generator

[KMyers18]

I was just wondering if any one in central fl. bought a generator mainly for there fish tank? Cuz my wife made me. We have a overwieght puffer (spiny) that she named Bob (dont ask me )And she was frantic over that fish so we got one that would run the whole house a.c included pretty sweet almost like you still have power even when you dont. I know a lil'' about power so i DONT have cords running every where. If you can afford one there a great investment! FEMA will help to!!

[fishfreek]

Nice deal. How big is the generator? Is it hooked up to your main breaker with a cutover switch or something?

[KMyers18]

Or something is right! My generator has a 220volt outlet and it came with a sweet 220 cord that would have cost me about 150$ if i had bought it later. But anyway that cord had four 110volt plugs on one end and a 220 on the other. I cut off the junction box that had the four plugs on it and i wired a dryer plug to that and then just SHUT OFF THE MAIN BREAKER!!! and plug the cord to the dryer outlet. What that does is back feed the breaker panel in house then you just turn on the breakers and use the power as you would normally. That is considering that your generator is big enough to handel it. Even if not you just use the power sparingly. Main thing is to shut off the MAIN breaker. The news people play it up to be more dangerous than it really is.

[KMyers18]

O-yeah it's a 5250watt just big enough for my lil'' house

[William]

Originally Posted by KMyers18

Or something is right! My generator has a 220volt outlet and it came with a sweet 220 cord that would have cost me about 150$ if i had bought it later. But anyway that cord had four 110volt plugs on one end and a 220 on the other. I cut off the junction box that had the four plugs on it and i wired a dryer plug to that and then just SHUT OFF THE MAIN BREAKER!!! and plug the cord to the dryer outlet. What that does is back feed the breaker panel in house then you just turn on the breakers and use the power as you would normally. That is considering that your generator is big enough to handel it. Even if not you just use the power sparingly. Main thing is to shut off the MAIN breaker. The news people play it up to be more dangerous than it really is.

DO NOT DO THIS, UNDO IT NOW IF YOU ARE STILL RUNNING ON GENERATORS!!


THIS KILLS THE LINEMEN THAT ARE WORKING ON RESTORING YOUR HOUSE POWER!!!


THIS IS NOT A JOKE!! SEVERAL LINEMEN HAVE BEEN KILLED BY BACKFEED CAUSED BY JUST WHAT YOU ARE DOING!


They work on the lines thinking they are dead from the power junction, but your house is feeding power back onto the lines, and many Linemen have been killed from handling wires that were made live by Generator backfeed.

Do not put the lives of people who have come from as far away as Canada to restore your way of life at risk.

Undo it now.

[fishfreek]

Main thing is to shut off the MAIN breaker.

SHUT OFF THE MAIN BREAKER!!!

William I think you missed the above items from that post. Cutting the main breaker isolates the house from the utility lines therefor its safe for the workers restoring the lines. Failure to cut the main breaker will backfeed into the utility lines and it usually results in overloading the generator as it tries to power all the housese that feeds from the transformer that your house is connected.

[QTOFFER]

Originally Posted by fishfreek

Cutting the main breaker isolates the house from the utility lines therefor its safe for the workers restoring the lines. Failure to cut the main breaker will backfeed into the utility lines and it usually results in overloading the generator as it tries to power all the housese that feeds from the transformer that your house is connected.

True, but the fact remains that KMyers18's generator is 'jury-rigged' into his home's electrical system in such a way that it could still potentially overload the house wiring, cause a fire, or damage appliances plugged into the system.

The only NEC-approved way to connect a generator to residential home wiring requires a licensed electrician and a double-pole, double-throw transfer switch.

http://www.flatheadelectric.com/cust...yGenerator.htm

Electricity can kill, and I have the utmost respect for it.
I would immediately undo this temporary connection and only run essential appliances off the generator, as was intended, using extension cords of the appropriate guage.

[fishfreek]

I agree with that point also.

[KMyers18]

There is no way on the planet that my 5250 watt generator is going to over load a houses wiring your talking a 75amp 220 generator verses a 150 amp service from the pole. Way more power coming from the pole to my house than from my lil'' generator to my house!! And im not sure how much you know about electric but when you back feed off the dryer your still running threw a 60 amp breaker. Which is what most dryers run on . So to say that my generator is a fire hazard would be the same as saying mine or anyones dryer is a fire hazard. Backfeeding is done every day at jog sites across America. When you backfeed the panel your still running all your stuff on breakers the same as you do on any other day of the year!! Much safer than running a cord across your carpet thats getting hot while your sleeping! In reality your running the same as when you have regular service your just changing the powers point of entry to the home. The main thing pepole forget is to shut off the MAIN BREAKER. This way of hooking up your generator is not for the novice but granted there are safer ways of doing it like with a transfer switch. But when there is a hurricane barring down on your city and there saying possible 3 week power outage you improvise or as some like to call (jury-rigg). I'll tell you like this you do yours how ever you want. But as for me i like my A.C

[KMyers18]

O- YEAH and good luck finding an electrician right before or right after a hurricane.