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Backfeeding house from generator

So you have a real generator but are too cheap to spend the extra $200 on a transfer switch and the wire to run it properly to the house? Heck you might be able to get a breaker interlock for your outside panel. They are only $15-20 and meet code.
 
XtremeJ said:
Irony is I have a decent selection of heavy gauge welding cord extensions and plugs at my shop. But 15 miles away under mandatory evacuation might as well be a thousand miles

Think the 14kw would run the whole house. Propane range and oven tankless water heater is also propane. No a/c so probably drier or furnace is largest draw. I designed the house to be off grid, solar heated, insulated poured concrete walls, super efficient. Only wife and I.

Had not thought about direct wiring to the breaker to backfeed - much better idea. Could sacrifice my heavy duty extension cord.

let’s hope they keep the power on and I can sort this out properly. I have only had 8 years since the last fire to get this done. :grinpimp:

Honestly we are pretty well prepared with the exception of this wiring issue. :homer:
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Hooking it to a proper sized unused breaker, or one that you can disconnect and use would be the best approach. Just make sure the breaker is sized for the size cable you're using. Some heavy extension cords come in 10awg and that would be good for ~25 amps for a short distance. If you have one of those you can sacrifice, do it. I guess you could also run two extension cords in parallel from the two generator outlets to a single breaker to up the capacity....just make sure they're connected well so they're both carrying the load. This is all stupid, but it'll work in an emergency.
 
the way i do it(numerous times) is put a 30/50amp 240v(depending on generator size) breaker in my panel and run a cord from the generator to that breaker
 
The neutral and ground are bonded in the electrical panel. You built a ground fault and the ground fault interrupter worked as advertised. :homer:


Cheapest way to fix this is to get an interlock kit, like other said. If there is one available for your panel. Then figure out was the capacity of the generator is. Looks like 50 amps. Then get an exterior generator plug installed with the correct cord.
 
Yes, if you have at least a 4-wire cord to use you could put that underneath a 2-pole breaker in your panel to backfeed it and get by for now. With the main breaker off of course.

Just match the wire size and breaker size. If you are using too much power it will trip the breaker. An average house with the all the big loads off like the a/c or oven only uses about 5 amps.

#12 wire to a 20 amp breaker
#10 to a 30 amp
#8 to a 40 amp
#6 to a 50 amp
 
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Am I wrong in thinking the killer death cord is wired wrong? I am thinking one end needs to be swapped so black would be where the white would go and white where the black would go. If you think about it, you can't draw a straight line form one to the other so basically as the cord of death is now you are running hot to ground. Or I could be a dumbass.
 
He has a disconnect on the pole..... He can pull the wires out of his main breaker in his main panel because the power is off from the POLE. But instead chooses to go backwards through everything.:rolleyes:
 
XtremeJ
Sorry I didn't see this sooner.
A friend of mine set his up to do this, but for 220.

He found info about this on Preppier web sites and the site for his generator manufacturer.

On his, there is a chassis ground and a generator ground. He had to combine the two to back feed his 220 with a suicide cord.

HTH
 
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