Legal install of home generators

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jonesjax

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Has anyone come up with a legal way to hook up a home generator. the common thing around here is to plug the 4 wire twist lock 30 amp output to the three wire dryer plug. I wont do it but it is comming up more and more the closer we get to hurricane season.

Please be kind I'm an old guy now
 
Your profile says that you are an electrical contractor, yet your question does not suggest you have the knowledge necessary to install the generator in question.

Where are you located, that the installs you are suggesting are the common type installation?

To get started, take a look at Art 445 and Art 702 of the NEC. Your jurisdiction may have some local changes that you should also be aware of.
 
Pierre C Belarge said:
Where are you located, that the installs you are suggesting are the common type installation?
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Pierre
That type of install is done often by homeowners that don't want to pay for the expensive transfer switches. I see it and hear about it all the time.
 
I've also heard of homes with boilers that are cord and plug connected so that they can be plugged into an extension cord and run off of a generator. Then the boiler receptacle is back fed with another cord to supply loads within the house.

I would add that this is highly illegal and potentially very dangerous. A closed main CB on the service will allow the generator to supply voltage to the transformer feeding the house and anything else connected to it. This could be a serious hazard for the lineman trying to get the power back on.
 
jonesjax said:
Has anyone come up with a legal way to hook up a home generator. the common thing around here is to plug the 4 wire twist lock 30 amp output to the three wire dryer plug. I wont do it but it is comming up more and more the closer we get to hurricane season.

Please be kind I'm an old guy now
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People die that way. That is the kindest way I know how to put it. You can do it 1000 ways right, but all it takes is on mistake to hurt somebody at the POCO. They work in harsh enough condiotions without having to worry about backfeeds. I'm sure you are trying to do right, and just want to know the right way. I'm glad you are here asking, I just hope you will pass it along. We don't even like to sell our machines to somebody who might hook it up incorrectly.
 
Reliance Controls makes a panel with an integrated manual transfer using a sliding bar to interlock a 100A main and 50A generator breaker. One model I've used has a 50A gen plug built into the face of the panel. Open the cover and there it is.

The breakers position can be 100A on, 50A off, 50A on 100A off, or both off. The bar makes it impossible to have both on at the same time and forces one to open before the other closes.

The Reliance is based on an ordinary Siemens residential panel.
 
jonesjax said:
I wont do it. . . . I'm an old guy now
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Thank you for promising not to do it. There are a number of young guys who will never become old guys, because some homeowner thought that was a good idea. I can only hope that you tell anyone who asks you about this method that they can rest assured that they will never become aware that they were the cause of someone getting killed. They can sleep well at night, because they won't know that they were to blame.
 
The interlock kit looks to be a good and inexpensive alternative to a transfer switch. Thanks for the link.
 
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