Re: Running my house from a Generator, can I do this?....

sparty wrote:
I would be turning off the main breaker coming into my house first in
this scenario, wouldn't I be disconnected from the grid then??

When I said inside, I was talking my 3rd car garage not the house. I
could install the plug just outside my 3rd car garage and put a lock on
it.

Joseph Meehan wrote:
sparty wrote:
I recently moved into a new house in Michigan, that does not currently
have a Generator hook up.

I just ran 4 guage wire to my garage with a 60amp breaker on both
sides to run an Air Compessor/Welder/etc.

I'm wondering, could I take something like a 9000 watt generator, wire
a plug for it into a 60 amp breaker in the panel in my garage. Then
if our power went out, I go into the house, flip off the main
breaker, and all the breakers except the subpanel, furnace,
refridgerator, pump, and a few others.

Then I plug in and fire up the generator in my garage, or right
outside it, and feed power into the house from that to run those
select items?
I hope you really mean outside only. Never put one inside unless you
have a unit designed for it and know how to safely install it inside.

This seems like it would be a great idea, just want to make sure that
would be ok??

Thanks, James

Let's start with the fact that it would be illegal and unsafe. You need
a special connection box that assures that you are totally disconnected from
the grid before you supply any power to your own home. Ignoring this can
kill a utility worked who might be trying to restore power to your home and
working on a line he knows is disconnected from the grid and therefore dead,
that you have just powered up. You also would be powering up every other
home in the neighborhood.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit


In order to do this in a code compliant way you will need a separate run of wire to the house main lighting and appliance panel that will connect the generator inlet to the transfer mechanism. You cannot make one run of wire provide current in two different directions accept as a part of an expensive power management system that uses electrically interlocked contactors backed up by shunt trip breakers. It is far less expensive in a residence to run separate wires.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous for general use." Thomas Alva Edison
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Is it legal to lock a main breaker box?
    ... Fire Dept might want to shut off the power. ... need to do is lift the cover and shut off the breaker. ... I've been there when a fire department responded to a house on fire. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: POE networking, whats the range?
    ... something to go from my house to my garage apartment then hook ... The garage and the ... an outlet in the garage instead of pulling power all the way from ... facts of the Ethernet environment: it's not power limited, ...
    (freebsd-questions)
  • Re: Dynasty 200 DX problems - Melting electrode????
    ... fused main, breaker or fused branch circuits, and how old is it? ... Is there a sub-panel for the garage, ... You need to make sure the house main panel is up to it, ... Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700 ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)
  • Re: Heat exchanger for a garage?
    ... it might freeze if I lose power. ... Zoning would minimize impact on the house system but frozen pipes in the ... find a system that allows glycol in the garage zone. ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: How vulnerable are my pins to lightning strikes?
    ... Does the power come down your street on an overhead line? ... You also have to be aware of a strike to a tree very close to the ... house that can raise the ground potential voltage. ... breaker before the storm arrived give my pins any more meaningful ...
    (rec.games.pinball)