*** Hurricane Irma ***

**Da Bull** · 09-17-2017, 10:16 AM

Those whole house generators are great. My folks have one (gasoline) but will soon be natural gas. Fancy switch that detects in coming power and makes the switch protecting the linemen.

DB

**Chaz** · 09-17-2017, 10:37 AM

That's good thinking . A couple people on my block have 220v generators that they had a male / male cord made up for them that they would plug into the drier socket. I asked them if they cut off their main breakers .. so when power came back on they wouldn't have back feed issues .
I never looked at it bass - ackwards . That they would be feeding the whole grid , but more importantly , as you say .. putting lineman's life's in danger ...

**FMP** · 09-17-2017, 01:14 PM

Really important to remember that. First you'll probably trip the genny right off the start because of load from your neighbours unless you're in a tourist area where everyone has left. But the stray voltage up to a line man working will have them looking for you not having it switched.

**H2OPERF** · 09-17-2017, 01:15 PM

We just got power yetsrday and no way i was leaving the house .. cops said right on the radio were not going on calls except life threatening emergency sounds like a free for all to me for some ., Another good place to back feed is to put a 50a outlet out at your a/c unit then plug in there with the patch cord, that way if your gen is big enough to run your a/c the power to the compressor only on the short wires from the outside disconnect to the unit and your fridge and lights can run on the a/c breakers and feed wires. Pull the meter the power company would rather have that than a back feed..Also keeps you from having to run a cord inside.. Dave

**oldschoolltv** · 09-17-2017, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Chaz

That's good thinking . A couple people on my block have 220v generators that they had a male / male cord made up for them that they would plug into the drier socket. I asked them if they cut off their main breakers .. so when power came back on they wouldn't have back feed issues .
I never looked at it bass - ackwards . That they would be feeding the whole grid , but more importantly , as you say .. putting lineman's life's in danger ...

I believe it is a felony if you do not have a isolator switch, as you can kill someone real quick.

**XstreamVking** · 09-17-2017, 01:42 PM

If you are gonna energize the panel, at least pull the meter. A disconnect is ideal, but pulling the meter will do the job....Also disconnect the main and any circuits not being used on the panel. Less wires energized the better.

**Capt.Insane-o** · 09-17-2017, 07:42 PM

You absolutely must shut off the main if you do this. They WILL find you if you back feed the lines.

**H2OPERF** · 09-17-2017, 08:20 PM

Yea transformers work both ways..

**Chaz** · 09-17-2017, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by FMP

Really important to remember that. First you'll probably trip the genny right off the start because of load from your neighbours unless you're in a tourist area where everyone has left. But the stray voltage up to a line man working will have them looking for you not having it switched.

I have a present for you ...

But , first lets recap .

As stated , We stayed in our "bunker" until the storm was over . At that point , Debbie and I moved out into our motorhome . As is typical , it is self contained with large water and propane tanks . As well as a quiet 110v Onan generator . I ran an extension cord into the house and plugged our refrigerator into the cord .
So it seems that the neighbors with their loud azz Home-Depo generators that happen to have a 30 amp 220v plug and a homeboy built cord could do whatever they want and the worst it would do to me is dimly light a bulb the Mrs . might have left on in the house and / or make the little mouse in the meter can run a couple half hearted laps around the wheel.
However , I did ask my neighbors if they flipped their main breakers off in the house , perhaps for the least important reason , but still I knew of their setup , and made sure they had the house disconnected .

They say "third times the charm" so if that doesn't work for you I'll do my best to reword it to where it makes sense to ya ...

I live in Florida .. There is also Florida L.A. That's the part that looks like Alabama or Lower Alabama ... I don't live there , so I can't say . But , in the Florida part of Florida , the whole thing is full of people who have funny lookin license plates on their cars that appear to be lost . At least they make it to where it take's 45 minutes to go to a hardware store that's 5 minutes away .
The places they stay out by the ocean ,more than likely have Generac systems . As do the people out in the equestrian farms out west of town .
Native Krakka neighborhoods where I live ... no one leaves .. for nuttin

As promised ... wait .. do me a favor first .
Before you send down them old people this winter in them new Caddy's and Lincolns , make it a law that they need to know what a GPS is ... and how to use it , as well as learn that .37c is not a proper tip on a $42.00 dollar bill . They really upset all my favorite waitresses ... ehh

OK .. here ya go ... looks like AC is right up your ally the way it puls ....
I cant bring myself to say it ...

XstreamVking

If you are gonna energize the panel, at least pull the meter. A disconnect is ideal, but pulling the meter will do the job....Also disconnect the main and any circuits not being used on the panel. Less wires energized the better.

I'd rather cut the wires after the meter can ... maybe the mouse will run backwards ... and I can send FPL a bill ...

**delawarerick** · 09-18-2017, 05:37 AM

Still no power it's about 100 people lines are gone it suks and movement from across the tracks

**James Thompson** · 09-18-2017, 05:55 AM

Square D makes a mechanical interlock that mounts inside their panel covers with screws. It's a steel plate that slides up and down that allows a 2 pole breaker on the top right of the panel to be turned on only when the main is off. Ive installed quite a few. A 30 or 50A generator outlet is easy to cut in below the panel, takes less than an hour.

**FMP** · 09-18-2017, 06:11 AM

You live in FL where density is high , but the thousands of other readers might not and it may apply to them.
You may need that bunker next week.

**vnemous** · 09-18-2017, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Chaz

That's good thinking . A couple people on my block have 220v generators that they had a male / male cord made up for them that they would plug into the drier socket. I asked them if they cut off their main breakers .. so when power came back on they wouldn't have back feed issues .
I never looked at it bass - ackwards . That they would be feeding the whole grid , but more importantly , as you say .. putting lineman's life's in danger ...

I set my generator up to back feed the house through the air conditioner breaker on the back of the house. YES shut the main power off or you will kill some poor line man down the wire.

**Tomanytoys** · 09-18-2017, 04:12 PM

Local electrical code in our area requires a 3 pole disconnect (2 hots & the neutral) if your going to back feed your entire panel......and yes, if you back feed without a proper disconnect and there's an issue you're held responsible.

**delawarerick** · 09-18-2017, 07:25 PM

We got power Mi guys came down and did it made our guys look bad for sure. A few things went missing but was the owners fault. The coleman powermate 5000 with suburu robbin engine ran 9 days was off a total of maybe 6 hours did oil change once. It ran window air unit ice box and 2 fans and 1 light. What a bear great machine. Have a 20 plus cubic yards of debris and more in the back. Tornado's were the bad part.