Ignoramus30024 wrote:

On 2010-12-20, Pete C. wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:14:49 -0800, Carla Fong
wrote:

We did our own 'brute force' power transfer switch instead of buying the
$275 commercial panel. We installed a 50A dryer outlet from our main
panel and a small sub-panel with breakers to feed all the emergency
circuits. The generator output stubs out to another dryer outlet near
the sub-panel. When needed we will manually unplug from the main panel
and plug into the generator receptacle. Cost about $30 for the whole
shebang.

Just be damned sure that there is no possibility of power from the
generator getting back to the main line coming in...No matter how badly
someone screws up.

There is no possibility of that with the pluggable sub-panel setup.
Personally I prefer the approved interlock kits available for many
brands of panels, I use the Square D QOGCK kit on my QO panel.


Its a life taker if you do.

That's the claim, however I've yet to find any incident report that
supports that claim. In every "lineman killed by improperly connected
generator" report I've read (and I've read quite a few) the ultimate
cause of the incident and fatality was the lineman failing to follow
their mandatory procedures and ground the line before working on it.

Think about one thing.

If your generator backfeeds the power line through the transformer,
this means that you are also powering a whole neighborhood.

Proper generator connections (interlocks, pluggable panels, transfer
switches) are very important for many reasons, but let's not lose
track of reality, which is that a backup generator is usually not
capable of running a whole neighborhood.

Unless it is a MEP-006A, of course.

i

Yes, a back feed to much more than your own downed service drop will
generally result in a generator stall and/or breaker trip. Very few
cases where you can light up any significant length of primary line back
feeding through a transformer. If the linemen follow their mandatory
procedures, they test the line and then ground it before working on it,
so if your generator is lighting it up when they test, they'll come find
you, and if you try to fire it up after they've grounded the line your
generator will trip out.