Using RV generator as backup for house?
My electricity is still on in Middle TN, no worries. But that may not always be the case in the future! If I have a transfer switch properly installed, is there any reason I can't use the RV gene...
Forum Discussion
I live , as the wire flies, about a mile from the electric grid sub-station, and that might be why the power rarely if ever goes out at my house, so unless a tree falls in that one mile distance then power is always up...
Easiest is to run some extension cords.
Safest is to run some extension cords.
Best is to have electrician install an cut-off switch and a small panel box to power up just the things that you need (blower, fridge, a few lights), but that gets really expensive unless your brother in law is an electrician and willing to work for free.
Beware, it is possible to "backfeed" the house by running your generator into an outlet, but the DANGER is over-loading that wiring from that outlet to the panel and causing a fire. You can turn off all the circuit breakers except that outlet and the blower motor and maybe be OK, but what else is on that outlet's breaker?
I know what I am doing and would never backfeed an outlet just because of the risk of making a mistake.
If you are able to do home electric work yourself, has anyone run a completely separate and new electrical system? An outside way to plug to the generator, and a small panel and run wire to one or two places (the furnace and fridge) so you can unplug them from the house and plug them into the generator house outlets... This is easier than dragging out electric cords in the dark in a rainstorm or snowstorm...
My furnace is new, it is 120 and wired into an outlet box. It would be nothing to make that a 3-prong plug that plugs into that outlet instead, then I could plug the furnace (blower motor) into the generator much easier.
Gas is almost always on, I never iin my life have had gas not flow, but in TX they did as crews were digging and ruptured gas lines, so all of this blower set-up would be useless if that were to happen...
Easiest is to run some extension cords.
Safest is to run some extension cords.
Best is to have electrician install an cut-off switch and a small panel box to power up just the things that you need (blower, fridge, a few lights), but that gets really expensive unless your brother in law is an electrician and willing to work for free.
Beware, it is possible to "backfeed" the house by running your generator into an outlet, but the DANGER is over-loading that wiring from that outlet to the panel and causing a fire. You can turn off all the circuit breakers except that outlet and the blower motor and maybe be OK, but what else is on that outlet's breaker?
I know what I am doing and would never backfeed an outlet just because of the risk of making a mistake.
If you are able to do home electric work yourself, has anyone run a completely separate and new electrical system? An outside way to plug to the generator, and a small panel and run wire to one or two places (the furnace and fridge) so you can unplug them from the house and plug them into the generator house outlets... This is easier than dragging out electric cords in the dark in a rainstorm or snowstorm...
My furnace is new, it is 120 and wired into an outlet box. It would be nothing to make that a 3-prong plug that plugs into that outlet instead, then I could plug the furnace (blower motor) into the generator much easier.
Gas is almost always on, I never iin my life have had gas not flow, but in TX they did as crews were digging and ruptured gas lines, so all of this blower set-up would be useless if that were to happen...
