Generator wiring

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Not so much if you are driving with defective brakes. Hmmmm

Me? Driving with defective brakes? Uh...OK...another nice off topic post.
Thanks.
Four times now to the OP, and look back on replies I was the first to suggest this: CALL AN ELECTRICIAN!

 

[grsthegreat]

It falls under NEC 702. Its considered optional in that it allows authority having jurisdiction to have final say so, meaning different cities and utilities can have their own requirements. For instance where i live, the public and private utilities send out letters which state that your power can be cut off if they find your not using an interconnect or listed transfer switch.

For non essential uses like home backup, its far more lenient than for emergency backup, but essentially it falls back to authority having jurisdiction . Most utility companies require this, and in the 4 states where i worked as an electrician they required it. I have no idea what state you live in

, so cant comment on your situation.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Tree Grower asks for assistance.
I suggest (after youtube video link and other how to do it suggestions) call a professional electrician who would do it correctly bringing everything up to code.
I mentioned how on RARE occasions I connect my generator which lots of people do with affirmation that's ok if done in that order. Now attention away from the OP with irrelevant replies to ME! What 'tha?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It falls under NEC 702. Its considered optional in that it allows authority having jurisdiction to have final say so, meaning different cities and utilities can have their own requirements. For instance where i live, the public and private utilities send out letters which state that your power can be cut off if they find your not using an i terconnect or listed transfer switch.

For non essential uses like home backup, its far more lenient than for emergency backup, but essentially it falls back to authority having jurisdiction . Most utility companies require this, and in the 4 states where i worked as an electrician they required it. I have no idea what stare you live inView attachment 772110, so cant comment on your situation.

Uhhhh...thanks. Great info.
(What stare I live in?)
Thanks for affirmation I'm connecting my generator correctly as per your code book.View attachment 772116

 

[grsthegreat]

The answer to your question is no you do not need to keep the mess, secondly it is acode violation as is A the panel is not allowed to be a junction box. B. You have to have an interlock to keep you from backfiring the utility line. I recommend you hire an electrician.
I am an electrical enengeering P. E.
Good luck

You are technically correct. The panel is not rated to be a junction box. I have brought up this fact with inspectors over the years, the first time was when i added a portable generator interlock box that had a thick, wire filled conduit that attached to the house panel. It was UL Rated and designed to unhook neutral and hot on 10 selected circuits and included wire nuts for connecting wires.

I questioned inspector on how this is allowed, all he said was its UL listed and approved, so they have no problem with it. Again, this fell into a Authority having Jurisdiction area. Gets pretty confusing. Especially when ive been busted for using wirenuts inside a breaker panel to extend wires In the past.

this craziness is one of the reasons im glad to be a retired electrician.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Bless your heart

And bless your heart for sending the OP's topic off the rails:
"Thats all well and good, but what if you are somewhere else and your wife or brother-in-law sez, OK, I can get us power back up. You ready to schedule a funeral? Don’t say that they know better, because they probably don’t."
Reminds me of the fourth Wiseman turned away for bringing fruitcake you posted in the Groan thread. Are you the fourth Wiseman?

 

[grsthegreat]

Uhhhh...thanks. Great info.
(What stare I live in?)
Thanks for affirmation I'm connecting my generator correctly as per your code book.View attachment 772116

Are you? I have no idea whether or not your building dept or utility supplier would agree with this statement. Only your saying they would. Bet they would not.

id just love to see a utility supplier tell someone they dont need an interconnect. Talk about opening themselves up to a lawsuit.

 

[orezok]

Reminds me of the fourth Wiseman turned away for bringing fruitcake you posted in the Groan thread. Are you the fourth Wiseman?

No sense of humor, Huh? My only recommendation is that “When you are in a hole, STOP DIGGING”

 

[grsthegreat]

well, he did save himself $69.


anyways, all the OP needs to do to make their system safe, is to install an interlock. me, i would clean up the panel cause it looks like a blind man installed it. but it could safely be used as it is with an interlock. as it is, if someone accidentally turns on the 2 pole 20 breaker, that male generator plug will be a death trap.

 

[MossRoad]

First of all, thanks for all the feedback. For me the opportunity to bounce an idea around is just as valuable as the right answer in the first place.

Attached photos show my situation. Just to clarify, I don't wish to disconnect the generator feed- I might need it. Also, I subconsciously have wondered about the risk of feeding juice back into the grid. The 4 square box to the right of the gen panel appears to be only a receptacle, not a switch. The instructions to the right imply that the transfer must be done manually--?? by switching off the feed from the main, and switching on the feed from the gen ??

In tracing wires between the panels and from the main panel out into the house, it appears that the electrician and/or homeowner just chose which circuits to include and which to leave out.

What I think I really want is an automatic transfer from the generator to the main panel w/o having any individual circuits connected between the two. If this is not possible I won't fight it, but I would like know why.

Looking at your photos, that looks fairly typical. Just not neat and tidy.

People are under the impression that there's no disconnect in there. I think there is.

Can you post a picture of the breaker labels?

I'd guess there's something in that setup somewhere that prevents applying street power and generator power to those breakers in the generator panel at the same time.

Pictures of the labeled panels would help quit a bit.