Generator basics

[Mosey]

I'm considering getting a generator to run the refrigerator, freezer,and furnace in the case of a power outage. What size generator do I need for this? How do generators connect to the house electrical system? I'm assuming there must be some way to do it without feeding power back into the power lines. Thanks.

[cowboyjg]

First things first...regardless of what size generator you get for what ever you want to power, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1) ALWAYS.....turn off the main breaker to your home before turning on your generator!!!
2) Take the time to visit the various web sites available to determine what size generator you need for what you want to run.

There are soooo many choices and you'll get many suggestions on what you should do but the bottom line is to be safe and not over load your generator. The simplest thing to do is talk to an electrician about your needs.
I could tell you what I did for my situation but I'm afraid it would confuse you more than help you. It would present you with more questions than answers. If after your conversation with the electrician you have more questions then come here. I'm sure you will find the help you need.

[GaryM]

You need a transfer switch to connect the generator to your house wiring. Some are automatic, some are manual. But they both prevent the power from your generator getting out onto the power grid and killing some poor lineman.

Yes, there are ways to connect without a transfer switch, but it could be disasterous of it goes wrong.

Here's one website that has a lot of information on choosing a generator: http://www.electricgeneratorstore.com/

I bought mine from them and they are reasonable.

[Mosey]

Thanks, I'll check out that web site and do some reading. The reason I'm asking about this is because I'm getting ready to switch my power lines going to the house from overhead to buried. I was told I need a new meter base because the one I have now won't work for the power line coming from below. So, I was wondering if this is the time to put in whatever I'll need for a generator. Do I need to get a special meter base? Do the transfer switches go between the power lines and the meter or do they go on the fuse box side inside the house?

[BlueRidge]

<font color="blue"> So, I was wondering if this is the time to put in whatever I'll need for a generator. </font color>

Well, the short anwer is,

<font color="red">YES!!!</font color>


The long answer is, Yes, this is a terrific opportunity to get it all done right! Even if you want to do the work yourself, get a professional to at least draw it out for you.

The reason this is so important is that, in the event of a power failure, your generator (if connected incorrectly) can put power on the power company's lines coming in to your house. Now, where does that line go? It goes to a transformer that converts a higher voltage (like 480 volts, perhaps) to the lower voltage your house uses. Well, guess what! That transformer works both ways. You put your lower voltage on the line, and the transformer puts higher voltage farther down the line.

Where it meets another transformer which does the same thing.

Your generator can easily put 10,000 volts on a line. Now, some electrical company worker, going to repair what he thinks is a dead line, meets your 10,000 volts, and his widow collects some insurance.

There's no exaggeration here - it has happened. This is serious stuff.

Please make sure you do it right!

[GaryM]

No special meter base required. The transfer switch normally mounts next to your breaker panel. Circuits that are currently, no pun intended, connected to the breakers in your panel will be connected to breakers in the transfer switch panel.

My unit has 12 breakers installed which means it can feed 12 circuits. This fall I plan to replace some of those breakers with doubles. That means I can feed more circuits. I'm not in danger of overloading my generator, just need to feed some additional circuits with small loads. For example I neglected the circuit that feeds my TV/Dish network gear. I am feeding my system in the saferoom, but want to feed the one upstairs as well.

[Inspector507]

Gary and Danny,
There is a meter base out there that has the meter socket and a transfer switch/genset outlet all rolled into one. I know that SquareD makes a couple. They may be a manual set-up versus automatic. It will transfer the whole house, but if you limit the load, you'll be fine.

[GaryM]

Inspector,

I didn't know that there was such a thing. As you say, it's likely to be a manual thing, but it's a lot better than trying to feed the house through the dryer socket as I've heard folks speak of.

Not a thing wrong with a manual set up. But my wife's retired and home most of the time. I didn't want to have her sitting around with no electric because she couldn't roll out the generator and start it up. After all, dinner might be late! [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[Mosey]

After doing some reading and based on your responses, I understand how it all works now. I like the idea of being able to select where I want the load to go, so I'll go with one of the transfer switches that go inside next to the breaker panel. So, for now I'll just install the standard meter base. It sure will be nice having the overhead power line out of the way since the pole for it is right in the middle of where I want to put in a soccer field for the kids. Thanks for the help!