Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 03, 1999 10:59pm | #1

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   Dayton makes a variety of automatic and manual crossovers for back-up generators. These are installed into the service. Invariably they have a warning about being installed by a professional electrician. I'd heed them.

2. 
   DCoonrod | Aug 04, 1999 05:38am | #2

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   Ray,
   I just bought a Generac generator @ ebay for emergency purposes as well. While talking to the seller he told me how he hooked his up with the ability to stop back flow into the power lines. He said to drop a twist-lok female pigtail out of the A/C disconnect box out side by the compressor. When the power goes off to the house, turn the main disconnect off at the meter and plug a special made cord with two males into the generator and the pig tail. Then you can run your house thru the A/C box turning off selective breakers in your load center for whatever appliances you may need to operate during the outage. He said the generator that I bought 5000W with 6250 peak watts would run the A/C, OR the water heater, OR the lights, plugs, etc. but not all at once. The main thing to remember is to plug the double male cord into the A/C disconnect after you have turned the main house disconnect off and BEFORE you plug into the generator. Good advice from Steve about having a qualified electrician do the hook-ups. I have installed the crossover type box that Steve mentions in a racing car trailer with living compartment/workshop for use with a generator oor RV pole hook-up. It was a bit pricey and we had to special order it but in that application it was mandatory for safety's sake. Hope this info will help. God bless!
   DCoonrod

3. 
   Guest_ | Aug 04, 1999 06:24am | #3

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   Cords with two male ends are DEATH. Don't ever do it.

   In order to connect your generator you need a positive disconnect so that you cannot back feed into the power grid and KILL a lineman.

   Use only approved switching.That is fool proof. Gen-Tran makes equipment for this purpose, that allows opperation of select circuits off a generator. Each circuit has a double throw switch to allow either/or opperation with the generator or the service. By using only certain circuits you can be sure that you won't over load the generator. If you do you can fry equipment, that may inadvertently be on line, such as air conditioner compressors etc.

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 04, 1999 03:30pm | #4

   *Heed Mike's advice. GenTran has a web site, do a search. Northern Equip. catalog lists their stuff with the generators. Home Depot was stocking GenTran but at least in some markets has changed to EmerGenSwitch. These units are installed next to the main load center and the included circuits run from the bus, through them and then out to the devices. The double throw switch assures that the circuit can only be on line or on generator but not both at the same time. The typical set up is to provide a recepticle to accept the cord from the gen set. Check local code to be sure you don't need a hard wired connection to the outside location of the gen set, with cord attachment made there.

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 07, 1999 05:23pm | #6

   *Ray"Parallel into the system" These are dirty words on a genset this size, and deadly too.You must have a transfer switch.If this is a portable unit, being pressed into service as a standby, then look into the GenTran switch. If this is a Generac Home Standby unit, then get the Generac automatic transfer switch made for that unit.What loads the unit is wired to will be determined by how big the generator is, how big the loads are, and what the customer really wants to power in an emergency. Portables are not that great at motor starting, and have a poor record of running household air conditioners.Anyway, breaking out the chosen loads and installing the switch is a job for a licenced practitioner of the electrical arts.. Call a Generac Dealer and ask who they use for residential wiring.Scott

4. 
   Ray_Liccini | Aug 07, 1999 05:23pm | #5

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   A customer has a 120/240 Generac for emergenmcy backup (earthquakes). Finding a place to parallel into the system is not obvious. Has anyone confronted this problem and how did you add-on a connector or subbox?