There is a relatively safe, although not idiot proof, way of hooking up a
generator to your house in an emergency. It assumes you have an electric clothes
dryer or other high current appliance which plugs in.
DON'T DO IT UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND THIS FULLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First, check the ratings for your generator. This method is mainly applicable to
modest generators, say up to 5 or 10 KW. You will need to make up a short male
to male cable, one end to fit the appliance socket and one end to fit your
generator or extension cord to your generator, line to line, neutral to neutral,
gnd to gnd. Use adequate wire size for the currents.
If your generator is 115 volts and your house is 115/230, you can make the cable
an adapter, connecting the neutral of the gen to the neutral of the house, and
the line of the gen to the lines of the house, gnd to gnd. Anything that runs on
230 volts in the house will receive no power and should be turned off at the
breakers and left alone. There is a chance a defective 230 volt appliance could
become a shock hazzard.
Now comes the part where GREAT CARE is necessary. To use this method you MUST
proceed as follows:
1. Turn off the main breaker to disconnect from the utility. If you don't you
could hurt a utility worker. Tape the breaker so someone else can not trurn it
on accidentally.
2. Unplug your dryer
3. Plug your adapter cable into the dryer. Tape the plug so it cannot be
accidentally disconnected
4. Connect the cable to your generator.
5. Start the generator.
Under no circumstances either connect or disconnect any part of this hookup with
the power on. If you do that, you could have a big shock risk from live exposed
connector pins. The dryer fuses/CBs will protect the wiring.
To disconnect:
1. Turn off generator and make sure house main breaker is still off.
2. Unplug both ends of your adapter cable
3. Turn main breaker back on.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS FULLY OR ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO DO ELECTRICAL
WORK...................DON'T TRY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has worked very nicely for me on several occasions, running a sump pump,
furnace, lights, and a TV during outages. The maximum current will be limited by
the dryer fuses/CBs. Don't be tempted to increase their size for it could cause
a fire. They are necessary to protect the wiring.
-John
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