Waldo wrote:



Pete C. wrote:

Waldo wrote:

Vaughn wrote:

"Pop" wrote in message
...


Sooo, all that "data" means it's OK to kill someone that way as
long as it's just a once in awhile thing, eh? "Snot my fault; he
shouldn'ta been workin so tired trying to help all dem peoples!"



Oh dear! Whenever this subject comes up, we never fail to get
the same
fodder from the amateur Internet moralists. Nothing is fail safe, I
point my
car at hundreds of innocent people every day and there is nothing to
keep me
from accidentally killing them, save my (very average) driving skills.

Please save the moralizing and stick to the facts.

Vaughn



Well, it amazes me that there are so many people that have
so many excuses for not properly, and safely, connecting
their generators to their electrical systems. They talk
about safely using suicide cords, throwing main breakers and
other hogwash such as using a sign to remind them to throw
the breakers.



There is nothing improper or unsafe about a temporary generator hookup
when done by a competent person. "Throwing the main breaker" is exactly
what some approved transfer switches do, they have two very ordinary
circuit breakers mounted opposite each other and a link bar between the
handles. The only difference between this arrangement and the "turn off
the main and back feed the dryer circuit" temporary connection is the
link bar.


Not quite. A transfer switch prevents the possibility of having both
sides connected at the same time.

A competent person switches off and tags the main breaker before they
even haul out the generator, double checks it again after turning off
the dryer circuit breaker and connecting the "suicide cable", starts the
generator and then finally reviews the main breaker once more before
turning on the dryer circuit breaker to power the panel.


Depends upon your definition of a competent person. Joe-blow may
certainly think he's competent because he knows how to do it as you
described above. I think I'm competent and that's why my generator
hookup is to code requirements - via a transfer switch and proper sized
cable and connectors.


The fact that the NEC requires generators to be connected
with isolation switches

My bad, should have read 'transfer switches'
seems to go right over their heads.

They apparently think it's ok for them to bypass code
requirements because 'they know what they're doing' and
neither them, nor someone else trying to use their generator
will ever make a mistake! Pretty arrogant attitude if you
ask me.



The NEC requires double throw transfer switches or approved equivalents
for permanent generator installations. A temporary hookup of a portable
generator in an emergency situation is not within the scope of the NEC.
Nothing "arrogant" about not not following code that is not applicable.

Agreed, but depends upon your definition of an emergency situation. If
someone is on a heart-lung machine, or something of that nature, and a
back-up power source is not available and a generator must be brought in
to provide power then I would consider that to be an emergency
requirement. But a power outage for a few hours is not a real emergency
for most homes, an inconvenience perhaps, but not an emergency.


Bottom line - if you're going to use a generator to energize
your home do it right! Use an isolation switch! The code
requires it for the safety of everyone involved!



It is asinine to claim that you should always install a transfer switch
in order to connect a generator, transfer switches only make sense in
permanent installations.



And how do you define a permanent installation? I have a portable
generator that gets connected through a transfer switch to the house
during extended power outages. When line power comes back on the
generator gets disconnected and rolled back into the shop. This is not a
permanent installation, but code still requires it be connected via a
transfer switch.

If a person has a generator on hand and intends to use it during power
outages then that person should have the means to connect it properly
and safely..

Waldo



Or don't connect it at all... You can do pretty well with a generator
and a couple of long extension cords.

Bob