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Home best to connect a generator, HELP !!
I am 70 years old and have a bad heart condition, last year I had
over 11 days of no power and had to live in my home with nothing but a fireplace and a sleeping bag. Now I have purchased a 2.5kw diesel powered generator but I can't get anyone to tell how best to connect it to the furnace. I want to disconnect the furnace at the circuit breaker and put a romex cable of 14/2 at the output of the breaker and connect it to a cable from the generator. But no one wants to let me know if this will work and if there would be any possible problems. Can some one let me know if they have tried this and had any adverse problems. Thanks for any answers, you can answer me by E-Mail. |
The easy, safe way is to get a transfer panel to switch loads. A Generac
kit can be purchased for 2-300 and instaled for apx 200, it is a complete, wired kit. This way you have 6 circuits and can monitor watts used. Anything can work but if you have to ask, then hiring a pro is best. At that point a transfer panel cost will still be ,mimimal. An adverse problem could be not being sure you output 120v 60 Hz |
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"HeatMan" wrote in message . .. "HorneTD" wrote in message ink.net... wrote: I am 70 years old and have a bad heart condition, last year I had over 11 days of no power and had to live in my home with nothing but a fireplace and a sleeping bag. Now I have purchased a 2.5kw diesel powered generator but I can't get anyone to tell how best to connect it to the furnace. I want to disconnect the furnace at the circuit breaker and put a romex cable of 14/2 at the output of the breaker and connect it to a cable from the generator. But no one wants to let me know if this will work and if there would be any possible problems. Can some one let me know if they have tried this and had any adverse problems. Thanks for any answers, you can answer me by E-Mail. At the furnace you will have a cut off switch that a service technician would use to cut power to the unit when working on it. Replace that switch with a single receptacle and replace the cable between the switch and the furnace mechanism with a cord and plug. The cord and plug stay plugged into the single receptacle until you need to service the unit or supply it from the generator. To service the unit you unplug it. To supply it from the generator you unplug it from the single receptacle on the houses wiring system and plug it into the extension cord from the generator. This is the simplest and most cost effective solution for powering the furnace from a generator. The same procedure will work for well pump controllers. All of the other things you need, like a refrigerator, are already supplied through cord and plug so they can easily be plugged into an extension cord from a generator. The above solution uses a suicide plug and relies on the user to remember to shut off breakers. A better (safer) way is to disconnect the hard wire from the furnace. Connect a female socket to the breaker side and a male socket to the furnace side. Now you can just unplug your furnace and connect it to an extension cord. This is good for 110v gensets when you don't have enough power or "poles" for a whole house, or enough money for a transfer panel. It is also safe since there is no way to backfeed and no suicide cord. Many homes here wire the furnace and 110 well pumps this way. I am not an electrician so I don't know if it is against code but it is as safe as plugging anything into a socket. |
HeatMan wrote:
"HorneTD" wrote in message ink.net... wrote: I am 70 years old and have a bad heart condition, last year I had over 11 days of no power and had to live in my home with nothing but a fireplace and a sleeping bag. Now I have purchased a 2.5kw diesel powered generator but I can't get anyone to tell how best to connect it to the furnace. I want to disconnect the furnace at the circuit breaker and put a romex cable of 14/2 at the output of the breaker and connect it to a cable from the generator. But no one wants to let me know if this will work and if there would be any possible problems. Can some one let me know if they have tried this and had any adverse problems. Thanks for any answers, you can answer me by E-Mail. At the furnace you will have a cut off switch that a service technician would use to cut power to the unit when working on it. Replace that switch with a single receptacle and replace the cable between the switch and the furnace mechanism with a cord and plug. The cord and plug stay plugged into the single receptacle until you need to service the unit or supply it from the generator. To service the unit you unplug it. To supply it from the generator you unplug it from the single receptacle on the houses wiring system and plug it into the extension cord from the generator. This is the simplest and most cost effective solution for powering the furnace from a generator. The same procedure will work for well pump controllers. All of the other things you need, like a refrigerator, are already supplied through cord and plug so they can easily be plugged into an extension cord from a generator. -- It's also a code violation. Any appliance that is part of the house is supposed to be 'hard-wired' in, not on a plug. I've seen it done before, though. I suppose I could suggest the installation of a flanged inlet such as http://www.twacomm.com/Catalog/Model...7X1AJH0U925XA1 and a double pole double throw switch such as http://www.levitonhelpdesk.com/catal...bilityConnect= but a cord and plug connection is safe and simple so that is why I suggested it. -- Tom H |
calhoun wrote:
"HeatMan" wrote in message . .. "HorneTD" wrote in message ink.net... wrote: I am 70 years old and have a bad heart condition, last year I had over 11 days of no power and had to live in my home with nothing but a fireplace and a sleeping bag. Now I have purchased a 2.5kw diesel powered generator but I can't get anyone to tell how best to connect it to the furnace. I want to disconnect the furnace at the circuit breaker and put a romex cable of 14/2 at the output of the breaker and connect it to a cable from the generator. But no one wants to let me know if this will work and if there would be any possible problems. Can some one let me know if they have tried this and had any adverse problems. Thanks for any answers, you can answer me by E-Mail. At the furnace you will have a cut off switch that a service technician would use to cut power to the unit when working on it. Replace that switch with a single receptacle and replace the cable between the switch and the furnace mechanism with a cord and plug. The cord and plug stay plugged into the single receptacle until you need to service the unit or supply it from the generator. To service the unit you unplug it. To supply it from the generator you unplug it from the single receptacle on the houses wiring system and plug it into the extension cord from the generator. This is the simplest and most cost effective solution for powering the furnace from a generator. The same procedure will work for well pump controllers. All of the other things you need, like a refrigerator, are already supplied through cord and plug so they can easily be plugged into an extension cord from a generator. The above solution uses a suicide plug and relies on the user to remember to shut off breakers. A better (safer) way is to disconnect the hard wire from the furnace. Connect a female socket to the breaker side and a male socket to the furnace side. Now you can just unplug your furnace and connect it to an extension cord. This is good for 110v gensets when you don't have enough power or "poles" for a whole house, or enough money for a transfer panel. It is also safe since there is no way to backfeed and no suicide cord. Many homes here wire the furnace and 110 well pumps this way. I am not an electrician so I don't know if it is against code but it is as safe as plugging anything into a socket. Would you mind telling me were you got the idea that I was suggesting any kind of double male cord or device. What I said was At the furnace you will have a cut off switch that a service technician would use to cut power to the unit when working on it. Replace that switch with a single receptacle and replace the cable between the switch and the furnace mechanism with a cord and plug. This is exactly the way that dish washers and food waste disposers are connected all the time. I have a suggestion for you. Read first and then reply to what was written. -- Tom H |
Flanged Inlet!
I wondered what I needed; thanks. "HorneTD" wrote in message nk.net... HeatMan wrote: "HorneTD" wrote in message ink.net... wrote: I am 70 years old and have a bad heart condition, last year I had over 11 days of no power and had to live in my home with nothing but a fireplace and a sleeping bag. Now I have purchased a 2.5kw diesel powered generator but I can't get anyone to tell how best to connect it to the furnace. I want to disconnect the furnace at the circuit breaker and put a romex cable of 14/2 at the output of the breaker and connect it to a cable from the generator. But no one wants to let me know if this will work and if there would be any possible problems. Can some one let me know if they have tried this and had any adverse problems. Thanks for any answers, you can answer me by E-Mail. At the furnace you will have a cut off switch that a service technician would use to cut power to the unit when working on it. Replace that switch with a single receptacle and replace the cable between the switch and the furnace mechanism with a cord and plug. The cord and plug stay plugged into the single receptacle until you need to service the unit or supply it from the generator. To service the unit you unplug it. To supply it from the generator you unplug it from the single receptacle on the houses wiring system and plug it into the extension cord from the generator. This is the simplest and most cost effective solution for powering the furnace from a generator. The same procedure will work for well pump controllers. All of the other things you need, like a refrigerator, are already supplied through cord and plug so they can easily be plugged into an extension cord from a generator. -- It's also a code violation. Any appliance that is part of the house is supposed to be 'hard-wired' in, not on a plug. I've seen it done before, though. I suppose I could suggest the installation of a flanged inlet such as http://www.twacomm.com/Catalog/Model...7X1AJH0U925XA1 and a double pole double throw switch such as http://www.levitonhelpdesk.com/catal...bilityConnect= but a cord and plug connection is safe and simple so that is why I suggested it. -- Tom H |
If all you want to power is a furnace for heat, a kerosene heater will work
out much better. They are quieter, less likely to break, etc. etc. |
"toller" wrote in message ... If all you want to power is a furnace for heat, a kerosene heater will work out much better. They are quieter, less likely to break, etc. etc. If the OP has a generator why screw with a kerosene heater? Fuel in the house, they stink, and consume oxygen, you have to leave a window cracked open, pretty much defeats the purpose! This is one case where I would screw the code and put the furnace on a power cord and outlet. Just pull the cord, add an extension cord and connect the genny. The double throw switch and plug is a good idea though. Greg |
On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 22:13:19 -0600, "Greg O"
wrote: "toller" wrote in message ... If all you want to power is a furnace for heat, a kerosene heater will work out much better. They are quieter, less likely to break, etc. etc. If the OP has a generator why screw with a kerosene heater? Fuel in the house, they stink, and consume oxygen, you have to leave a window cracked open, pretty much defeats the purpose! This is one case where I would screw the code and put the furnace on a power cord and outlet. Just pull the cord, add an extension cord and connect the genny. The double throw switch and plug is a good idea though. Greg That's what I did, Thanks anyway I appreciate all the input. Aezael |
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