RV as Backup Power to House

[LABergo]

I would like to use my 2007 Mountain Aire as an alternate power source when we lose shore power. My thought is to find a way to supply power from the genset into the outlet I currently have my motorhome plugged into. It is a 50 amp outlet. When we lose shore power, I could turn off the main breaker to the house, then feed 50 amps of power into the RV outlet and have limited emergency backup power to my house. Has anyone done this?

[mikron]

Depends on how limited power you are talking about. You can get power by running a cord from any outlet on your coach and plug into any outlet in the house. that would power whatever is on that circuit. IMO you would need to draw direct from the gen to a panel that feeds certain brakers up to the output of your gen. You can buy a transfer switch made to plug outside power and connect 6 breakers to your house panel. It is a safe way to do this and you don't have to throw your main braker and won't back feed power to public supply.

[bigskymt]

Your M/H transfer switch will not allow you to backfeed gen current to your house panel.
You could run a separate cord from the gen outputs to the house service panel. On a 7.5K Onan TB-2 1&2 are 120 vac. (35 amp) 3&4 are Neutral. Bond the neutrals at the common buss then the 120vac outputs to each 120vac buss. You'd have to shut off the incoming main of course.
I wouldn't try this if you're not trained in electrical work.
In an emergency situation we've backfed 120vac from the M/H to a selected home outlet and turned off the mains. This would heat up one buss in the service panel and allow us to power the refer and a few lights.

["007"]

I have often use my GEN during power outages but use a heavy power cord to house from Gen with multiple outlet cord and fed to lighting,fridge off the power cord and stayed out of house electric system.

[rpasetto]

An additional manual transfer switch could be installed in the coach, taking power that normally goes from the genset to the regular transfer switch and switching it to an outlet. A 50amp 240v outlet just like the one you might find on a 240v genset could be used, if you have 50a on two separate legs coming out of the genset.

From there, the only way I know of that's "to code" would be to install a transfer switch in the home cabled to an exterior outlet designed for this purpose.

Having said that, there are makeshift ways that may work, but be cautious not to overload any of the wiring.

[wa8yxm]

Under NO conditions use an outlet as an inlet (Do not back feed an outlet)

Now some considerations: First your generator is very likely 120 volts. your house (And RV are 120/240 though in the RV 240 is never likely used (Very few exceptions)

What I did: I installed a set of 30 amp outlets in a weather protected basement compartment.. one 4-wire twist lock and two TT-30 pigtails.

On the back of the house was a 30 amp twist lock INLET

In between a custom made heavy duty (could carry 50 amps) extension cord.

In the basement a proper generator transfer switch

Plug in the cord, start the genrator, return to basement

CLICK: Lights
CLICK: Heat
CLICK: Cool (Fridge and another click the freezer)
CLICK: computers
Click Televisions

And so on.

(All clicks are actually double clicks)

Safe, up to code, and a few lights left on "mains" so I knew when to click back and kill the Onan.

[GaryKD]

Hi LABergo,
I have the setup you are looking to do. I had an electrician install a separate switch in the house and wire it so I can plug the coach into the house via a separate female receptacle (in the coach) that receives power from the generator.

No matter how it is done, one must make sure the house is isolated from power lines from the power company. I have 7.5K WATTS of power available to selected circuits in the house.

[docj]

Originally Posted by GaryKD

Hi LABergo,
No matter how it is done, one must make sure the house is isolated from power lines from the power company.

I'm it took this many responses for someone to say this. You must install a transfer switch in the house that will make sure the power you are providing does not flow back down the power lines. Otherwise you can seriously injure or even kill utility workers trying to restore power. Such transfer switches are a requirement for any backup generators installed in either homes or businesses.

[mikron]

Originally Posted by docj

I'm it took this many responses for someone to say this. You must install a transfer switch in the house that will make sure the power you are providing does not flow back down the power lines. Otherwise you can seriously injure or even kill utility workers trying to restore power. Such transfer switches are a requirement for any backup generators installed in either homes or businesses.

I said that in reply #2. Lots of people jump thier fuse box fron a gen. and that is not correct. I have 2 gen, both with transfer switches and each have 6 stations.

[puttin]

Quote:

In an emergency situation we've backfed 120vac from the M/H to a selected home outlet and turned off the mains. This would heat up one buss in the service panel and allow us to power the refer and a few lights.


I agree (unless you want a real professional and permanent approach...that is- you need back up power often).

[LABergo]

Lots of good information.....Thanks. Feeding 50 amps from the generator into a 50 amp outlet and isolating the house by turning off the main breaker was my initial thought. Still, this seems to me to be an easy solution and the fact that we would not need this very often would support a simple solution. But, caution and selective use in the house would be needed. More investigation on my part is needed....

Thanks Again...

[wa8yxm]

The problem with "Turning off the main breaker" is this:

Someone else who lives with you is in the house when the lights go out in your town... They go out, start the motor home generator and back feed the house,,,, A lineman is working on the down wire a block away..

You might notice I failed to mention turning off the main breaker

one dead lineman.. And you are now an "UpStanding" citizen.

Up standing in court on a manslaughter charge.

[LABergo]

Agreed....that is a concern. I plan to contact my electrician friend and see what it would take to do this in a safer way.

[Beowulf2]

Originally Posted by LABergo

I would like to use my 2007 Mountain Aire as an alternate power source when we lose shore power. My thought is to find a way to supply power from the genset into the outlet I currently have my motorhome plugged into. It is a 50 amp outlet. When we lose shore power, I could turn off the main breaker to the house, then feed 50 amps of power into the RV outlet and have limited emergency backup power to my house. Has anyone done this?

The shore power and generator has to be positively seperated without any possibilty of both being connected at the same time. There are two seperate lines of 120 volts supply power to the house. One line supplies to part of the house and the other line supplies power to the rest of the house. When they are properly connected 220 volts single phase is produced for air conditioners, clothes driers and electric ovens. Electricty is unforgiving and seeks the path of lest resitance. If any of the three lines become cross tied could be a tremendous short and damage the generator, house, applance, etc.

An electrican should be contacted to install isolation relay similuar to the one in the motorhomes.

The cheapest and simplest why to supply power to the furnace, refrigerature and a few lights is to unplug the appliances from the house and plug them into outlets from the motorhome. Keeping in mind cord sizes, outlet amperage and appliance requirements.

I have seen what happens when a power company cross ties the electric phases. There was considerable damage.