Power out and generator hookup.

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm sure it has happened, but it is not a rampant problem. Linemen are probably more likely to get robbed by a crackhead than electrocuted from a backfeed. I saw a POCO do a demo about back feeding a 25 kVA transformer from a 5000 watt generator. The first try, the in-rush tripped the breaker on the generator. The second try killed the engine completely. They had to fiddle around with the governor to over-rev the engine while throwing the transformer on line just to get going. Given that and the fact that there will be many neighboring services being energized at the same time, I bet it happens very rarely.
 
You're making a claim. I'm asking for substantiated figures.
I have no idea, beyond it being more than zero. The point is that it is easily preventable.

The number is not important enough for me to research it. You're welcome to if you wish.
 
I have no idea, beyond it being more than zero. The point is that it is easily preventable.

The number is not important enough for me to research it. You're welcome to if you wish.
Oh, gee thanks. I don't think it is preventable. There are means to prevent it, but stupid people will always do stupid things. Until we outlaw generators and the sale of screwdrivers to the general public and then hire an army of police to enforce it, dumbassery will always exist .
 
Oh, gee thanks. I don't think it is preventable. There are means to prevent it, but stupid people will always do stupid things. Until we outlaw generators and the sale of screwdrivers to the general public and then hire an army of police to enforce it, dumbassery will always exist .
I'm pretty sure that he meant that is preventable by following the rules. If one does not follow the rules, then of course all bets are off.
 
One anecdotal report, not clear from the report what the size of the generator was, but possibly not residential?
 
If you can't see the big orange grounding jumpers with your own eyes, you don't touch the wires.

When I was a Union Apprentice, we re-wired a small company town, owned by the pulp mill, which produced the power for the town.

We would put the jumpers on the line side of what we weee working on, obviously. I wonder if linemen these days ground both sides of the work area? I know I would be inclined to, if I did high line work.
 
I'm pretty sure that he meant that is preventable by following the rules. If one does not follow the rules, then of course all bets are off.
One those rules is if it isn't grounded it isn't dead, particularly the process with medium and high voltage. With low voltage secondaries they maybe don't connect bonding jumpers all that often, but generally there is more isolation of such lines as well.

If they are fixing up a downed service drop, they usually have meter pulled. In ordinary situations that keeps them from making connection with an active load present. Works both ways when it comes to potential back feed from a generator.
 
I'm sure it has happened, but it is not a rampant problem. Linemen are probably more likely to get robbed by a crackhead than electrocuted from a backfeed. I saw a POCO do a demo about back feeding a 25 kVA transformer from a 5000 watt generator. The first try, the in-rush tripped the breaker on the generator. The second try killed the engine completely. They had to fiddle around with the governor to over-rev the engine while throwing the transformer on line just to get going. Given that and the fact that there will be many neighboring services being energized at the same time, I bet it happens very rarely.
Most around here are 5 or 10 kva. Very rare for the poco to put anything larger for residential.
 
Most around here are 5 or 10 kva. Very rare for the poco to put anything larger for residential.
That's true, but there are tons of other transformers in the utility circuit. Each of those will have refrigerators and pumps and A/C units all trying to start at the same time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top