How Are Southern Members Doing?

[SnoKing]

 

[Tuesdak]

How/what do you guys do about hooking up your generator in an outage? We are really fortunate here so in the 43 years I have never really needed a generator.

Since my son gave me a good 5k unit this past summer I am planning on setting it up for a "just in case"

My plan is to leave it in the shop and just back feed from my welding circuit rather that attaching at the main pole and deal with the snow, dark or whatever weather. Can I do this and just shut the main breaker off and any others that I can't always run? I have both plugs and some 10 gage wire I plan to make a short cord out of. What say the electricians?

You have to lock out the main breaker mechanically when you hook up a generator. When the generator breaker is "ON" it mechanically forces the main utility breaker "OFF". Two ways to do this are below. Say someone else, while you are out and about, does the gen hookup and forgets or you forget to throw the main breaker three things can happen:

1) The backfeed to the utility from your generator gets stepped up to high voltage and kills a lineman repairing the power line.
2) Utility catches you backfeeding because you forgot to flip the main breaker, etc. They pull your power meter and take time, are not nice, about turning your power back on for days or weeks after you correct the backfeed problem.
3) Power comes back on with your generator still hooked up: it burns out the windings, voltage regulator, and may catch fire.

Inexpensive generator interlock kits:

https://www.geninterlock.com/


Power meter "Transfer Switch" option:

30 amp

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GenerLink-30-Amp-Meter-Mounted-Transfer-Switch-MA23-N/301961623

40 amp

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GenerLink-40-Amp-Meter-Mounted-Transfer-Switch-MA24-N/301962163

 

[NIsaacs]

So you have a cord with a male plug on each end, one for the generator and the other into the house electrical inlet?

Yes, don't stick your tongue on the prongs, Lol...yes, kind of dangerous and probably not code....The new system I am talking about will also be both male pugs.

 

[BigPapa]

So you have a cord with a male plug on each end, one for the generator and the other into the house electrical inlet?

Yes, I do. That was another thing the generator police harped on, called it a “man killer”. If you don’t have enough sense to plug and unplug it while everything is off, you can be the next new addition to the natural selection list.

 

[gsbrockman]

How/what do you guys do about hooking up your generator in an outage? We are really fortunate here so in the 43 years I have never really needed a generator.

Mine has what I would liken to about a 20’ RV cord, it has four prongs and twists and locks in the generator. The other end has four 120V outlets on it. The actual generator can also be used without this cord, and has some duplex outlets on it. My cord is passed through and sandwiched between some beach towels through the kitchen window.

Last picture shows thickness of the sleet and ice we received that was sandwiched on the cowl of the TJ.

 

[Tuesdak]

Yes, don't stick your tongue on the prongs, Lol...yes, kind of dangerous and probably not code....The new system I am talking about will also be both male pugs.

Note how generator feed in panels have a male plug on them. So it's male cord at the genset and female at the house. This way there is the least risk of electric shock if you drop the cord, or it falls out, in the dark with the generator running. Again if you are not there someone else may not know the prongs are "live". The plug falling out and hitting a water pipe making big bang that maybe the genset doesn't get hurt with or hitting something else conductive can light someone up a ways away.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200220974_200220974

X2 on putting some CO detectors in the house. Winds can shift and you are getting generator CO in the house all of a sudden. Sadly when these nationwide storms are over the dead bodies will be piling up, again, from shocked people and those overcome by generator engine CO. The ones that run them (engines) in the house are a good example that our education system has failed us. The wind shifting is bad luck.

 

[JR]

We heat with an outdoor wood burner and only need a few hundred watts to run it. I have actually ran it off a battery and inverter on one power outage just for fun. I have 4 - 6 volt golf cart batteries sitting around doing nothing, I am seriously considering buying a solar panel and charge controller and running them permanently like that. We live in BFE and are dead last on the priority when the power goes out, which it does often enough.

I have a battery back up on the sump pump with a large deep cycle battery that is good for days of run time during the wet season.

The only time we really need to drag the gen out is to run the fridge and big freezer. I have been contemplating installing a transfer switch for that purpose and to be able to run the well pump. Not having running water is the only real necessity we go without when shore power goes TU. Not a big deal if the duration is in hours but when it turns to days the wife starts looking for an out.

 

[NIsaacs]

Greg has a nice, clean, safe setup. I am trying to avoid moving the generator from the shop, it is heavy and if there is a foot of snow....

The shop is about 150' away from the house so I think I am ok there as far as fumes go, I will open the walk in door during operation and avoid any time inside the shop.

With my system I can be up and running in a few minutes, however, maybe a bit reckless?

 

[bcbender]

We live in BFE and are dead last on the priority when the power goes out,

That is why 10y ago I put in a 10k standby with automatic transfer switch.... I did all the work myself no big deal aside from re-routing the cuircuits from the main panel to the new sub panel.,... now we have water (well pump/septic pump), and power and last time I was out it was 7days.

 

[Tuesdak]

How/what do you guys do about hooking up your generator in an outage?

At this time I do as @gsbrockman does on extension cords. In the future I plan on installing a Cummins Onan transfer switch powering a sub-panel with an outdoor dog house on a 12KW air cooled 4 banger 1800 RPM Cummins Onan diesel set. We loose power 4x per year for about 3.5 hours every time due to monsoon storms and a easy to storm damage 12KV overhead line strung off our underground line. Takes that long to throw the switch kicking off the damaged overhead line.

Eh, it's a project.

 

[bcbender]

The shop is about 150' away from the house so I think I am ok t

I am not sure if it affects the generator when it comes to reversed flow, but outbuildings with subpanels typically have the neutral bonded back to the main panel. This is to prevent electric shock from appliances with motors, etc.. as it prevents electracy to pass thru the neutral back to the other panel. Make sure you have all wires (including the ground) connected properly)

 

[NIsaacs]

I am not sure if it affects the generator when it comes to reversed flow, but outbuildings with subpanels typically have the neutral bonded back to the main panel. This is to prevent electric shock from appliances with motors, etc.. as it prevents electracy to pass thru the neutral back to the other panel. Make sure you have all wires (including the ground) connected properly)

Thanks for the caution. I wired my shop and an overhead heater in my house but mostly simple stuff. I was wondering about the 3 way welder plug to the 4 way generator plug. I assume I can just use three wires and omit one on the generator as long as I make sure of the right one? I understand neutral and ground are the same?

 

[bcbender]

Three wire plugs (240V) are L1/L2/Ground, no neutral wire as is the case on your welder or most dryers. As you said in your main panel the neutral wire and ground wire utilize the same bus bar but in an out building; powered off the main panel; the neutral wire and ground are isolated from one and other and bonded back to the main panel for safety. In this case, your neutral will not be connected to the neutral bus in the shop correctly from the generator. I cannot speak to what if any damage will occur, but if using the 3 wire plug, you will not have both neutral and ground so sensitive electronics may not like it and not sure if the shop elec will function properly. Also 120V circuits (depending on how you connect the 3wires, may not have a neutral path (if you connect to the gnd on the generator and not the neutral) I am not an electrician but like you I have wired multiple shops and lean on the electricians I know for advise from time to time. I hope this helps somehow and prevents unintended outcomes. Stay warm and safe

 

[DonFitzwater]

Meanwhile in Alaska...........Just another Wednesday

 

[GCroyle]

GCroyle, I live in Erie, PA; right on the Lake Erie - my house is two miles from the lake. Standing on the shore in the winter with the wind blowing will make your eyes water.

Ouch! Snow beltville via winds and Lake Erie.

I took a guy from Boerne TX to the shoreline of Lake Erie just to show it to him one nasty winter day. We were 40'? above the shoreline and the wind had what had just blown over 100+ miles of nearly frozen water. It went thru the font of your jacket and went straight thru ya. We admired the view for maybe 2 minutes and made a dash for the car.

For those that haven't heard about the Ohio snow belt. Look at the curve of the Lake Erie shoreline. Cleveland is at the low end and Toledo and Erie the high ends. As the winds come over the lake from the NW or W folks W of Cleveland got a taste of the snow but E of Cleveland as the shoreline curved back up and the higher elevation, they got dumped on for snow, hence the snow belt.

But that NE corner of Ohio, real maple syrup come first spring days. OMG!

 

[JR]

Fitzy always gotta crash the party

Gary, anytime you are ready for some of that maple syrup let me know. I got the connection

As you well know I am right in the middle of the snow belt. We average 40+" more snow here (and probably where Russell is) than where I grew up in Wyoming. The difference is, it tends to melt off rather than accumulate.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

My snow experience is hit and miss. I am very close to the lake, and so I actually experience somewhat milder temperatures and less snow than if I were another ten miles inland (south). Depends, though. Early in the winter we can get a lake effect snow and have quite a bit of snow. I have a thread on here from a few years ago where we got a total of five feet of snow over two days. Did some shoveling!

My small property over the state line in New York is more removed from the lake. I expect there is a lot more snow there right now than where I am in town next to the lake.

Just read on the news that power outage continues to be widespread problem in Texas.

There is a place not far from me that does the maple syrup. Every spring they have a setup where you can tour the "cook house" and see the tree sap being reduced down to syrup. I like standing in there and breathing that in! They also serve pancakes - with maple syrup of course! Also, maple syrup works great to coat a piece of salmon and then put in smoker. Hmm, I need a snack....

 

[GCroyle]

Folks

JR can likely do a better story than I can about this but come spring in NE Ohio the local organizations, PTA, Kiwanis, Veterans organizations etc put on pancake breakfast fund raisers. Pancakes, sausage, coffee and real maple syrup. Oh man those folks know how to do it.

I needed some real maple syrup and buckwheat flour for a thank you way back about 1996. We drove out to maybe Chardon OH and in the town square they were just getting going for the days events. I went in to get my stuff and one gentleman asked if I had any kids with me. Yup 3 of 'em. Bring them in, we need to test our maple syrup cotton candy mix.

My kids still remember that and it is a family memory.

https://www.maplefestival.com/

Good to have a diversion story once in a while.

Gary

 

[JR]

Maple syrup uses are endless....I use it in my coffee in place of any creamer or sugar. Talk about yum!

A farm a mile up the road from me produces around 2 thousand gallons of syrup a year. I grew up with the kids and ran the lines alot when we were younger. I've had my boys out there a few times just for the experience. Good times.

 

[Jim W]

Will it is a nice sunny day in Northern IL with just 34" of snow on the ground and more is schedule for tonight and Sunday. Day time temps are between 5 and 20F with the night around 0 to -5F. This is not to bad for us as we can still open the bedroom window slightly at night when we sleep.
We have seen pictures of down south with the light dusting of snow on the ground.

JUST BE THANKFUL FOR GOBAL WARMING!!! it could be a lot worse.