After going through numerous hurricanes and watching many neighbors backfeed there houses I was struck by an observation. Not one has had a problem. All of our houses are very easy to disconnect from the grid. It is just a flip of a main breaker. That might be why. Otherwise, I have never known of anybody actually having a problem when the power came back on.
I have read about killing linemen, which is horrible. I even think I have read about it happening somewhere. I have heard rumors that FPL does something to the lines before powering back up to knock out generators. I don't know how seriously to take that, and I am not going to test it out. There have been reports of fires caused by a backfeeding generator meeting a newly power grid. But still nobody I have ever actually met.
Did you have a problem backfeeding your house?
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DanKellFla
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jabber
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I am struggling with the same thing. I got a new generator this year and got quotes to put in a transfer switch. Anywhere from 900 to 1600 dollars. I have done some research and it seems safe as long as you take specific precautions. I have already spent a lot (roof, generator, gas cans, etc) I would rather not spend another grand.
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GeneratorPower
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I deal with this question every day. First of all, there is no technical reason why backfeeding your house as you have described would be a problem. It works fine. But it is very dangerous. Here's why, and here's why there are no cords made to do that:
First of all, the danger is that you will hook up the generator to the house while the utility power is still on. Secondly if the power IS out, the danger is that you would forget to turn off the main breaker and thus would feed power to the street.
The problem with feeding power to the street is that power flows from your generator, through the house, and then through the high-voltage transformer at the curb. This pumps up the voltage to 15,000V or HIGHER. It energizes the lines to a deadly voltage. Then when the power crew is working on the lines, they think they are dead, but they aren't. 6 linemen were killed during 2005 as a result of this. It may have been more.
The reason you don't find cords like that is because of electrical standards and SAFETY. If you make a cord that does the job, it has TWO MALE ENDS. If you plug it into a generator, you get a HOT set of prongs with no protection. Touch it and you'll never forget it. It's just plain dangerous.
A lot of guys like to do it this way because it works and they think they are smarter than the average bozo, which they may be. I thought that once, too, until I started dealing with it every day. No matter how careful you are, it's so easy to miss something and end up killing yourself or someone else. It has nothing to do with being smart or dumb, etc. It's like using a chain-saw without protective gear. It is a lot easier and cheaper until you cut your leg off.
Plus, backfeeding is AGAINST THE LAW in most places. People go to JAIL for this type of thing. If the power company rep or someone doing damage inspections sees you doing this, they will know. Then they will call the cops. They take it very, very seriously.
A transfer switch doesn't have to cost as much as you are getting quoted. The GenTran whole-house switch, which is basically a 200A whole-house disconnect with safety interlock, costs about $435. Installation should cost a couple hundred dollars for a simple install. So that's $650 bucks. The simpler switches cost about $200 and will power 8-12 circuits in your home. An electrician should charge you about $200 to put it in, for a grand total of $400. I sell and install these all day long. There is no reason you have to spend $900+ on this. The exception is if you are doing a whole-house switch and you need extra parts or extra cable to do the job, or you need extra man-hours because you have a difficult install situation. Then I can see $900+.
Buy a GenTran switch. It comes with instructions. Or you can pay an electrician a couple hundred bucks to put it in.
Plus you get POWER METERS that let you know how much your generator is putting out. It's a win-win.
First of all, the danger is that you will hook up the generator to the house while the utility power is still on. Secondly if the power IS out, the danger is that you would forget to turn off the main breaker and thus would feed power to the street.
The problem with feeding power to the street is that power flows from your generator, through the house, and then through the high-voltage transformer at the curb. This pumps up the voltage to 15,000V or HIGHER. It energizes the lines to a deadly voltage. Then when the power crew is working on the lines, they think they are dead, but they aren't. 6 linemen were killed during 2005 as a result of this. It may have been more.
The reason you don't find cords like that is because of electrical standards and SAFETY. If you make a cord that does the job, it has TWO MALE ENDS. If you plug it into a generator, you get a HOT set of prongs with no protection. Touch it and you'll never forget it. It's just plain dangerous.
A lot of guys like to do it this way because it works and they think they are smarter than the average bozo, which they may be. I thought that once, too, until I started dealing with it every day. No matter how careful you are, it's so easy to miss something and end up killing yourself or someone else. It has nothing to do with being smart or dumb, etc. It's like using a chain-saw without protective gear. It is a lot easier and cheaper until you cut your leg off.
Plus, backfeeding is AGAINST THE LAW in most places. People go to JAIL for this type of thing. If the power company rep or someone doing damage inspections sees you doing this, they will know. Then they will call the cops. They take it very, very seriously.
A transfer switch doesn't have to cost as much as you are getting quoted. The GenTran whole-house switch, which is basically a 200A whole-house disconnect with safety interlock, costs about $435. Installation should cost a couple hundred dollars for a simple install. So that's $650 bucks. The simpler switches cost about $200 and will power 8-12 circuits in your home. An electrician should charge you about $200 to put it in, for a grand total of $400. I sell and install these all day long. There is no reason you have to spend $900+ on this. The exception is if you are doing a whole-house switch and you need extra parts or extra cable to do the job, or you need extra man-hours because you have a difficult install situation. Then I can see $900+.
Buy a GenTran switch. It comes with instructions. Or you can pay an electrician a couple hundred bucks to put it in.
Plus you get POWER METERS that let you know how much your generator is putting out. It's a win-win.
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HurricaneJim
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Then there's always a good old fashioned heavy duty extention cord and a power strip.
In a post storm situation, just how many things do you need to be running?? It's nice to be able to flip switches and such like you always do, but when it's a question of shifting a few things around in the house vs. the possibility of killing a linesman by accident (or dealing with irate linesmen coming to your home wondering why you're backfeeding...)...
The drill with gennys is top off the freezer for a while. Then run something else for a while. Then shut it all down and go to bed.
PS: Get VERY good lock for your unit.
Jim
http://www.myspace.com/hurricanejim
http://www.jwbartlett.com
http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk
In a post storm situation, just how many things do you need to be running?? It's nice to be able to flip switches and such like you always do, but when it's a question of shifting a few things around in the house vs. the possibility of killing a linesman by accident (or dealing with irate linesmen coming to your home wondering why you're backfeeding...)...
The drill with gennys is top off the freezer for a while. Then run something else for a while. Then shut it all down and go to bed.
PS: Get VERY good lock for your unit.
Jim
http://www.myspace.com/hurricanejim
http://www.jwbartlett.com
http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk
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Dionne
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The difference in backfeeding is simple. There are portable generators and permanent generators. You should never backfeed with a portable. There are numerous reasons not to use a portable generator to energize any portion of your homes electrical circuit. If you want power while everyone else is down.......you ARE going to spend some money. And it's not a one time expense. Permanent generators require maintenance. Buying and using a portable generator is not like buying a lawn mower. People are injured and killed all the time by portable generators.
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DanKellFla
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