Aux Generator

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SJTD
Posts: 1924
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm
Location: Lompoc, Sunland or somewhere between

Aux Generator

Post by SJTD »

Everyone suffers a blackout once in a while. Inconvenient for us since we have tankless water heaters; two electric and one gas. Currently if the power goes out I have to run an extension cord from the inverter in the truck to the gas heater.

Been planning to get a generator; nothing too big, just enough for the gas water heater, fridge and a few lights.

I have an outlet on the back patio. When the power is out I'm thinking I can open the main breaker and plug the generator into the patio outlet to feed the house through that circuit.

Obviously have to shut off the electric water heaters and tell the womens not to run hair dryers, etc.

What am I missing other than the legalities?
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BCRAWLER
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Re: Aux Generator

Post by BCRAWLER »

Some house items run on 220v. Plugging into Outlet will only power up one side. Also if you do not shut off the main breaker you will send current up the hydro poles and Zapp any electrician trying to restore your power. I know where we used to live had a power outage for a few days and people were running generators. Hydro shorted wires together to kill the generators so they did not get hurt.
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Topic author
SJTD
Posts: 1924
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm
Location: Lompoc, Sunland or somewhere between

Re: Aux Generator

Post by SJTD »

Not looking to run any 240 stuff.

I said "open the main breaker". Don't want to hurt the power guys nor try to power up the whole neighborhood.
Sic friatur crustulum

'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: Aux Generator

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

Look on government liquidation. Score a diesel surplus one and enjoy.


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merrill77
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:25 am
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Aux Generator

Post by merrill77 »

You'll be limited to the current capacity of the breaker for the circuit that you plug into...which you probably already realized.

In addition to the mains, you'd probably want to shut off all the breakers that don't serve the few specific items you want to run - that's probably faster/easier than running all over the house unplugging everything. In the household distribution system, nothing cares which direction the current is flowing.

However, as bcrawler said, if you have a relatively modern 240 panel (e.g. last 40 years at least) you'll only be powering up the side of the breaker box that your patio circuit is on. The other half of the panel will not be powered. At least, I think that's how it works. Been a while since I've dug into mine.
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merrill77
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Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: Aux Generator

Post by merrill77 »

merrill77 wrote:However, as bcrawler said, if you have a relatively modern 240 panel (e.g. last 40 years at least) you'll only be powering up the side of the breaker box that your patio circuit is on. The other half of the panel will not be powered. At least, I think that's how it works. Been a while since I've dug into mine.
Thinking more about this - I'm partially correct. You'll power half the panel. With the style of panel & breakers I have in my house, it would alternate every other breaker.
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REDONE
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Re: Aux Generator

Post by REDONE »

Just some thoughts from experience, but I got a small generator for the exact same reasons you're looking at one. When I lived in the boonies of Western Washington, I'd lose power 4-5 times a year, the longest was 11 days (big storm in 07). I wired in a big DPDT switch that isolated the panel from the grid to get power from the generator. The main thing I learned was how obnoxious a generator is when the world goes silent. Even a quiet generator is loud when, in those blessed primitive moments, the b-flat of constant electrical infrastructure goes off line. Granted, it sucks when all your food rots too, but still, I learned to think of the power outages as a blessing.

Now I live in The burbs and power outages aren't nearly as common or as long. I've been looking into a solar battery bank. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have gone that way from the start.
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Topic author
SJTD
Posts: 1924
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm
Location: Lompoc, Sunland or somewhere between

Re: Aux Generator

Post by SJTD »

The way this place is wired all outlets are on one leg and the overhead lights are on the other so everything I need would be powered.

Another possibility would be to plug the 240 output into the welder outlet in the garage. Then everything would get power and I could run the heating.

Been considering solar but we're planning on selling this place in a year. Two years after selling our other place. Tax reasons.

I get it about the noise. Leaf blowers never bothered me until I retired. Pretty much any time I go outside if I listen hard enough I can hear one somewhere.
Sic friatur crustulum

'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.
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