Home Generators

[DEFYANT]

Does anyne have one of those nifty permanantly installed home genreators? The kind that are hard wired so when the power cuts out, it kicks in. Since moving here to MD, I cant count how many times the powers go out. Sometimes for days.

At our house, no power means no nuthin! Even the water is out.

[Cheeseheadbob]

Charlie, I don't but have friends that do. After installation, they said they cannot imagine living without it. The power transfer is instantaneous to the point where my buddy said he was on the computer, and did not even notice the power had been transferred to the gernerator. You can spend anywhere from 3K-6K depending on your requirements. I am putting one in early '06. Go to www.neverinthedark.com (http://www.neverinthedark.com/) for the whole story.
Does anyne have one of those nifty permanantly installed home genreators? The kind that are hard wired so when the power cuts out, it kicks in. Since moving here to MD, I cant count how many times the powers go out. Sometimes for days.

At our house, no power means no nuthin! Even the water is out.

[fastblackmerc]

Charlie, I don't but have friends that do. After installation, they said they cannot imagine living without it. The power transfer is instantaneous to the point where my buddy said he was on the computer, and did not even notice the power had been transferred to the gernerator. You can spend anywhere from 3K-6K depending on your requirements. I am putting one in early '06. Go to www.neverinthedark.com (http://www.neverinthedark.com/) for the whole story.
I'm seriously considering one to run the entire house also.

[O's Fan Rich]

I have one that I plug into the transfer switch and power my home with.
Spent $1200.00 and did the install myself.
I have 20 gallons of gas stored with Stabil to power it.

Simple enough as long as I can get the fuel.......

[grampaws]

Excellent idea! Been thinking about doing something along

those lines..Even just to keep the furnace running in winter!!

[CRUZTAKER]

I have one that I plug into the transfer switch and power my home with.
Spent $1200.00 and did the install myself.
I have 20 gallons of gas stored with Stabil to power it.

Simple enough as long as I can get the fuel.......
I rigged up connection at the panel for the fridge and two outlets after the big outage a few years back. I have a simple portable generator.

Fuel on hand...now that's another story...:sleepy:

[DEFYANT]

I like the generators that run on natural gas. The diesel generators will run on home fuel oil but are very expensive. Gas would be a last resort but is an option.

[HwyCruiser]

I live in an old part of the burbs where it's all pole to pole power, the trees are old and the power company can't / won't keep up with the growth. A good rain or snow storm and the occasional squirrel will bring down power in the blink of an eye.

I've got a 6k portable and wind up using it at least 1 or 2 times a year. I can run the furnace blower, the fridge, microwave, some lights and a TV no problem as long as I stagger the usage. Best $400 I've spent. I usually go get 10 gallons of gas on the threat of a major storm and then toss it in the van's tank if I don't wind up using it.

I eyeball the natural gas powered generators at Home Depot every now and then, and if I planned on staying in this house a long time I'd put one in. But then again, I've been saying that for the past eight years. :rolleyes:

[Joe Walsh]

I've got a 6500 watt portable generator and have a 230V dryer plug wired on to it.
If my power fails, I am planning on killing the 'Main' breaker, plugging the generator into my dryer outlet and backfeeding my panel.
Luckily, I have not had to do this....yet.

It's not as fancy as an automatic transfer switch but.....Total cost: $550.00
( I bought a really nice generator from Home Depot at 1/2 price when they had a huge overstock 2 years ago)

[DEFYANT]

I've got a 6500 watt portable generator and have a 230V dryer plug wired on to it.
If my power fails, I am planning on killing the 'Main' breaker, plugging the generator into my dryer outlet and backfeeding my panel.
Luckily, I have not had to do this....yet.

It's not as fancy as an automatic tranfer switch but.....Total cost: $550.00
This sounds like a good way to go...

[Rider90]

At work we have a Vortec V6 Blazer engine as our generator, all computers are backed up by battery and it takes about five seconds for the engine to automatically start and power the building when we lose power. All automated, a pretty sweet deal.

[HwyCruiser]

Usually when we loose power someone's backfeeding the pole, which is not only a big no-no it's a big time safety hazard. I see the linesmen walk up and down the street trying to figure out who the bonehead is before they will light our section back up.

BTW, code may require you to isolate the neutrals with a mechanical interlocking transfer switch if you're going to tap into your house wiring, which doesn't happen by throwing the typical home main breaker. Just remember, extension cords directly to end devices work well in a pinch for the DIY'er and will keep you from knocking a poor schmo off a pole. I'm pretty sure ignorance is no excuse.

[Joe Walsh]

Usually when we loose power someone's backfeeding the pole, which is not only a big no-no it's a big time safety hazard. I see the linesmen walk up and down the street trying to figure out who the bonehead is before they will light our section back up.

BTW, code may require you to isolate the neutrals with a mechanical interlocking transfer switch if you're going to tap into your house wiring, which doesn't happen by throwing the typical home main breaker. Just remember, extension cords directly to end devices work well in a pinch for the DIY'er and will keep you from knocking a poor schmo off a pole. I'm pretty sure ignorance is no excuse.

Please explain further....If I've 'killed' my Main breaker, I can still be feeding power past it and out onto the street wiring??

[texascorvette]

Just make sure that you have a transfer switch or, at the very least, flip off the main breaker. If you don't isolate your home from the incoming power lines, you can kill a utility worker who is working on the power lines.

[HwyCruiser]

Please explain further....If I've 'killed' my Main breaker, I can still be feeding power past it and out onto the street wiring??

From what I understand someone doing this relying a lot on a sod ground. On older houses there may not be a local sod / city water pipe ground at all and then you're looking at ground loops up and down the pole.

Do we have any licenced electricians / electrical engineers in the house that can explain this better? I'm a electronics tech that gets jumpy around anything above 24V.

[O's Fan Rich]

I've got a 6500 watt portable generator and have a 230V dryer plug wired on to it.
If my power fails, I am planning on killing the 'Main' breaker, plugging the generator into my dryer outlet and backfeeding my panel.
Luckily, I have not had to do this....yet.

It's not as fancy as an automatic transfer switch but.....Total cost: $550.00
( I bought a really nice generator from Home Depot at 1/2 price when they had a huge overstock 2 years ago)


That's a big No-No!!
If you forget, you could back feed juice into the power lines and kill an electrical worker.
I bought a manual transfer switch at Lowes, works great and only cost me about 200.00.
It comes with a 20 ft cord and dvd instructions.
:nono: :nono: :nono: