Only have power to half my breaker box.

[dave1949]

I vote for you need to get help.

Somehow you are confused, and I'm not sure exactly what the confusion is but I think it has to do with where to put the white (neutral) wire.

For the 240V generator breaker, you should have a red wire connected to one screw lug on the breaker, and a black wire to the second screw lug. I see what looks like a white wire leading to the generator breaker. It doesn't belong on the breaker. It belongs under a screw on the neutral bus--that strip of metal with lots of screws on the upper far right side of your panel in the picture where the other white wires are attached. I even hesitate to say that because god only knows what is on the other end of that white wire with you working on it. Harsh but true.

In truth, the wiring in your panel is downright scary. You don't have any meter or tester, and you don't really understand what you are doing. People are giving you correct advice but you are holding on to your own misconceptions. If you understood the problem, you wouldn't be asking for help--right? I don't think you are letting the help get past your confusion for some reason. You need to reboot.

Please get professional or knowledgeable help. There is no shame in that, especially when dealing with something that can kill or burn your house down.

 

[duke7595]

I vote for you need to get help.

Somehow you are confused, and I'm not sure exactly what the confusion is but I think it has to do with where to put the white (neutral) wire.

For the 240V generator breaker, you should have a red wire connected to one screw lug on the breaker, and a black wire to the second screw lug. I see what looks like a white wire leading to the generator breaker. It doesn't belong on the breaker. It belongs under a screw on the neutral bus--that strip of metal with lots of screws on the upper far right side of your panel in the picture where the other white wires are attached. I even hesitate to say that because god only knows what is on the other end of that white wire with you working on it. Harsh but true.

In truth, the wiring in your panel is downright scary. You don't have any meter or tester, and you don't really understand what you are doing. People are giving you correct advice but you are holding on to your own misconceptions. If you understood the problem, you wouldn't be asking for help--right? I don't think you are letting the help get past your confusion for some reason. You need to reboot.

Please get professional or knowledgeable help. There is no shame in that, especially when dealing with something that can kill or burn your house down.

Regarding the generator breaker, the red and black are connected to the breaker and the white neutral is connected to the bus and the ground to the the ground bus.
As far as the other wiring you have me thinking, I do have a volt meter and all checks out correct. The generator is 7500 watt running 9500 starting.
I will check into what you have told me and thank you for pointing out these things.

 

[s219]

If this is the case wouldn't you still have power to the entire breaker box ? Not just half ?

Unless there is a major problem, there are no "halfs" in a modern panel. Both legs go to both sides of the panel in alternating slots. As you stack single pole breakers, they tie to leg 1, leg 2, leg 1, leg 2, etc. A double pole will connect to two slots and tie into both legs. So your back feed breaker has to be doing the same.

I think your observation that half the panel is dead may be coincidence that the circuits you're checking on that side of the panel might alternate to the same leg. That also means the 240 circuits are only passing one hot leg to their loads, which could mess up stuff on the other end.

So most likely (to me) is that you are not passing two hots into the backfeed breaker, or the backfeed breaker is faulty and not connecting two hots.

I agree you probably should consult a pro.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I'm not an electrician but have done this type of wiring with permits and inspections.

Regarding the white wires connected to breakers in the panel, I looked closely at the picture and it appears they are all on double breakers. Whoever installed them should have painted the ends black, otherwise, it is permitted.

OP, I suggest you start testing and verifying at the generator and work your way toward the breaker in the panel.

Use your volt meter to check voltage at each connection point.

First, as noted before, if you have a 240 / 120 switch on the generator panel, that it is set to 240.
Verify that any breaker or reset switch on the generator is reset.
Use meter to check voltage across the hot leads in the generator socket. Use your generator manual to determine which two are hot and not which is ground and which is neutral.

Next check voltage at the end of the cable that plugs into the box that you put in.

Check the wiring for the male plug in the box that you put in. Verify that each of the 4 wires are wired to the correct terminals and that they are mechanically connected correctly.

Next check voltage on the black and red wire where they are connected to the breaker. Assure that they are mechanically connected correctly.

If all the above checks out, then either the breaker did not get seated to each lug in the panel or the breaker is faulty.

Make any necessary corrections along the way. After making any corrections, continue verify correct wiring to the breaker.

Of course, this requires that you know how to properly use your volt meter. You must be careful in this process, not to short your self across live wires.

If you don't understand what I have said in this post, or why I said it, then seek professional help. I don't think it will cost much to get it done by an electrician.

 

[Bengineer]

Well put, GPintheMitten. That's how I would debug it, walking back from the generator to the panel. Agreed, an electrician could debug it in a minute and clean up the white wire marking. The box looks pretty orderly otherwise.

 

[k0ua]

This means you are insufficiently educated about electricity to be doing what you are doing...you need to get somebody who has a multimeter, knows how to use it, and will help you. The problem isn't too hard to solve, but is dangerous to mess with without more knowledge about how electricity works.

I am with texasjohn on this one. You are asking questions you should already understand before you start this potentially dangerous undertaking.

And as Forrest Gump says. "that is all I have to say about that"

 

[Coyote machine]

Totally incorrect.

The flat gray strips are all hot and there are two busses. Each one is tied to one 120v leg. The only thing going through a breaker is hot. Neutral and ground are not protected by a breaker.

You're right. I am wrong and retract my earlier statement. Thank you for catching my error and pointing it out. I will see what I can do about removing it from the thread.
Sorry to the OP for my incorrect info, and FWIW, I agree at least a consult from a pro is warranted for you and you power co. lineman's safety. If you were to backfeed the power co. line and a lineman were hurt or worst they would come to your door, and rightfully so. One thing I'm sure about is one cannot backfeed to the incoming line to the home/business.

 

[Clint S]

I would also check the breaker on the genny. I just had an issue this am with mine. Only had 120 and one 120 outlet worked the other did not. There are 2push button breakers on the genny one was tripped. It happens alot when running high draw stuff with an extension cord that is not big enough.

 

[Beltman60]

he did say he has an interlock
If that is installed correctly it would protect the linemen working on the outside source

 

[MossRoad]

IF:
The interlock is working correctly.
AND IF:
The generator breaker is working correctly.
AND IF:
The wiring and outlet from the generator breaker to the generator location are wired correctly.
AND IF:
Some sort of 240v cord from the outlet to the generator is wired correctly.
AND STILL:
Only half of your panel is powered.... there's something wrong with your generator (probably).