I suspect this very dangerous

[ray66v]

While back feeding can be done safely, it cannot be done legally.

The problem is most people are not educated enough, or careful enough, to do so properly.

So, yes the HD employee was wrong for suggesting an illegal installation.

The risk for potential harm to a lineman does exist, but is greatly overblown.

As part of their training, electrical workers should always be treating any wire as if it is hot. With more and more people owning, and using generators, there is certain to be a heightened awareness among lineman of lines potentially being energized by a back feed.

Keep in mind generators today have circuit breakers that would trip in the event of trying to power the entire neighborhood. Also, the breaker on the circuit being back feed will also be overloaded, and trip.

Quite a few things would have to go wrong, before the lineman would receive a shock.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

One wind generator I was looking at will shut down when utility goes down, to prevent a backfeed.

 

[coobie]

While back feeding can be done safely, it cannot be done legally.

The problem is most people are not educated enough, or careful enough, to do so properly.

So, yes the HD employee was wrong for suggesting an illegal installation.

The risk for potential harm to a lineman does exist, but is greatly overblown.

As part of their training, electrical workers should always be treating any wire as if it is hot. With more and more people owning, and using generators, there is certain to be a heightened awareness among lineman of lines potentially being energized by a back feed.

Keep in mind generators today have circuit breakers that would trip in the event of trying to power the entire neighborhood. Also, the breaker on the circuit being back feed will also be overloaded, and trip.

Quite a few things would have to go wrong, before the lineman would receive a shock.

GREATLY OVERBLOWN ? TELL THAT TO A LINEMANS WIFE AN KIDS ONCE HE IS DEAD!Being a Electric lineman for 30 plus years trust me I KNOW.How about when your tired 3-5 days into a storm working 20 hours a day do you think your always on high alert,heck no.Folks my point here being PLEASE have a professional hook up your generator if you have any doubts at doing this electric hookup.coobie

 

[beenthere]

coobie
That is good advice, and experienced advice too. thanks

I'd think there would be enough load on the hi-lines that any attempt to backfeed would kill most (if not all) home generators pretty quick (unlesss everyone had their homes disconnected). Still not worth the risk for a lineman.

 

[tommu56]

Originally Posted by MrBobcat230
If you are back feeding you main panel and forgot to turn off the main breaker would the meter run backwards?




With at least half of the opinions on this subject being that any backfeed is instant death to unsuspecting linemen, a power outage on a sunny day could be deadly due to solar backfeed !!!
That being said, I do believe that backfeed can be dangerous, even fatal ,but I don't think that unsuspecting linemen actually exist, at least not for very long. Stupid (uneducated in matters electrical) homeowners exist in droves. MikeD74T

Mike any grid intertie inverters I have seen and read about have a provision to disable them if they don't see the line coming in.

is is termed islanding

Islanding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


tom

 

[tawilson]

This is from the National Grid website:
"If you do not have a transfer switch, make sure your home or office electrical wiring is disconnected from our power lines before you operate your generator. This requires that the main circuit breaker in your electric service panel box is in the OFF position or, in older electric service panel boxes, that the main fuse block is removed. This prevents your generator's electricity from going back into the power lines in the street, which could endanger line crews and your neighbors."
They seem ok with it.

 

[ray66v]

GREATLY OVERBLOWN,TELL THAT TO A LINEMANS WIFE AN KIDS ONCE HE IS DEAD!Being a Electric lineman for 30 plus years trust me I KNOW.How about when your tired 3-5 days into a storm working 20 hours a day do you think your always on high alert,heck no.Folks my point here being PLEASE have a professional hook up your generator if you have any doubts at doing this electric hookup.coobie

Buddy, I know this is an issue for you, and I guess you missed the part where I acknowledged that there was risk, and it was wrong to hook up a generator that way.

You YELL about generator safety, then suggest you work around power lines, when your probably too tired to do so safely? How do you mitigate all the other risks involved?

Most anyone who works for a living occasionally gets forced in to a position where they are working when they should not be. Sometimes you have to have the courage to say no. If there are consequences, at least your alive to deal with them.

 

[coobie]

Buddy, I know this is an issue for you, and I guess you missed the part where I acknowledged that there was risk, and it was wrong to hook up a generator that way.

You YELL about generator safety, then suggest you work around power lines, when your probably too tired to do so safely? How do you mitigate all the other risks involved?

Most anyone who works for a living occasionally gets forced in to a position where they are working when they should not be. Sometimes you have to have the courage to say no. If there are consequences, at least your alive to deal with them.

Sorry to say you do not have a clue what it takes to do line work.The long hours night and day are part of this job my friend.If I only worked 8-10 hours and day to get your power back on how long do you think you would be with out power?Weeks instead of days.coobie.

 

[Groo]

Sorry to say you do not have a clue what it takes to do line work.The long hours night and day are part of this job my friend.If I only worked 8-10 hours and day to get your power back on how long do you think you would be with out power?Weeks instead of days.coobie.

If its that big of a risk, have Osha mandate 1 way transformers. I doubt it is; if your not playing "lets pee on the dead cable". Lots of people put in long hours doing potentially dangerous work. You aren't the only one.

 

[ray66v]

Sorry to say you do not have a clue what it takes to do line work.The long hours night and day are part of this job my friend.If I only worked 8-10 hours and day to get your power back on how long do you think you would be with out power?Weeks instead of days.coobie.

I know it's Sunday, but it's time to stop preaching.

I never suggested how many hours you should work. I only suggested you should not work when your not up to doing so safely.

I am actually good friends with a retired lifetime veteran lineman, so I do have a clue what the job involves.