Community Forums

60Vette · 11-23-2013, 08:31 AM

Couple years ago we lost power up here in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Extremely cold and wind driven snow packing around the house. My elderly parents lived next door to me. Being concerned that they had no heat I bundled up and pushed through the chest deep snow to their house. Over the wind I could here a motor noise. They had managed to get to their 27' Winnebago Chieftain and start the generator. As I made my way to the RV my mom opened the door and said "Hi honey, want some coffee?"
I think she saw the relief in my face.

Can't tell you how much I miss them.

George Schweikle · 11-23-2013, 01:43 PM

X2!.

Most houses have circuit breakers now, and there will be one marked "MAIN". You must turn this OFF if backfeeding your house from a RV generator. In fact, most electric codes require an interlock if you hard wire a generator connection.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joemcgin

If you power your house with your RV Generator, or any Generator, during a power outage, please remember to pull the main fuse in your electrical panel so you aren't backfeeding the power grid. If you have a downed line in your yard or street and don't do this, someone could be electrocuted. Electricity will flow from your Genny out through the Service wire without the main fuse pulled. Always seems to be a report of a someone getting injured or killed from this after large storms. Have to be very careful when we work storm damage restoration and you hear generators running all over the area. Verizon Lineman for 28 years.

gemini5362 · 11-23-2013, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joemcgin

If you power your house with your RV Generator, or any Generator, during a power outage, please remember to pull the main fuse in your electrical panel so you aren't backfeeding the power grid. If you have a downed line in your yard or street and don't do this, someone could be electrocuted. Electricity will flow from your Genny out through the Service wire without the main fuse pulled. Always seems to be a report of a someone getting injured or killed from this after large storms. Have to be very careful when we work storm damage restoration and you hear generators running all over the area. Verizon Lineman for 28 years.

I worry about what you are describing. To make sure that does not happen I made a poor man transfer switch. I put a breaker box in my garge and powered it off of the main house breakers box. I have a gas stove so I ran the power for the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom off of the breaker box in the garage. I ran power from the House main breaker to an Air conditioner disconnect ( about 15 to 20 dollars if I remember right.) I ran power from the air conditioner disconnect to the garage breaker box. I took another air conditioner disconnect and ran a cable that plugs into my generator to the input of it and ran power from the bottom of this disconnect to the garage breaker box also. These disconnects have a handle that you pull out and it opens up the power through the disconnect. I threw on of the handles away so that you only have one for the two disconnects. with normal line power coming to the house the handle is in the disconnect being fed from the Power Company. If we lose power I plug the other disconnect into the generator change the handle to the disconnect being fed by the generator and power it up. This gives me power for Items that I feel must have power to them. Because the power from the generator is isolated from the power lines there is no possibility of the power going out to endanger a line man. There is also no possibility of the power coming back on while my generator is connected to the line. It makes sure that you don't have to worry about pulling the mains in your house.

Flair30h · 11-23-2013, 06:50 PM

Don't worry about pulling your mains during an outage the life you save could be mine . When you see ur neighborhood lights on shut ur granny down and restore normal service . If you backfired a transformer it will create primary voltage you will kill someone please always open your main

toneumanns · 11-23-2013, 07:10 PM

Yup, I keep my tanks full just in case.

Muncie_6spd · 11-24-2013, 07:06 PM

I had not thought of using the MH genny for the house since I've had an emergency generator at home for years, long before I bought the MH. I have a 240 volt compressor in the garage so I made a power cable to plug from the compressor outlet to the generator; of course before I do anything I turn off the main breaker in the house so I won't back feed to the power grid. Since I have gas heat I can run the entire house on the generator.