone should not obey the rules when it comes to electricity?

 

[Rudyjr]

I have a healthy respect for both electricity and firearms. I am not the ***** who does not obey rule number one at the range. But I also know that electricity is here for us to use, not to make us cower in a corner and call an "expert".

If the OP had asked how to weld something, we would have given him a ton of advise, no told him to call in a pro weldor.
If he had asked about a repair or modification to his vehicle, we would not have told him to bring it to a mechanic.
I don't see how this in any different.
But then I don't understand the whole mamby-pamby politically-correct afraid-of-it's- shadow way of thinking that this country is succumbing to.
Like the fat guy with the funny accent says, "Git r done!"

Glad our guys from Columbus made it back from your area today without any casualties after working your last storm with guys like you wiring stuff down south.Proud IBEW member

 

[BD1]

Yes, that's what it means. My reliance ts has 8, but how many circuits do you truly need in case of an emergency (power loss). If you look at the pic I posted, only 5 circuits are currently used. This gives an outlet in the kitchen, a water heater circuit, a well pump circuit, one for the gas furnace, and one for the refrig and freezer.

Note, that model is only good up to 7,500 WATTS.

 

[Alchymist]

Yes, that's what it means. My reliance ts has 8, but how many circuits do you truly need in case of an emergency (power loss). If you look at the pic I posted, only 5 circuits are currently used. This gives an outlet in the kitchen, a water heater circuit, a well pump circuit, one for the gas furnace, and one for the refrig and freezer.

Actually, I misspoke - it has 12 slots - can be either 120V or 240V, so with a mix more like 8 circuits.

Note, that model is only good up to 7,500 WATTS.

Nope - rated 15KW - 60 amp genset input, 100 amp poco input. I paid less than $200, ($159, I think) several years ago. Amazon has it now for $202.99:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HS0HTY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[BD1]

Actually, I misspoke - it has 12 slots - can be either 120V or 240V, so with a mix more like 8 circuits.



Nope - rated 15KW - 60 amp genset input, 100 amp poco input. I paid less than $200, ($159, I think) several years ago. Amazon has it now for $202.99:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HS0HTY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I was reading what is on the box posted. thanks.

 

[altec876]

Make sure you do use tHe proper shut off switches to protect the lineman working. Because you can't rely on your main breaker, it might not open all the way if it's worn and there's nothing better than smoking somebody's generator that is hooked up like this. I have done it a few times, I work all kinds of storms all over the U.S.

 

[Alchymist]

I was reading what is on the box posted. thanks.

Gotcha!

 

[General Lee]

I have friends that work the lines for the electric company and one of their worst fears are idiots like you that believe they have the skill set to make these decisions.

I agree with the safety issues of back feeding lines, however, Lineman SHOULD know to ground the power lines first when making repairs. This is now standard practice for a number of reasons, one being for harry the homeowner generator setups. If they don't ground the lines their making the same mistake as someone who incorrectly installs a generator.

 

[nehog]

GEEZE! main on the pole off, main in the main box off, turn extra 30a 220 breaker in box on, go fire up gen set and enjoy power. is it code ? prob not. is it safe ? you decide.
i would not accept a free installed transfer switch if they were giving them away
YMMV

No decision to make: it is grossly unsafe, and absolutely not code.

Funny but around here when ever I ask an electrician about transfer switches they just look at me funny and tell me to back feed the panel. They know how to do it and know that I know how to do it properly too. They can't imagine why I'd want to spend the money to do it. Opinions vary depending on where you are. For the majority of people it's not a good thing to do but there are some common sense people still left on the planet that can do it without hurting a flea. The problem is trying to figure who is who. Because of this the system says err on the side of caution and nobody do it.

Think about this...

You remember to turn off the main breaker, and back feed. Your idiot neighbor who also has a generator forgets to do that, and back feeds. Then the lineman is killed (damn it, this happens.)

Your idiot neighbor realizes his mistake. He's human (we all are!) So he quickly hides his generator (or rigs it so everything is on extension cords and looks kosher), and looks at the sky. Next the investigation happens, and he remembers that yes, my neighbor had a generator running as well. Must have been the other guy over there.

Now, let me ask you: how can you prove (yes, prove) you did it right?

Bottom line, someone is dead, and you're screwed. Likely criminal charges, a civil lawsuit, and with no transfer switch you have no defense.

Transfer switches are cheap, much cheaper than any of the accidents that will happen if they are missing. Last I checked HF has them at an attractive price. Check eBay, lots of them there.

 

[MoparTrucks]

Thank you for saving me and my family.

So the description says 6 circuits, means only 6 items in the house? The rest of the house outlet or other rooms will still has no electric?

Its six circuits depending on the load, i.e., we have multiple outlets in our family room on the same circuit as the over head lights there so its not really 6 individual items as you can have several items on one circuit. For me the circulation pump for the Outside wood boiler is on a separate circuit as is the furnace blower and the freezer and fridge are on separate circuits just because of where they are plugged in at. So I am using 5 circuits and have one open circuit I havent hooked up yet (and may not).

There are numerous load calculators on the Internet and one came with the transfer switch so I decided my load (dont forget startup load) and determined what was really important in a power outage situation. Heat is critical for us because most of our outages are caused by ice storms and we can cool off in the basement during the summer if the AC isnt working. The refer and freezer were obvious and the rest is just so we have some comforts in one room and can stay connected.

If you want all your electricity to be functioning you would be much better off with a propane whole house emergency generator IMO but thats some big bucks for something that happens only a few times a year.

We got ours on sale at Lowes and have used it numerous times (we just had a big storm tonight but didnt lose power...this time) and if nothing else, it sure is a lot handier that all the Rube Goldberg contraptions I see.

Its so easy to install something like this I just dont see the big deal personally. I doubt too many lineman are going to be working on a power line without isolating it just in case but we owe them every safety consideration and like I said before, your more likely to burn down your own house or power surge your stuff (including your generator) into oblivion if you or someone in your house isnt thinking clearly (which happens).

 

[kald]

Glad our guys from Columbus made it back from your area today without any casualties after working your last storm with guys like you wiring stuff down south.Proud IBEW member

Very nice. And union members wonder why everybody else in the country hates them.

 

[Harix]

So my generator doesn't have plug like that. It's regular 3 prong 120V. How to connect that?

 

[themiller]

I have an EU2000i hooked up to a GenTran as pictured here. It works great. I feed it with a 50ft 10/3 cord and have 0 issues.

http://www.nooutage.com/15114a.htm

 

[jlh92]

There seems to be a lot of old threads popping up today.

 

[Alchymist]

So my generator doesn't have plug like that. It's regular 3 prong 120V. How to connect that?

Get a 10 gauge extension cord with a plug matching your generator, and attach a plug like the one shown below. Note that only 1/2 of you panel will be hot, depending on which hot terminal you use. And don't expect to run much of a 2K generator.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

So my generator doesn't have plug like that. It's regular 3 prong 120V. How to connect that?

Thats because your generator is a 120v ONLY and only capable of 13 amps. You don't need a whole house connection, as all you can run is the fridge and a couple of lights. Set it outside, away from the house, get some good extension cords (14 gauge or 12 gauge if real long) and throw they through an open window, plug up the fridge and a light or two and you are done.

If you buy a 6000w and up 120v/240v generator, then you can worry about a whole house hook up.

Charles

 

[LS6 Tommy]

We have a welder plug on the main panel. Male to male from 30amp generator out to welder plug. Turn off main breaker so you don't back feed the grid. Turn off all high load devices (A/C, Microwave, Oven, dryer, water heater, etc)

INCREDIBLY bad advice and a good way to kill a lineman...

Tommy

 

[LS6 Tommy]

So my generator doesn't have plug like that. It's regular 3 prong 120V. How to connect that?

You don't. Your genset is only made to run one or two items from a regular 15A extension cord. I also have NO idea why the genset has a 20A duplex receptacle when it's rated for 13.3 A...

Tommy

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Get a 10 gauge extension cord with a plug matching your generator, and attach a plug like the one shown below. Note that only 1/2 of you panel will be hot, depending on which hot terminal you use. And don't expect to run much of a 2K generator.

More bad advice...

Tommy

 

[The Cobbler]

More bad advice...

Tommy

scary as poop that people actually do this stuff & think it's OK...

 

[wyliesdiesels]

There seems to be a lot of old threads popping up today.

Thats because the OP resurected his old thread.

Im guessing he never got it working 3 yrs ago....

OP should start a new thread as there is a lot of bad dangerous advice on this one!

 

[bgeery]

So my generator doesn't have plug like that. It's regular 3 prong 120V. How to connect that?

Make a kickass custom cord. Get some 10/3 SOOW cable, male NEMA 5-20 plug, female NEMA L14-30 plug. When connecting up the L14 plug, add a jumper between the two hot legs. Shop on eBay, and you can make up an excellent 30 foot cord for about $60.

As you only have an 1800 watt generator, so you don't have to worry about if you have any MWBC in the house wiring. Also, the eu2000i already has the ground and neutral floating, so no concerns there. All the 120 volt circuits will function, and none of the 220 Volt circuits will. You can leave the 220 Volt circuits off at the panel, but it shouldn't really matter in most cases.

This is the exact setup I have at my house (with an interlock), and it powers the whole house (including microwave), except the 220 Volt dryer and AC. With only 1800 watts, I hope you invested in making your house energy efficient.

 

[Alchymist]

More bad advice...

Tommy

scary as poop that people actually do this stuff & think it's OK...

You gentlemen will, of course, explain in detail just why this is bad advice?

 

[sberry]

I about shocked my azz off the other day with some reverse scheme, been working on around it for months and takes but one second at the wrong time with a suicide plug. During an outage is no place for amateur lernin. The best way without an extensive install is a couple cords.

 

[Alchymist]

Make a kickass custom cord. Get some 10/3 SOOW cable, male NEMA 5-20 plug, female NEMA L14-30 plug. When connecting up the L14 plug, add a jumper between the two hot legs. Shop on eBay, and you can make up an excellent 30 foot cord for about $60.

As you only have an 1800 watt generator, so you don't have to worry about if you have any MWBC in the house wiring. Also, the eu2000i already has the ground and neutral floating, so no concerns there. All the 120 volt circuits will function, and none of the 220 Volt circuits will. You can leave the 220 Volt circuits off at the panel, but it shouldn't really matter in most cases.

This is the exact setup I have at my house (with an interlock), and it powers the whole house (including microwave), except the 220 Volt dryer and AC. With only 1800 watts, I hope you invested in making your house energy efficient.

No different than what I posted in #66 - except I indicated that one side of the panel would be hot, Pick and choose, or jumper the two hots. Only drawback to jumpering is it increases the chance of overloading the generator if too many breakers are on at once, but if care is used in selecting circuits, it will work ok.

I about shocked my azz off the other day with some reverse scheme, been working on around it for months and takes but one second at the wrong time with a suicide plug. During an outage is no place for amateur lernin. The best way without an extensive install is a couple cords.

Agreed. In any such discussions I always urge that a transfer switch be used. The recent post showed an inlet plug that I assumed led to a transfer switch. Would have been really suicidal if that installation did not include one, as there is the potential for the terminals to be live with nothing connected.

 

[pattenp]

You gentlemen will, of course, explain in detail just why this is bad advice?

I'm also wanting to hear the explanation.

 

[bgeery]

No different than what I posted in #66 - except I indicated that one side of the panel would be hot, Pick and choose, or jumper the two hots. Only drawback to jumpering is it increases the chance of overloading the generator if too many breakers are on at once, but if care is used in selecting circuits, it will work ok.

I wanted to give the guy a easy to follow shopping list, and point out jumpering the hots. As generator cables are expensive, I can usually build one for the same price or less as modifying an prebuild cable, and I think the quality will be a better (SOOW cable is great stuff.) Adapting an existing cable is certainly a little faster, and totally acceptable.

1800 watts is enough to run everything 120V in my house at once. But I have a very electrically efficient house. There can be a stumble in one condition-- if the refrigerator and freezer both happen to kick on at the same moment. The voltage drops, and my UPS for my computer/office equipment will kick in for a second or two. That lightened load allows the generator to handle the frig and freezer kicking on simultaneously. Rare to happen, but has occurred a couple of times over my several days of testing.

I could probably avoid the rare stumble if I would disable the eco-throttle on the eu2000i, but I choose to leave it on for the fuel and noise savings.

 

[nick2010tundra]

LINEMAN Here

To the guy that created this thread ( You sir have no clue what your doing, Hire a pro)
To the guy that mentioned the power company frowning on back feeding the grid, yeah its called Murder and has happened. So yeah I would be more concerned about the time in jail than us cutting your service.

As for opening your main and backfeeding the panel, here is an easy anology for ya, Take a loaded gun, put the safety on and put it to your head and pull. If you hurt someone explain that one In court

Now for the proper and easy way to do it, Go buy yourself a Square D generator panel at Home depot, there 120 bucks here in Canada. Then either call an electrician or install it yourself. It makes it easy for the wife or kids to use if your not there.

Or you could do what I went with, a generac automatic Generator with its own automatic transfer switch, see when the power is out I am not home and I can't be there to feed fuel to a generator. I;m busy fixing your power.

So maybe remember that when your power goes out the guy fixing your is trying to help you, please Don't put his Life in danger

 

[bgeery]

I'm also wanting to hear the explanation.

I think he is referring to backfeeding with a suicide cord, or not implementing either a transfer switch or interlock, or using a generator with the ground and neutral tied together. Maybe even using ROMEX instead of proper SOW rated cable to connect up the portable generator.

All dangerous shortcuts are defended at one point or the other by cheap, lazy, selfish, ignorant, or short-sighted people.