Whole House Generators

How many people have whole house generators? How hard is it to wire up to a breaker panel. Do you use a sub panel?

You need some type of main transfer switch that totally disconnects the main power coming in and switches it to the generator input. Some are automatic, others are manual depending.

Doing a Search, brings up a few threads on Generator Hookups.

Need Some Suggestions for a Transfer Switch.

Electricians, Generator Hookup Advice Needed

Generator, Now What ?

Informative video about adding just an mechanical interlock to your existing service panel instead of adding and re-wiring to a new sub-panel.

ETA: Small cost, simple to do and fool-proof.

jkabdoors wrote:How many people have whole house generators? How hard is it to wire up to a breaker panel. Do you use a sub panel?

HI, I have a portable generator that can maintain 5600 watts and can take 8300 watt bursts. Since it has a 220 volt out, I have mine wired directly to the breaker box by back feeding it thru a 220 breaker. This is the hill billy way of doing it verses having a seperate sub panel installed by an electrician. Back feeding the generator thru a breaker in the breaker box can be done safely as long as you KNOW what your doing. There is a specefic sequence of turning breakers on and off that must be followed so that there isn't a problem. Here is how I do it.

1. Turn OFF the MAIN breaker to the house (most important)
2. Turn OFF all breakers in the box
3. Start the generator
4. Turn on the breaker the generator is back feeding thru
5. Turn on the breakers in the house you want power to (be selective not to over burden the generator)

Its most imperative the Main breaker to the house is OFF while the Generator breaker is ON.

When you first install this type of set up, you will need to check voltages with a volt meter in the breaker box (before turning on any breakers) to be sure its working properly.

There is mixed opinions on powering sensitive electronic stuff with a generator for example computers and LCD tvs and whatever. I've never had any issues.
I recently ran this set up during an outage for about 8 hours, worked fantastic Even thru on the hot water tank for a while! Its important to rotate power hogging appliances though...

I had purchased a 60k watt generator with a 200amp transfer switch which runs off propane. we are going to put it on a concrete slab and a roof over it. I just had some questions on pad placement, how far from home, This is going to start automaticly when power goes out is there anything I have to do? or watch out for

jkabdoors wrote:I had purchased a 60k watt generator with a 200amp transfer switch which runs off propane. we are going to put it on a concrete slab and a roof over it. I just had some questions on pad placement, how far from home, This is going to start automaticly when power goes out is there anything I have to do? or watch out for

60,000 Watt?? ...I'm thinking a typo. A good friend of mine just installed a 20K Propane Generac system. Having it hooked up cost about 3K, plus 2 100lbs Tanks ( $800 worth depending on market price) and tha'll run his house flat out for 1 week. I went with a 10k outside portable hard wiring to my panel with the above ^ mechanical lock-out.

No ed.a 60k thats rite, I bought it from a company that used it to back up a water supply of a small town. The dam thing is like new and my son workes for CATERPILLAR in the generator divison, this monster has a 200 amp transfer switch to run a home on idle.

I have a Propane Generac System that's automatic with a one min delay once there is a outage. Runs once a week for 15 mins to keep battery charge. I would highly suggest a generator sub panel, and have electrician wire it. My system runs house and shop so if your going to do it think long haul.

60k? WOW we could run our entire neighborhood on that thing comfortably!! Your probably not going to be happy with fuel consumption, I'm guessing ...

Our house had a transfer panel wired up already when we moved here. It only ran select sections or appliances, so I dug into it & wired up some extras, completely NOT to code by any stretch ... but we needed the bathroom light to work (what good is having water when your showering in the dark? ), the washing machine, and microwave too. Came in handy the past 2 years, since we've lost power for a combined 12 days in that time. We're always the very last to get our power back, so you've got to be ready for anything here.

I've got a Yamaha EF6300iSDE. STUPID expensive - I could've done this MUCH cheaper, but I bought it mainly for the fuel economy & sound level. Plus I got it for 50% less than my local dealer wanted for it with sales tax .. AND it was dropped off right on my doorstep without having to go anywhere.

The electronics in this thing are frightening ( there's 3 separate MASSIVE .. & EXPENSIVE motherboards in there ... ) .. but Yamaha has been very good to me over the years with their motorcycles, so I put my faith in this thing. You all know how much I HATE electronics ...

I also have a Harbor Fright China special I picked up for $80 shipped to my doorstep. I smashed it the very first use, because the carb was screwing up. I picked it up and slammed it on the pavement & busted the feet off it. I use it to power the garage doors & lights in the barn, because the electronic safety systems keep tripping on the Yamaha whenever I try to run them with it. Since cleaning & fiddling with the carb, it runs ok .... for $80. HOLY FLARE of your lights though!! Definitely don't want to use this to power anything electrically sensitive ... VERY UNSTABLE output!!!

jkabdoors wrote:No ed.a 60k thats rite, I bought it from a company that used it to back up a water supply of a small town. The dam thing is like new and my son workes for CATERPILLAR in the generator divison, this monster has a 200 amp transfer switch to run a home on idle.

WOW!!

60K...WOW

You could sell the over-sized 60K generator...and take the proceeds and contract out for a Total Install of a more appropriate sized system.
I imagine any installer would take the 60K as a Trade In.
Keep the x/fer Switch...it is worth many hundreds of dollars.

I have 10K w/ 2-100 gallon propane tanks and whole house auto-transfer switch.
It is powered w/ a 4 cylinder Waukesha Engine.

You will not need any sub-panel.
If you find the Utility Service feeder is not long enough to reach for the hook-up at X/fer Switch, you may find you need to install a new Main Switch instead, ahead of the X/fer Switch.
Ideally you need to mount the X/fer Switch near the service entry point and re-route utility service feed from the Main over to the X/fer switch Utility Line Side.
Then install new feeders from X/fer Switch Load Side to replace the service connection previously moved.
Then add new generator output feeders to the X/fer Switch Generator Line Side.

So, you have 2 independent Line Inputs and only 1 Load Output.

My advice is to seek out a good electrician.

Hard to argue with McGiever on this one lol, mine only a tenth that output is plenty to get by on for an outage even if it lasted weeks..lol 60K could power several houses.. I know run a line to the neighbors and charge them for electric during an outage

60K, gotta love the gun fights at 3PM as the neighbors try to sleep. Large generators also suck up the fuel (particularly propane ones). When the end of the world comes (even briefly in an an ice storm) hijack your own propane truck. Do a realistic 5 day down cost - ouch. I have gone the other route a Hitzer 50-93 and a candle (well not quite the candle). My little Lister 6/1 will run for weeks on waste motor oil/HO/soy bean oil/almost any crap with a good BTU.

Ed.A wrote: A good friend of mine just installed a 20K Propane Generac system. Having it hooked up cost about 3K, plus 2 100lbs Tanks ( $800 worth depending on market price) and tha'll run his house flat out for 1 week.

Hope you meant 2 100 gallon tanks.

... and think carnage, for $800 how much beer you can buy and the power outage suddenly does not matter..... Let's not forget those Friday AM exercising functions so that when the SHTF you don't even have that much propane... and no the propane company will not constantly refill you. In fact my friend with a 17K Generac was told he could not have a second tank that he might use one year when it suited him and he was limited to one 100gall tank (your mileage may very). During a recent outage he used 240gall in two days, - yep the truck kept coming as he is a cardiac patient..... doesn't work that well in an ice storm... Sorry, it doesn't work as advertised. When the feces hits the fan I have no idea for how long. I vote for a Hitzer and a good beer stock.