On Saturday, January 25, 2014 7:42:08 AM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
wrote:

On Thursday, October 27, 2005 11:49:15 AM UTC-5,

wrote:

Let me start by saying I know this is very dangerous and I don't

plan on doing it (I have a new generator and new uninstalled

transfer switch) so save your flames. I plan on installing my

transfer switch when I get some time in the next month or two.I read

a post suggesting that in a power outage, you could flip your main

breaker off to prevent anything going to the lines and killing a

line worker, and use a suicide cord from your generator to you

clothes dryer outlet (240 vac) and then your main panel would serve

as your switch for what circuits are using the generator--and that

this would power both 240 and 120 outlets.As dangerous as this is,

is this even possible?



Yes, it can and has been done (by me) in an emergency. Whether you

feed the 240V back thru the dryer cord outlet or directly tap in at

the breaker box, either way you must open the main circuit breaker to

disconnect your house from the mains to avoid electrocuting a worker,

or heavily overloading your generator trying to feed your entire

neighborhood.



When finished my wiring will have a breaker in the panel for just this

purpose . Out here in the woods we can be left without power for days if we

get another bad ice storm . Also part of the reason we heat with wood ...

--

Snag

I hope the breaker includes a lockout slide so it and the main breaker
cannot be closed at the same time and it's connected to an
inlet so that it's to code. It's not hard or expensive to do
it right.