Generator's?

[masterswimmer]

How do you install plug onto back of house?

Just run a 4AWG....2AWG (exact size and insulation type TBD by your electrician) service line from your service panel to the location you'll be running your generator.

[dwa12479]

Where is your breaker panel? Mine is on opposite side of house as garage in basement.

How does that setup work for you?

My panel is opposite side of the garage as well. I ran a 10 gauge wire across the house and garage. Took about 75 feet.

[alistair]

Bought a generator for Sandy, planned to back-feed house through clothes dryer outlet.
Never lost power, so generator has never been used.

[masterswimmer]

My panel is opposite side of the garage as well. I ran a 10 gauge wire across the house and garage. Took about 75 feet.

Really? You sure that's adequate for a 36A peak with a 75' run? I'd have gone with a 6g or maybe if I was feeling randy an 8g. But that's just me.

[gtnorry]

Never backfeed. My soon to be ex son in law told me it is a major danger to lineman & if you ever have a fire because of it your insurance company cover you

[Hunter]

5500W generator here. If I remember correctly my HW heater has a 40 amp breaker. I believe gen. produces only 20 amps at 240v. I suppose I could disconnect one of the two 4500w elements to get HW.
Also good to know is a local place to get dry ice. Works very well at keeping freezer frozen.

Only one element runs at a time, no need to disconnect one.

[Sailor Jerry]

I have two, a 18 year old generac xl4000 that has saved many refrigerators full of food in power outages, the other one is a generac 6500kw generator that is brand new and never used. definitely a must have for me, also has provided power in the woods for any projects in the field.

[alistair]

Never backfeed. My soon to be ex son in law told me it is a major danger to lineman & if you ever have a fire because of it your insurance company cover you

Not the ideal method of using generator, but if ALL safety steps are followed, it works.

[Jimbo_79]

Deja Vu! I started a thread on NYF a few years ago about generators and backfeeding. Got a lot of responses about the dangers and decided against it. Still need to have it properly wired to the house and figure out some kind of enclosure so I don't need to leave it sitting in the driveway and the garage door wide open while it's running.

For those that chimed in on my thread, thank you for talking me out of backfeeding! I know CG was one of the main posters, lol!

[Calculon]

I had a generator interlock switch installed by an electrician as well as an outlet on the side of the house to plug the generator into. The interlock is a pretty simple device - you can't feed power to the panel unless you disconnect the main breakers first.

It's a little difficult to see in the picture but the "switch" is essentially 2 pieces of plastic sandwiched together. The bottom piece is secured to breaker panel with 2 dedicated breakers for feeding the generator - see them turned off on right side. The top piece of plastic prevents the generator breakers from being turned on unless it is pushed to the left. However it can't be pushed to the left unless the mains are turned off. There is no way to make a mistake and send power from the genny down the line. The other plus is that you don't need to install a separate sub panel with just a few critical appliances or circuits. You can decide which breakers to turn on based on need or generator capacity. Haven't had to use it yet.
IMG_0702.JPG

[usmcveteran]

How do I know if my appliances need cleaner power so to speak? I want to run furnace, hot water heater, fridge, freezer and some lights.

I'm thinking of either using gift cards towards this from home depot or a shed.

[thughes]

None of those things you mentioned need really "clean" power for the most part. Clean power is necessary for sensitive electronics (TV, computer, etc.).

[24Pink14Stink]

First aa zombie thread?

not sure whato you mean by clean, but not using unnecessary stuff solves most issues.

[usmcveteran]

Yes I didn't feel like starting a new one all over.

By clean I mean the wave. Blocky vs more rounded.
​​​​​​i actually found this generator I'm going to look into more.

LIFAN Platinum Series 7,000-Watt 389cc Gasoline Powered Low THD Portable Generator

http://m.homedepot.com/p/LIFAN-Plati...L-14/205325278

[usmcveteran]

How do you all plan to keep your generator covered in inclement weather when in use?