Last week, the power went out for the first time since I got my generator. It took about 80 minutes to get it hooked up and running. I could have done it in 5 minutes if not for some special problems with my house wiring, as well as two unforseen problems. The original plan (for a properly wired house) is as follows:
Step #1 By far, the most important step is to disconnect the breaker panel from the external power grid. Ordinarily, you just switch off the main disconnect in the breaker panel. (Automated systems, costing upwards of $1000, do this automatically before connecting the generator.)
Step #2 Plug the generator output cable into the nearest 240 vac outlet. This requires a male-to-male cable with the appropriate connectors. I'm not sure if you can buy one like this. It's not idiot proof, and it can electrocute you if you don't know what you're doing.
Step #3 Plug the cable into the generator. Don't run the generator with the house end of the cable unplugged, as this will make the exposed prongs of the male connector hot.
Step #3 Start the generator.
Ordinarily, that's all there is to it. This arrangement should provide power to all of your house wiring.
Note that the generator output will be limited by the circuit breaker on the circuit you plug it into. If the generator's own circuit breaker has a lower rating than the circuit you plug into, then you can use the full power rating of the generator. Be careful what appliances you use. If you have a 15 amp generator, you should turn off the circuit breakers for the electric heating and the water heater; only use one burner on the electric range. Don't use the range and the microwave at the same time.
My situation is a bit more complicated. The place I'm renting has no main disconnect (a big code violation), so my step #1 is to switch off all 6 of the 220 vac breakers, one of which is connected to a bunch of 120 vac breakers.
The original plan was to plug the generator into the drier outlet and connect the drier circuit to other circuits via jumper wires in the breaker panel. So I proceeded with: Step #2 Install the necessary jumper wires. My 15 amp generator can't handle the baseboard heaters or the water heater, so my jumpers only deliver power to the range and the 120 vac circuit breakers.
Step #3 Plug the generator cord into the drier outlet. I had kluged together a 240 vac male-to-male power cord to plug into the drier outlet, but the generator end had the wrong plug on it. So I unplugged from the drier outlet and removed the jumpers in the breaker pane.
Plan B: Use the 120 vac output of the generator via the nearest outdoor outlet.
New Step #2 Connect a single jumper wire from the phase A 120 vac circuit breakers to the the phase B 120 vac circuit breakers.
New Step #3 I also had a 120 vac male-to-male cord which I connected to the nearest 120 vac outlet.
New Step #4 Connect the 120 vac male-to-male cord to the generator.
New Step #5 Start the generator. Oooops! The pull cord snapped on the first pull.
New Step #5 Relplace the pull cord outside in the rain in a 40 mph wind at night.
New Step #6 Start the generator.
That worked just fine! I had power on all my 120 vac circuits. And then the main power came back on, but I didn't know it because I wasn't connected to it.
New plan to get ready for next time: #1 Put the correct connector on the
240 vac power cord. #2 Prepare some sort of alarm (perhaps a radio) to be wired to one phase of the heater circuit breaker (which will be the only circuit still connected to the external grid).------------------------------------- Retired tech.\\//.
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