Generator backup?

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by TomC

Failure to do this can do more than try to power the whole grid - it can result in the electrocution of linecrews working on the wires nearby (which is not uncommon since the source of the outage can lie nearby).

This is why transfer switches have a break-before-make feature to disconnect from the grid before connecting the house to the generator.

Couldn't have said it better, Tom. Unless you really know what you are doing by wiring your own breaker into the panel and manually shutting off the main breaker, you're better off with a transfer switch to make it foolproof. In times like the present storm when outages last several days and people hook up generators, they often don't shut off their own main disconnect and therefore, as you stated, they are putting line voltage out onto the system in the street and the potential is there for a lineman to get hurt. Most of the safety policies with public utilities call for them to ground the neutral before working on their wires, just for that reason.

Blue Thunder

[fatlazyless]

Oops, wrong thread...my bad, earlier today I posted in a nearby thread that the ... J.R. Discount store on Route 104, New Hampton, about one mile from exit 23 on Route 93, has these Pro-Con 2500 watt-gasoline 5.5hp generators for $250. Looks like they had about six on the floor. Reconditioned returns from the Pro-Con factory or something. Looked like new, and looked ok to me.

If I had the money I would buy one,'cept I have to go without 'lectricity so's I can pay my property taxes. Thank God for the almighty wood stove and scrounging lumber debris at the Meredith transfer station..... I call it recycling trash lumber w/ smaller monthly electric bills! A side-line pro-environment effect of high property taxes....what an advantage!