Generator backfeeding into utility lines

[JB4310]

There is a stiff fine and jail sentence for back feeding. Don't do it. Get the interlock bracket. I made one and it worked great. Last week I bought the commercial one. About 175 after shipping. Rediciously over priced, but I sleep better.

You mean backfeeding the utility lines? cause I can't see how back feeding your own house, by what ever means could be illegal.

I think those interlock things are the greatest idea since sliced bread. $175. does seem high for a bent piece of sheet metal and 2 screws. There is no great engineering to it, someone else made his own and it worked just fine.
I would have one myself except I have no main in my panel. My panel is so many feet away from the service entrance that it required the main to be outside at the entrance. I'm not sure if I could of had another 200 amp breaker inside as well, but the electrician who did the upgrade didn't put it in

So for now I have to rely on memory if I need to backfeed the house, until I get a 200 amp double pole/throw switch. First of all though, we never lose power, I was actually hoping we would lose power during hurricane Irene just so I could go through a live drill. Second, when you look at a 50 amp 220 volt male/male cord jumper, it is very sobering, it will scare you, and help jog your memory.

JB

 

[kco]

Backfeeding is a greater risk for the public. In our area it is not uncommon for trees to tear down power lines. The utility company's breakers trip to isolate the fault and linemen know how to protect themselves. The general public may assume a downed line is safe because they can see a blown fuse.

There is the possibility that a person may try to move what he assumes is a de-energized conductor from a road. I encountered this exact situation on our road last year. (being an ex-linenman I can't resist patrolling the line when our power goes out). A span was down across the road at the end of a neighbour's driveway. The neighbour and his wife were also looking at it. The fuse about a mile away had blown, but I told him not to go near either broken conductor since someone could backfeed with a generator (there are about 20 homes on the tap feeding our road).

I imagine many people don't recognize the hazard of someone other than the power company energizing a line.

 

[beppington]

With more & more solar system installations, residential generators, & a faltering economy resulting in more shortcuts being taken, it seems to me that linemen should just go ahead & assume at all times that "mistakes" have been made & that many folks are illegally backfeeding the power lines at all times, i.e. assume that they are always hot.

Maybe they already do this ... ?

 

[boggen]

With more & more solar system installations, residential generators, & a faltering economy resulting in more shortcuts being taken, it seems to me that linemen should just go ahead & assume at all times that "mistakes" have been made & that many folks are illegally backfeeding the power lines at all times, i.e. assume that they are always hot.

Maybe they already do this ... ?

i do not think mistakes have been made, but rather, the lines have power regardless in them.

on grid, tie ins, were solar panels, to wind turbines are hooked up. there could be plenty of homes were they sell energy back to the electric co. and be pumping energy back into the grid. and the meter that lets this happens. may not be setup or electronic enough to shut that power off feed back into the grid. when the main grid goes down.

 

[hayden]

i do not think mistakes have been made, but rather, the lines have power regardless in them.

on grid, tie ins, were solar panels, to wind turbines are hooked up. there could be plenty of homes were they sell energy back to the electric co. and be pumping energy back into the grid. and the meter that lets this happens. may not be setup or electronic enough to shut that power off feed back into the grid. when the main grid goes down.

There is a UL spec that any grid-tied solar/wind etc inverter has to meet, and they are tested and confirmed to meet the spec. It ensures they can't backfeed when the grid is down. You can't buy an inverter that doesn't meet the spec. All utilities require the UL certification before you inter tie. It's a non issue.

Another thing to keep in mind with a generator attempting to back feed the grid is that the grid is NOT an open circuit. If you attempt to backfeed, your generator will be attempting to power your neighborhood, and everything between you and where ever the line/failure occurred. Your generator will lose that battle and stall or trip it's breaker. Don't ask me how I know

The only case where you will energize a power line is if it's connected to your house and pretty much nothing else - in other words if the break is between you and all the other houses' loads.

But, just to be clear, I'm not advocating back feeding. An interlocking breaker or a double pole double throw breaker is the correct way to attach a generator.

 

[BobRip]

The $175 was just for the bracket. You may find a better price.

Back feeding is sending power out of your house to the power lines.

You can power up your house legally. Just do it the right way.

 

[hayden]

The $175 was just for the bracket. You may find a better price.

It's certainly expensive for a bracket, but much cheaper than a 200A DPDT switch/breaker which can run $1000 or more. So I guess in comparison it's a bargain.

 

[BobRip]

It's certainly expensive for a bracket, but much cheaper than a 200A DPDT switch/breaker which can run $1000 or more. So I guess in comparison it's a bargain.

Exactly

 

[aczlan]

It's certainly expensive for a bracket, but much cheaper than a 200A DPDT switch/breaker which can run $1000 or more. So I guess in comparison it's a bargain.

It is probably also UL listed, so your insurance company cannot use it as a reason to deny coverage if something happens.
EDIT: ('it' being a UL listed interlock vs a home made one)

Aaron Z

 

[hayden]

It is probably also UL listed, so your insurance company cannot use it as a reason to deny coverage if something happens.
Aaron Z

At the risk of taking this off on a tangent....

I've never read anything in my homeowner's policy that says coverage only applies if things are UL listed. Has anyone seen such language in an insurance policy?