Use onboard Onan to power house in emergency?
So I was thinking, hey, I got a fancy schmancy Onan, built right into the camper, so why would I need to buy some portable unit to run various things in the house during an emergency?! So I grab my...
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What I recommend and what I did, are exactly the same thing, yes, I practiced what I now preach.
I had an electrician upgrade my service panel, the old Push-matic box was a pain in the operating system, or anatomy or whatever you like so we put in a brand new Square D. Much nicer, bigger too.
We also added a genuine generator transfer panel With switches (3 position switches, Main/Off/Generator) and watt meters no less (This last bit is a luxury and not really needed, but it does come in handy).
On the back of the house was an INLET 30 amp 120/240 volt Twist Lock (NOTE below)
I made up a special HD extension cord, as I recall 8GA by 70 feet or so.
Matching plug and socket
And installed a matching OUTLET in a weather protected location on the RV.
ALong with a pair of 30 amp Female pigtails I might add.
So when Frosty The Airblown Inflatable Snowman was sleeping on the job one Christmas seson (our last in the house) I went to the basement, (Windows let in light so I could see) grabbed the cord, Plugged the outlet end onto the house inlet, Uncolied as I approached the RV, plugged the plug end into the RV's outlet, went in, got the Gen-Turi and put it on, back in and pushed the needed buttons (STOP (hold it) then Start, (Tap it) then Start again) and shortly after the generator started I heard the CLUNK of the transfer switch and observed the Prosine display light up.
Back to the basement and CLICK, lights
CLICK, Furnace
CLICK freezer
CLICK Refrigerator
CLICK, Click Click, Computers, TV's and DVR's More lights and so on.
Cost of all that hardware... Oh, I had close to a kiobuck by the time I paid for the install (Transfer switch, Cord, Electricain, Stuff on the RV)
Value of warm wife... PRICELESS.
If I ever get another house.. I'll get another cord and transfer panel.
The promised note:
THe ONAN only puts out 120 volt, it puts out 120 volt at around 50 amps total in my case. It is not a 120/240 volt device, SO I can not put the Central Air COnditioner, the Electric cloths dryer or, if I were to buy one an electric range on the transfer panel.
I can, however, finish a load of wash and hang it up to dry.
I had an electrician upgrade my service panel, the old Push-matic box was a pain in the operating system, or anatomy or whatever you like so we put in a brand new Square D. Much nicer, bigger too.
We also added a genuine generator transfer panel With switches (3 position switches, Main/Off/Generator) and watt meters no less (This last bit is a luxury and not really needed, but it does come in handy).
On the back of the house was an INLET 30 amp 120/240 volt Twist Lock (NOTE below)
I made up a special HD extension cord, as I recall 8GA by 70 feet or so.
Matching plug and socket
And installed a matching OUTLET in a weather protected location on the RV.
ALong with a pair of 30 amp Female pigtails I might add.
So when Frosty The Airblown Inflatable Snowman was sleeping on the job one Christmas seson (our last in the house) I went to the basement, (Windows let in light so I could see) grabbed the cord, Plugged the outlet end onto the house inlet, Uncolied as I approached the RV, plugged the plug end into the RV's outlet, went in, got the Gen-Turi and put it on, back in and pushed the needed buttons (STOP (hold it) then Start, (Tap it) then Start again) and shortly after the generator started I heard the CLUNK of the transfer switch and observed the Prosine display light up.
Back to the basement and CLICK, lights
CLICK, Furnace
CLICK freezer
CLICK Refrigerator
CLICK, Click Click, Computers, TV's and DVR's More lights and so on.
Cost of all that hardware... Oh, I had close to a kiobuck by the time I paid for the install (Transfer switch, Cord, Electricain, Stuff on the RV)
Value of warm wife... PRICELESS.
If I ever get another house.. I'll get another cord and transfer panel.
The promised note:
THe ONAN only puts out 120 volt, it puts out 120 volt at around 50 amps total in my case. It is not a 120/240 volt device, SO I can not put the Central Air COnditioner, the Electric cloths dryer or, if I were to buy one an electric range on the transfer panel.
I can, however, finish a load of wash and hang it up to dry.
