Topic: Backup generators for the home?

[Steve F]

I've had a generator for over a decade, and have used it to run the house (most of it) when the power goes out.  At first, I was using several extension cords to plug in the essential things like the fridge, freezer, sump pump, but that got OLD really quick.  I have since installed a 30A outlet on the side of the house and back-feed through this.  BEFORE ALL YOU ELECTRICAL PEOPLE GET ALL OVER MY CASE, I'd like to say that I'm fully aware of the safety issue this presents to the utility workers, and make DAMN sure the main breaker is OFF FIRST!
  I've thought of getting a transfer switch, but those things **installed** are about $500!  I recently found a thing called an "interlock" that gets mounted on the breaker panel, and think I'm going to go that route so that I can feed the house through an outside connection to the panel and power the house that way.  Here's a link:  www.interlockkit.com  and think I could make something like this since even these things are $149 for my panel 
So, I'm wondering what other creative things have you all done or seen regarding disconnecting from the power grid in a safe manner?
Steve F

[boatsdickson]

Glad you posted that steve. The wife and I just purchased our first generator for our country move in a few months. Moving to an all electric home was bothering me.

[fmctm1sw]

Power outages were an every day event in Guam when I was there.  I've seen a lot of what you did.  Guys would make a suicide plug and plug it into the dryer outlet and turn the main breaker off, leaving others on for stuff they wanted to power.  Every year you hear about someone running a generator in a garage or other poorly ventilated place though...

[bucky katt]

i've been thinking about a small diesel generator for our place. theres a concrete pad out back just for that, put in , in the early 60's my wife tells me

[mark]

The interlock gadget looks like it would work.....

....also looks like a $19 gadget with a $130 'Approved' sticker to make the inspector happy.

nice of them to put pictures of all the different panels with lockout installed on their site though.

for identification.

 

[333]

I'm not an "electrical guy", but there is no substitute for doing something the right way.  Sure, you know the risks, but what about when you're not around?  You can save some money by runnung the cable in from the generator yourself, as well as mounting the box, leaving the fina wiring to the pros.

[mick7504]

Power outages are common place here in Darwin especially in the tropical wet season.
We had a cyclone come through here a bit over a year ago which bought down some big African Mahogony trees across the HV power lines and we were without power for 3 days while this was being repaired.
What I did (and I'm not recommending this) is to cut the female plug off of an extension lead and wire on another male plug ending up with a lead and a male plug either end.
Switched the board off at the mains, plugged one end into the genset and the other into into a power outlet inside the house.
This ran the fans and the fridge and the lighting until we were back onto mains power again.
Mick

[Alan F.]

Not to go too far off topic, but it's a pretty popular mod to convert a backup generator to propane power since power output is close and engine life is increased, soot and carbon are reduced, propane may already be on site, it's cheaper and burns cleaner too.

Just a thought to consider.

Last winter the better part of the state of New Hampshire was without power for up to 4 weeks is some areas due to a heavy ice storm, lots of generators in service up there now.  In a pinch a car battery wired to a voltage inverter will supply some emergency power, when the battery begins to weaken just put it back in a vehicle and charge it back up.

[westondc]

I've had a generator for over a decade, and have used it to run the house (most of it) when the power goes out.  At first, I was using several extension cords to plug in the essential things like the fridge, freezer, sump pump, but that got OLD really quick.  I have since installed a 30A outlet on the side of the house and back-feed through this.  BEFORE ALL YOU ELECTRICAL PEOPLE GET ALL OVER MY CASE, I'd like to say that I'm fully aware of the safety issue this presents to the utility workers, and make DAMN sure the main breaker is OFF FIRST!
  

My dad has done the same thing at our cabin. He bought a large gas powered generater and put it in our nice workshop/shed. he then went to the auto parts store and bought a muffler for a small car and adapted it to fit the generator and ran the exhaust out of the shop through a hole. now i don't know much about the exact specs but he installed a large outlet to the side of the breaker panel in the shed. we have a large gauge dual male ended plug that we can run from the generater to the outlet. when the power goes out we shut off the main breaker in the cabin and we can plug in the generater and run power back though the shed into the cabin. works great and I've had to go though this process a few times intoxicated at 2 am when we were having a few parties   haven't blown up anything yet, but my dad did post a big yellow notice in the shed breaker to BE SURE TO SHUT OFF MAIN BREAKER BEFORE PLUGGING IN GENERATOR. i guess a $150 safety device would be worth it, cant imagine the cost and damage if the power came on with the generator running and the main breaker on....

on a side note my dad did come up with an interesting device that i noticed recently. since we installed propane heat, all we really need to power is the TV, fridge, and microwave when the power goes out... somuch for the use of that $800 generator. he took a battery backup from a computer and removed the internal battery, he then ran the battery wires to 3 or 4 small car batteries. this is plugged into the wall and a surge protector is plugged into the output from the backup power supply. we have the items we want to run plugged into the surge protector. worked like a charm the last time the power went out and we ran the TV and a few lights all night and the next day until the power went back on. now I'm no electrician but i thought this seemed a bit dangerous. my dads job involves electronics and wiring so I'm not going to second guess.

edit: now that i think of it, shouldnt the main breaker "pop" and prevent power from being fed back through the circut to the main line? remeber i said I'm no electrician...

[Deceptibong]

I've had a generator for over a decade, and have used it to run the house (most of it) when the power goes out.  At first, I was using several extension cords to plug in the essential things like the fridge, freezer, sump pump, but that got OLD really quick.  I have since installed a 30A outlet on the side of the house and back-feed through this.  BEFORE ALL YOU ELECTRICAL PEOPLE GET ALL OVER MY CASE, I'd like to say that I'm fully aware of the safety issue this presents to the utility workers, and make DAMN sure the main breaker is OFF FIRST!
  

My dad has done the same thing at our cabin. He bought a large gas powered generater and put it in our nice workshop/shed. he then went to the auto parts store and bought a muffler for a small car and adapted it to fit the generator and ran the exhaust out of the shop through a hole. now i don't know much about the exact specs but he installed a large outlet to the side of the breaker panel in the shed. we have a large gauge dual male ended plug that we can run from the generater to the outlet. when the power goes out we shut off the main breaker in the cabin and we can plug in the generater and run power back though the shed into the cabin. works great and I've had to go though this process a few times intoxicated at 2 am when we were having a few parties   haven't blown up anything yet, but my dad did post a big yellow notice in the shed breaker to BE SURE TO SHUT OFF MAIN BREAKER BEFORE PLUGGING IN GENERATOR. i guess a $150 safety device would be worth it, cant imagine the cost and damage if the power came on with the generator running and the main breaker on....

on a side note my dad did come up with an interesting device that i noticed recently. since we installed propane heat, all we really need to power is the TV, fridge, and microwave when the power goes out... somuch for the use of that $800 generator. he took a battery backup from a computer and removed the internal battery, he then ran the battery wires to 3 or 4 small car batteries. this is plugged into the wall and a surge protector is plugged into the output from the backup power supply. we have the items we want to run plugged into the surge protector. worked like a charm the last time the power went out and we ran the TV and a few lights all night and the next day until the power went back on. now I'm no electrician but i thought this seemed a bit dangerous. my dads job involves electronics and wiring so I'm not going to second guess.

edit: now that i think of it, shouldnt the main breaker "pop" and prevent power from being fed back through the circut to the main line? remeber i said I'm no electrician...

need more cabin parties!!!!!!! +BYOL (Bring your own ladies)

[Steve F]

edit: now that i think of it, shouldnt the main breaker "pop" and prevent power from being fed back through the circut to the main line? remeber i said I'm no electrician...

The breaker cannot react fast enough to save your generator in this case.  It only take 1/2 of a cycle to do it's damage to the generator.

[Industrial Cafe]

solar backup system.
http://www.mysolarbackup.com/

[westondc]

Hey Steve F, that safety switch in the first pic of yours looks pretty easy to fabricate. i might actually give it a shot the next time i make it out to my cabin. i mean it doesn't even have to be that elaborate. just one piece of tin with two bolts to allow it to slide back and forth would work.

[Steve F]

Hey Steve F, that safety switch in the first pic of yours looks pretty easy to fabricate. i might actually give it a shot the next time i make it out to my cabin. i mean it doesn't even have to be that elaborate. just one piece of tin with two bolts to allow it to slide back and forth would work.

Yes, that's about all it is.  I'm gonna give it a try too someday, but first I have to trace out the layout of the breakers to start designing one.