Took some pics when I set up my generator for it's 4 week run/test. Thought I'd share some pics to show my setup to see how I set this up.. Ran just the furnace for hot water and the well for water while the spouse took her shower to give some load. Note the large muffler this generator uses.. Can hardly hear it in the house with the windows closed! It hiccups but recovers especially when the 1/2 HP well kicks on but worked fine.. Ray
Here is what is where that outside plug connects to in the cellar.. I simply flip the top right and left switches on the transfer switch and voila I am running the well and furnace on the genny.. Doesn't get any easier than this! Yes it's a bit of work but when it is done it is done and easy from that point onward.. Ray
You know it EPcat! I have a 4 week schedule set up in MS Outlook that reminds me to perform this maintenance along with starting the truck, changing water filters, etc.. Very handy and keeps me on track! Love Outlook for this reason! Ray
Nice job. When the power goes out here,which isnt that often, I have to run an extension cord in through the window to keep the fridge cold. Your setup looks alot better than mine.LOL
That is nice. Raybonz. Almost exactly like my set up. Nice to just plug it in. I use to have to wire it to my box.
Nice setup Ray. When you tell your wife to take a shower so the genny has a load does she look at you funny?
My setup is not that sophisticated, I am set up to backfeed to my electric dryer plug. Okay go ahead and blast me but I'm not going to fry anyone
I really like the power meters on the generator panel, makes balancing the load on the genny much easier and you get some idea of how much total load is on the unit. That's something my setup lacks.
Really good set-up raybonz and well thought out for your needs. I do the same thing as HDRock and backfeed using the welder's 220 outlet in the garage. When I lose power, I first go downstairs and turn off the main breaker and set the circuits I want... like the furnace, couple lights and the well pump. I roll the gen to a point marked on the floor in the garage and stick an exhaust pipe out thru the overhead door (made a removable hatch for it) ... start the engine, plug a cable from the gen to the 220 outlet and hit the gen's breaker. Takes about 10 minutes. It would be a LOT easier to have it set-up like Ray's for sure. Maybe someday.
Nice setup.. Its sad that I work for a generator company and I don't have a generator other than a honda es2000 from my camping days.. it'll run the sump pumps and fridge..... lol
I'm a licensed electrician and only installed this around 15 months ago lol.. Have lost power as long as a week from a hurricane and 4-5 days from a blizzard and that was the last straw! My genny is small and cheap (about $300.00 shipped) but good enough for a few basic needs.. The transfer setup ran around $350.00 plus the 10/3 to go to the outside power inlet box, maybe 6' or so..
I'm a generator mechanic and UN-licensed electrician. lol I've got a plug wired into the house, a spare breaker into the panel in the basement, just no genny. I wanted to get a pto setup for the little diesel as I hate gas screamers, and i want to be able to run other things like the well pump, washer and drier, welder if need be. (hey power is out, nothing else to do but projects) lol
Wife and I were just talking about getting a gen. today after the power went out. Again. I think an Oak leaf hit a power line. Anyway......more details?
http://www.amazon.com/DuroMax-XP4400-4-Cycle-Portable-Generator/dp/B00130GGRM http://www.reliancecontrols.com/ProductDetail.aspx?31410CRK
There are lots of good reasons to install a setup like Ray's or some other SAFE generator hookup. You may not be the only person that needs to operate the generator in an emergency. It's really not that expensive, especially if you are able to DIY or have provisions made when doing a service upgrade or main panel replacement etc.
