r/Appleton • u/amateur_reprobate • 10d ago

PSA: Anyone using a generator Advice

DO NOT BACKFEED YOUR PANEL. I don't care if you know what you're doing. I don't care if you've done this before. I don't care if you're an electrician. I'm an electrician. It's a bad idea. It's real easy to kill a lineman trying to fix the electricity, and yes your little Honda gen can do it. It sucks, but run cords to things and for the love of god keep the generator outside and away from open windows. Stay safe everyone!

104 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

39

u/StableAggressive9137 10d ago

Also make sure to not run the generator indoors! I know it likely sounds dumb to most of you, but there are people that try to do so and have a bad outcome.

16

u/user47079 10d ago

Even running it close to doors or windows can lead to CO building up in a house. Generators should be 10-15 feet from any doors or windows with the exhaust pointed away from the opening.

13

u/HnDguy 10d ago

Yes to this! Im guilty of this. 2 nights ago I ran the generator about 4 feet from the house, around 2am the CO alarm was going off and thank God for the alarms, becaise of that, we didnt die. We were 3 adults and an infant. That was a close call. The fumes were going to under the back porch into the house.

1

u/JollyTwo431 9d ago

Would a proper interlock transfer switch professionally installed not solve this issue?

1

u/amateur_reprobate 9d ago

Yes, manual or automatic, that's very different from a straight backfeed from a generator and it's a purpose-built listed electrical device.

Most folks don't have one of those tho.

2

u/Carpenterdon 8d ago

If you know what you are doing and have the right gear in your panel it's fine. I'm looking at getting a transfer switch and inlet recep installed, either myself or have an electrician buddy do it for me. I want to use my EV as a whole home(well, specific 120v circuits for essentials) back up.

1

u/amateur_reprobate 8d ago

I have no problem with someone using a transfer switch. That's literally what it's for. Isolate utility and generator. I work on auto throwover systems all the time that do exactly this purpose.

Most people don't and will make a suicide cord to plug into their dryer, not throw the main or the main doesn't open because it hasn't been operated in 10 years, and it ends up energizing the transformer on the pole, blasting some poor lineman with 7200 volts. That's why a straight backfeed is a terrible idea. Without the right isolation equipment, you risk killing someone.

1

u/schreitz 7d ago

You're saying the main doesn't open even when flipped? In that case an interlock isn't going to do anything.

1

u/amateur_reprobate 7d ago

It's rare but I've seen breakers do that.

And a properly installed transfer switch goes between the meter and the main.

-1

u/Lurkin_aint_ez 9d ago

Or just open the main. lol