It's good to be prepared

[Rocket]

It does if you wire it into the house side of the breaker. Not the incoming side

 

[hornadylnl]

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Simple 6000kw propane genny, runs off our 500 gal. tank home supply (plus a few spare cylinders). Single circuit outlet on the well & furnace for direct plugins/extensions, and no worries about backfeeding.
Takes about 15 minutes to setup/fire up. Gas grill (also on home propane supply) takes care of cooking.

 

[ticktwrter]

Several years ago we had a tornado come through and lost power for a week and before that a severe ice storm knocked it out for 5 days. After the tornado I said I would never deal with that again. I bought a cheap generator and had an electrician friend on the department properly wire my breaker box so I could run the generator and not back feed to the pole. I have only used the generator 3-4 times for maybe about 5 hours total. It is powerful enough to run whatever I need in my house. I don't have a sump pump and have city water. It is one of those things I am glad I have and hope never to use.

 

[Informed Decision]

It does if you wire it into the house side of the breaker. Not the incoming side

very true! Not wired right, someone can die

 

[looney2ns]

very true! Not wired right, someone can die

Good grief, purchase and install a proper transfer switch. Sounds like buying guns, buy an $800 gun, then look for the cheapest POS holster you can find so you can have gun fall to the floor while in line at Walmart.

It only takes one time to forget to shut off the main breaker to fry some poor soul working on the line.

 

[looney2ns]

I was afraid my fathe-in-law 's generator would disappear when we were borrowing it years ago.. So when I was finally able to afford one I installed it in my garage & with a few breakers switched around I'm able to pwr the whole house if need be. Pwr left us in May for about 5 days & I ended up sharing with the neighbors on both sides of me. Ran during day & shut down at night to save fuel. One thing I need to stress is to make sure you isolate your house from the grid so you don't create a safety issue for workers trying to get pwr back on!

I hope you allowed for carbon monoxide. Typically a bad idea to have the genset indoors.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

very true! Not wired right, someone can die

This subject has come up before. But, how do the power line techs deal with houses that have solar panels that are designed to send electricity back into the system when they make more than the home uses? Don't they always assume there is power in a line?

 

[churchmouse]

This subject has come up before. But, how do the power line techs deal with houses that have solar panels that are designed to send electricity back into the system when they make more than the home uses? Don't they always assume there is power in a line?

Any trained service person always checks for power. If you watch these folks work they drop the circuits feeding the houses so this will not happen. It does not mean we should be careless when supplying our own power.
Just a note, if you do not isolate your panel from the grid it will suck the guts out of your power supply be it genny, battery bank or solar. Be careful. Do not get in a hurry.

 

[Informed Decision]

I hope you allowed for carbon monoxide. Typically a bad idea to have the genset indoors.

Yes i do have an alarm in breezeway & I can lock the garage door open to let out any heat build up. I actually have the exhaust piped outside . Should be covered

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Wrong thread, my bad.

 

[actaeon277]

I love it when poop happens, all the people that were making fun of you for "being a boy scout" or "paranoid" are then asking questions.

 

[hornadylnl]

I love it when poop happens, all the people that were making fun of you for "being a boy scout" or "paranoid" are then asking questions.

Generators should be like ammo. You don't buy one until you need one. Well, that tornado or ice storm took out more power than just your own so don't be upset at anyone other than yourself if you waited til then to buy one.

 

[actaeon277]

Generators should be like ammo. You don't buy one until you need one. Well, that tornado or ice storm took out more power than just your own so don't be upset at anyone other than yourself if you waited til then to buy one.

Even after, some just don't get it.
My neighborhood loses power several times a year.
After the 14th time someone loses power, you'd think they'd prepare.... but no. Just blame the power company or the government.

 

[actaeon277]

[video=youtube;Zm6cMdePtMA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm6cMdePtMA[/video]