I prefer to keep my mouth shut until I know what I'm talking about and
since I'm not familiar with what the codes are or how they are applied
outside of where I'm at (Taxachusetts) I thought I'd seek an answer from
someone who knows how things get done in Florida.

A good friend who lives in an Orlando suburb (Windermere) told me that
he'd invested in a rollaround backup generator for his home,an expensive
one in a ritzy gated development earlier this month. He hired a licensed
electrician do the installation for him.

When he described the setup I winced, but refrained from telling him I
thought he'd just bought a dangerous and probably illegal installation
until I had a chance to confirm my suspicions.

The first thing which struck me as having a strong smell of stupid about
it was that the installer had mounted a four pole 30 amp female socket
on an inside garage wall and made my friend a 30 foot flexible cord with
a MALE plug on BOTH ends to use to connect his new generator to that
receptical. The ramifications of using male plug on the house end of
that cable hould be obvious to a blind man.

From the rest of my friend's description I gathered that there was NO
disconnect switch installed. My friend was given instructions to turn
off the main disconnect to the house, and also turn off all the
individual circuit breakers in his panel, then roll the genny outside
the garage, plug in both ends of that cord, start the genny and finally
flip on the breakers for the circuits in his home he needed to use.

From a purely technical aspect, I'm sure that setup will work just fine
when operated by someone who knows exactly what they are doing, but it's
hardly idiot proof if the person using it suffers a "brain fart" and
forgets to take all the proper steps in the correct sequence.

I've heard things are a bit less restrictive in Florida that they are up
here, but I was shocked, just shocked, to hear his description of what
he's got. (Pun intended.)

Can someone confirm that what he's told me describes an setup which
shouldn't be allowed to exist?

Would I be on safe ground telling him he that for everyone's sake he
should do something about making what he's just had put in safer, toot
sweet?

Thanks guys,

Jeff


--
My name is Jeff Wisnia and I approved this message....

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public
schools"