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Back feeding the grid is dangerous, but if locking out the main breaker makes it safe for an electrician to work on the house wiring when the other side (grid) is energized, then the reverse should also be considered safe. The big IF is remembering to lock it out, which is why following a written procedure is important.
"LOCK OUT / TAG OUT" is our mantra.
I did my yearly refresher safety course last week.
I am thinking about the people beyond line of sight that would come looking for the source....
Ever had someone cut off your lock? My brother has, he lost it.Quote:
Originally Posted by impact
One of our crews had the factory owners son come in one hot weekend and wanted his AC working so he cut the lock and threw the switch. Just lucky the fuses had been pulled as well .Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
I have multiple panels and swung all crucial circuits onto one so it could be locked off before backfeeding it with the genny. The other panels were left on so we could tell when the power was restored. Probably been five years since I bothered with the big genny. The last planned outage it was propane lantern and BBQ....
During a major outage in Oshawa area my son ran an old Chevelle to keep his UPS running. Most of his lighting was either curly tube or LED. All his neighbours were stopping in for hot coffee and news updates...
Unauthorized removal of a lockout devise by someone other than the device's owner will get you fired where I work. There is a protocol involved to remove someone else's lock, and it involves approval from several people. In this case, bureaucracy is good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox
These are my lock out / tag out tools. Due to the high KV I work with it is mandatory that there is a disconnect in the same room as the generator. I also carry a big stick should anyone dare to break the protocol....;)
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...a/IMG_0620.jpg
So basically what you guys are saying is.
If unsure about the wiring in the house, which creates this crazy birds nest at the one or two panels. if unsure if theres aluminum wiring in a 30 year old house (back when it was code) If unsure what current building codes are (which would negate your insurance ), if unsure what we are talking about, how to do it safely (and within code).
Figure out what you need to run and run that from a Generator. Considering how many people run pool pumps off extension cords, or other high draw tools and don't know why the code for a GFI is 5feet?
Hire someone that does, if you want to do much more than plug a couple things into one.
:)
I have 60 amp 120/240V subpanel with all mission critical circuits on it. That panel can be fed from either a generator or the utility.
Switch over is a manual operation. The 200 amp building disconnect is connected by a steel bar to the generator disconnect so that it is physically impossible for both to be in the "on" position at the same time. As long as that bar is in place it is not possible to back feed. Only real disadvantage is you can't tell when the power is restored. You have to physically switch back to the utility a couple times a day to check.
Generator feed is a 4 prong 120/240 Hubbel style connector on a cord located in a PVC weather proof box on the side of the house.
In the last 10 years we have used it 4 times. Twice for outages of 7 days and twice for outages of 2-3 days.
Both of the 7 day outages were due to ice storms in the last 3 years.
I didn't see anywhere in this thread mention of the system for a generator hookup where you have an electrician meet up with a Hydro worker at your house, they disconnect your power and remove the meter head, the electrician adds a small ring behind the meter to which you can plug your genny in when you have a power failure, and Hydro reinstalls their meter head. It all takes just a few minutes, and when the power does go out and come back on, if you are running a genny there is no problem with backfeeeding. I believe the cost is well under$2k and the good part is it is an approved alteration, not some fly by the seat of your pants job cause you are out of power .
John