Just read previous post about Red Cross and their recomendations as to generators. Apparently line workers are at risk if the generator user doesn't use a dis-connect from the main power lines... A question to power line workers who read these posts....Do these risk factors bother you enough to keep you from doing field work during a blackout?

-- citizen (lost@sea.com), October 08, 1999

Answers

If the home generator user doesn't dis-connect from the grid before starting his/her generator, then he'll soon be trying to supply the entire grid. Within a very short time he will either find that his generator has shut itself down, or else he will no longer have a generator, but just a heap of burnt out copper wire in an iron case.

Malcolm

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), October 08, 1999.

I posted a generator warning many months ago, but I can't find it in the archive! This recent thread looks pretty good. While the original post sounds like good advice, a few people pointed out problems with it. The whole thing looks like a big mess to me (kinda like Y2K, hey?). My advice (actually "no talking please"):

Get a very good licensed electrician to do the work.

Your local fire department may be busy.

Warning : Steps to safely connect generator to your home wiring

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 08, 1999.

Any of ya'll familiar with "Lockout-Tagout" procedures and protocols? OSHA and industry's attempt to failsafe lethal service equipment and machinery for servicing/maintenance/repair.

-- Jay Urban (jurban@berenyi.com), October 08, 1999.

Turn off the main breaker to the house... plain and simple...

growlin'...

The Dog

-- The Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), October 08, 1999.

As I understand it an electrician has to be certified in order to do generator hookups to the house. I wouldn't do it for a customer a few months ago because I don't know the procedure. Wouldn't want to see any lineman get hurt, dealt with them the other week and they seem to be very concerned with homeowners and safety.

Hire a good electrician.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), October 08, 1999.

If you need to know about generators, safety, care and feeding of, check out these sites.

The Juice Page

Gener ators for simple folk

Code Check

Hope this helps.

-- John F. (millenniumadrenaline@hotmail.com), October 08, 1999.

There are a number of safety issues to be considered when dealing with generators being connected to a home's wiring system. Not only are you to be concerned with KILLING linemen (women) but you may also do yourself in if you are not careful. You may even fry your generator if, while running it, the utiity comes back on line and you forgot to disconnect (via the main breaker) from the utility. This is a possibility if the utility power is available only intermitently and you are switching back and forth between utility and generator. If you are unfamiliar with electrical systems, by all means contact a Professional. If you would like more info on various aspects (care and feeding) of generators, check out "The Juice Page". Here's the link... LINK

-- John F. (millenniumadrenaline@hotmail.com), October 08, 1999.

There are a number of safety issues to be considered when dealing with generators being connected to a home's wiring system. Not only are you to be concerned with KILLING linemen (women) but you may also do yourself in if you are not careful. You can fry your generator if, while running it, the utiity power comes back on line and you forgot to disconnect (via the main breaker) from the utility. This is a possibility if the utility power is available only intermitently and you are switching back and forth between utility and generator. If you are unfamiliar with electrical systems, by all means contact a Professional. If you would like more info on various aspects (care and feeding) of generators, check out "The Juice Page". Here's the link... LINK

-- John F. (millenniumadrenaline@hotmail.com), October 08, 1999.

There is a definate threat to any electrical worker when generaters are humming in the back ground. YES, you will kill a Lineman down the road if he has not protected himself from YOUR generater "back feed". If you do not "open", "disconnect", the main breaker on your home or business before you fire up your generater, you will be sued for wrongful death if you kill somebody, that is of course, if you are identified as the killer. We linemen in the field constantly protect our selves with safe work practises every day we work the power lines. But how about the child that walks out side their home and sees a wire on the ground and in the way of their skate board path? If the child picks up the downed wire and you have your generater running with out the main breaker open, POOF! If you are going to use a generater and you do not have a licenced electrician to wire in a disconnect switch, I suggest you just plug in the desired appliance you want to run, directly into your generater and not from your home wiring. If your generater is not big enough for your homes power load, you will trip your breakers on your generater. Most average homes use around 3-5 kilowatts of power. To properly power your home with a generater, you will need at least a 10 KW generater. Another thing, if you plan to use a generater, first fire it up and let it run for 60 seconds. Many people will plug their appliances into the generater then fire it up. You can achieve high voltage doing this in the initial start up and burn up your equipment. As a Journeyman Lineman of 26 years, I am asking every body with a generater to be careful with it, ask your utility company { a qualified person,ie: a lineman} how to properly use a generater. *****WARNING****** DO NOT ASK THE PHONE REP. FOR THE POWER COMPANY THIS QUESTION. THEY ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE YOU THE CORRECT ANSWER! These are the people you talk to at the power company 1-888# business centers. Talk to a lineman that may be working in your area this question....

-- Hooks (Journeyman Lineman@@.com), October 08, 1999.

Malcolm,

You are mostly right. The exception is when a line is down and you are only supplying the portion of the grid that goes to the transformer at the local pole top. It is very possible that a lineman could get zapped by the stepped up voltage at the transformer when he (or she) goes to repair the line.

In general: If you have a HomeBase near you go and look at what they have. Several of their boxes allow you to connect to a generator, or the line, but not both. Also you can connect from the generator to the box via a plug in locking cable and not worry about jury-rigging the wiring. Some of their boxes also allow you to select what circuits in the house that you want to power so you can rotate them or just select certain ones. Itll give you some good ideas.

-- The Engineer (The Engineer@tech.com), October 08, 1999.