electricman2
Senior Member
- Location
- North Carolina
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Take a look at this video. To his credit he at least recognized the need to prevent backfeed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaRU0YtFx9g
DIY Home Generator Hookup (youtube)
- Thread starter electricman2
- Start date
- Status
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
On another forum I have all but given up trying to convince the DIYers there that suicide cords to connect up generators to your house through a dryer outlet are a bad idea. There are posts there just about every week claiming what a great idea it is and often come with detailed instructions on how to make and use such cords.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
On the good side, he used a twist lock.
On the very minor side:
he used a plastic cover plate without drywall or other surface behind it. Small compared to cutting out the box to fit the receptacle.
Running portable cord through hole in wall.
On the very minor side:
he used a plastic cover plate without drywall or other surface behind it. Small compared to cutting out the box to fit the receptacle.
Running portable cord through hole in wall.
eHunter
Senior Member
- Location
- North Texas & Georgia
It is still a catastrophic incident waiting to happen.
This is the wrong way to connect a portable generator with several serious hazards.
An inexpensive manual transfer switch is all that is needed to be electrically safe and many are under $150.
readydave8
re member
- Location
- Clarkesville, Georgia
- Occupation
- electrician
It always amazes me when customer asks me how to connect backfeed for generator to save the cost of transfer switch, I always explain why it is dangerous and use the example of local lineman killed a few years ago due to backfed generator during power outage, response is always "oh but I'll be careful," yeah what if you drop dead and someone else turns on main? The fact that they had to ask me in the first place proves they are not qualified, otherwise they would not have had to ask. But I try to be a little more tactful when explaining.
Last week a customer showed me suicide cord provided by previous "electrician" and said he forgot breaker procedure, could I explain it to him? (No.) Well what happens next time he forgets?
Pet Peeve.
Last week a customer showed me suicide cord provided by previous "electrician" and said he forgot breaker procedure, could I explain it to him? (No.) Well what happens next time he forgets?
Pet Peeve.
James S.
Senior Member
- Location
- Mesa, Arizona
My favorite parts are where he was saying only let people who know what they are doing near it.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
That and the disclaimer in his description that says that none of what he is showing is real, it is just animated graphics, because he would not do something illegal or advocate that anyone do it.
Is there any way to comment or get this taken off youtube? We all know he is an idiot but a lot of people that think this is ok. I think he could be sued if someone followed the proceedure and got hurt.
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
I don't plan to watch the video. I can guess what it shows. Taking it off u-tube won't help, since it is not the first time someone has published this type of procedure, and it won't be the last. I have a co-worker who has used the widow-maker to connect his RV's generator to his home. I tried to talk him out of it, but he insists he knows he needs to shut off the main breaker.
I prefer to call this thing a "widow-maker," rather than a "suicide cord." I suspect that the tragic deaths from its use are more often the linemen than the homeowners. I further suspect that the homeowners never discover that they were the cause of a tragic death.
I prefer to call this thing a "widow-maker," rather than a "suicide cord." I suspect that the tragic deaths from its use are more often the linemen than the homeowners. I further suspect that the homeowners never discover that they were the cause of a tragic death.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
I have also been asked to hook up those things. I just tell them it's illegal and dangerous and I can't do it. Many people don't like it but I can't help it.
If I find a cord provided by a "previous electrician" I would try to get his name and number and give him a call to explain what a risk he is taking.
I was at a job not long ago where the customer was trying to pay the HVAC Tech to shoot the neighbor's dog. People will try to get you to do anything.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
And the neighbor would have gotten very 'heated' about it. :ashamed1:Well, technically, he would have been 'ventilating' the dog.
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Fulthrotl
~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
- Occupation
- E
Well, technically, he would have been 'ventilating' the dog.
that is so inhumane.
everyone KNOWS that a HVAC guy isn't allowed to shoot major caliber.
only 9MM for him... no 38 super, loaded hot.
you really need to shoot major caliber, .38 super or .45 and those are
usually carried by pipefitters.
always ask the pipefitter when you have something like this to do.
- Location
- Massachusetts
A sure case of don't stress about things you cannot change.
Bad advice is nothing new.
Bad advice is nothing new.
Fulthrotl
~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
- Occupation
- E
yeah... when ONLY *qualified* personnel can access something, certain things are permitted that
are not normally allowed.
and nothing to do with a U tube video conveys that qualification.
"duh. i watchded a person on the internet who told me how to do something.
but i burned up my basement, and put my nephew in the hospital. can i sue
him, or at least tell my story on Geraldo?"
why do i get a mental picture of "mullet nation" with this statement?
qcroanoke
Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
- Location
- Roanoke, VA.
- Occupation
- Sorta retired........
I agree, Happens all the time. If I can't change it or convince the person, you are making a huge mistake, I don't sweat it.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
If we do that, then we must also remove nearly all of the "how to" content on youtube.
Nearly all of the "how to" videos I have seen on youtube are so poorly done that I don't see how anyone other than the makers of such videos can take them seriously, and can be assured any information presented is accurate.
Nearly every "how to" on youtube I have ever seen the person usually ends up attempting to do something and it is not cooperating or doing what the narrator says it will do. Wouldn't you think that would be a time to edit your video and only show things working right or the way they are supposed to? It is also real impressive when a supposed pro say's something like "I don't know why it does that" in an instruction video.
sparkyrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Appleton, Wi
I was looking for a flanged inlet for a generator at Home Depot and one the "professionals" at Home Depot started telling me how to make a cheater cord like this. I told him I'm a master electrician and I would never suggest this to a customer. It's dangerous and illegal. He even claimed he was a licenced electrician. I told him he's going to get someone killed that doesn't know what they are doing. He got mad and walked away!
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Maybe a good reason why he is at HD and is not installing things.:happysad:
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