Generators - Backfeeding - 120V

[LittleBill21]

I assumed that was the case, until a few days ago I flipped the main on my sub panel to work on my HVAC (fan was frozen with ice) and it shut the whole house off. Since that sub panel had the ability to shut the whole house off I wasn't sure if that meant it feed from the main panel or not.

then you have a wiring problem, or you don't understand how the panels work. based on this comment someone will need to see it, and provide direction before you tie in a interlock. Are you sure you didn't turn off the main panel instead?

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Positive, I was about 60 feet from the main panel. Lol

I flipped the main power on the sub panel and my wife thought the power went out.

I'm not doing this work myself, just working on figuring up roughly what I'm looking at.

 

[LittleBill21]

Positive, I was about 60 feet from the main panel. Lol

I flipped the main power on the sub panel and my wife thought the power went out.

I'm not doing this work myself, just working on figuring up roughly what I'm looking at.

are you sure you didn't just cut a lighting circuit? if you understand how a sub panel is wired. its literally impossible to shut off a main panel with a sub panel, that is fed by one.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

View attachment 730249

Above is inside, I'm calling my main panel.

View attachment 730250

This is a small panel servicing just HVAC .

Shut this one off, the main power in this small box, my wife said the whole house shut down .

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Maybe I have it backwards, and the small panel is actually my main since it is right at the meter, and the one in my house is a sub-fed from that one?

 

[LittleBill21]

I only see one picture, what amperage is that main breaker? at the top? what is the amperage on the panel inside.

I would need to see the inside wiring of this, but yes, this is primarily the main breaker panel in this setup, what is odd though is you don't have a large breaker for the inside panel, so, there must be a buss bar inside, attached to the main breaker at the top of this panel, at least this is the assumption from 2000 miles away.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

They're both 200 amp boxes. It posted as an attachment for some reason. Clicking the attachment should open the photo. Trying again.

 

[grsthegreat]

The breaker under the meter is the main breaker to entire house. the indoor panel is a sub panel, feeding from lugs in the meter panel.

 

[LittleBill21]

The breaker under the meter is the main breaker to entire house. the indoor panel is a sub panel, feeding from lugs in the meter panel.

Thats what I assumed. I assume the inside panel is old, and had just a basic meter box in the past.

@grsthegreat do they make a interlock setup for this outside panel? @mwemaxxowner the interlock kit would need to go on the outside meter panel.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Awesome. Thank you fellas (and fellets if one of you is a lady) for helping me sort through that. It's good for me to just know how they work together.