Quote:
Originally Posted by BOfH
QP TR,
As always, your advice is invaluable. I ran a "suicide" cable during the latter half of the Sandy aftermath. I have 200amp service with twin 100amp main disconnects, so I switched both off, and ran eight gauge copper with large alligator clips direct to the breaker bars from the 30amp receptacle(240v, which was nice, not that I have anything that uses it though) on the generator. Had to disconnect all of the non-essentials, but the rest of the house ran fine off of it. One benefit(maybe the only one) of CFLs is low wattage, so running most of the indoor lighting didn't make so much as a dent in usage.
My .02
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If you search, you can find the details for a suicide cord, which is only to be used with the main breakers off in dire emergencies.
I would just say that if you measure the distance from your genset running location (outside) to your 240v. dryer outlet, get an appropriately sized length of cable for your output a few feet longer than your measured distance, a 240v. male plug for one end, and a suitable plug for your genset on the other, you can skip the scary alligator clamps and have a relatively safe connection method. Just remember to pull the main breakers, plug in the dryer end of your cable first and then plug the other end into the genset connection. Reverse that when you are finished. Never run a genset on your home circuits without disconnecting the mains or you could kill someone.
The priority loads for most home generators is sump pumps, well pumps, heating fans (for gas, most electric heating and cooling units will draw too much power for the genset), refrigeration/freezers, lighting, fans, small appliances, entertainment, etc. Without getting into too much detail, the medium portable genset should easily handle those loads, as long as they are managed and the electric motors in the load do not all try to come on at once. Obviously, dryers, ovens, stoves, heat pumps and strips, central air conditioners, large electric water heaters, large electric motors, etc., will exceed the capacity of the portable gensets. It is not good for the generator or the device to run overloads and it will burn something up if you persist.
If you had a couple of deep cycle golf cart type batteries, you could charge them off your genset (or a large solar array) and then use them with an inverter while the genset is off run the lightest loads, like fans, lights, radios, etc.
Another good technique is to use the solar powered LED driveway and walkway lights to light the inside of your house for a few hours each night. You could keep them on all night if you had a dozen lights or so outside, and you took the batteries out of all of them to keep a couple running inside all night. Just remember to put them back outside during the day to charge.
You used what you had to make life more comfortable, nothing was damaged, and no one got hurt. You didn't whine and wait for someone else to come do something for you. That seems like a win-win situation to me.
Congratulations.
TR