[Cialug] Mailling List Admin

[Dave Weis]

A transfer switch is required by the National Electrical Code. Hooking up a generator with a cheater cord and flipping the main breaker is dumb and dangerous. You can see more on it at 
http://www.gen-tran.com/content/faqs/faq_ats.asp 



-----Original Message-----
From: cialug-bounces at cialug.org [mailto:cialug-bounces at cialug.org] On Behalf Of L. V. Lammert
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:45 AM
To: Central Iowa Linux Users Group
Subject: [Cialug] Mailling List Admin

>  It isn't how good the disconnection is that they are worried about,  
>it's the possibility that someone will neglect to flip the breaker once.
>  with the DPDT it's impossible to power the line from your generator 
>socket.
>
Spokey by a true theorist! No portable generator has enough load capacity to power the entire area [called backfeeding]. If you don't flip/open the main breaker when hooking up a generator, there's no way the generator is going to carry the load for the rest of the neighrborhood.

The only issue with main disconnect is if you already ARE disconnected, and the lineman tries to connect the drop. Certainly an issue, but, while a safety risk, using a main breaker to disconnect when switching to generator power is certainly doable. If you have enough knowledge & experience to manually hookup a generator, you most likely are knowledgeable enough to disconnect the main breaker - if you forget, you will trip the breaker on the generator for an ahaha moment.

Tripping the breaker onthe generator is also very likely to happen if you have GFIs on the generator and UPSs connected TO the generator. Make sure the generator does NOT have GFIs if you plan to use it for household backup.

	Lee
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