Emergency generator

Anyway I have it home and in the shop getting ready to unpack it. We live in a mobile home and I did all of the electrical work when we moved it to our property.. Inspector signed off on my work so must have done something right.. Guess what I am trying to say is I won't have any trouble hooking the generator up and disconnecting the house from the grid if it's needed during this storm but I would like to get some sort of manual transfer switch for possible future emergencies.

Any hints on the generator, transfer switch etc. would be apreciated...

OK you sold me I will get the proper transfer switch when I get a chance and do it properly. However I can"t get out my drive and I"m telling ya if we loose power I am going to get that puppy hooked up one way or another...

On the neutral backfeed issue... I still don"t believe one wire that is tied to earth ground can in any way back feed anything to the grid, transformer or not.. You would need to have something going into at least one of the legs to complete a circuit and if they are both disconnected how can anything be back fed. I do know how transformers work even designed a few and no way can you get anything out with only one wire hooked up... Please explain under what circumstances leaving the neutral connected can create a back feed?

Due to voltage drop on causing a diffference in potential. You have to look at page 2 for a while to see it.

Still don't see how the neutral can back feed. In order to create any voltage in the transformer more than one wire would need to be hooked up. You can put 600 volts on one wire of lets say the primary a transformer and unless you provide a return with the other end of the (primary) winding you aint gonna get nuttun out of the secondary.

I can understand the possibility of a voltage difference in potential between neutral and ground.. Maybe induced current could create a couple volts... But if the natural and ground are tied together at the transformer??? Even if you end up with a difference between N & G you still don't have a complete path (return) through the line transformer..

Bet this is one of those regulations that was written as the result of someone doing something really stupid.

In any case it looks like we dogged the bullet, storm has all but passed and we still have power.

• Interlock kit

Hope you get power back soon. I was ready but the ice hit here acutally South of us and looks like all we will get now is a lot of sleet. (NW Oklahoma).

The utility Comp. will ground out their line to protect the workers, so make sure you disconnect the mains or you"ll fry your gen.

Could trip the shop breaker to disconnect it and the main to disconnect the whole works from the grid.

The distribution panel is outside on a short pole right next to the line transformer. Am almost sure the neutral is tied to a ground rod at the transformer. Transformer is fed from an underground cable from the pole out on the road. I can't see how the neutral could possibly carry anything back to the grid..

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.You wired your house but are not sure why it passed? A neutral will backfeed voltage as it raises above true earth due to voltage drop. 2V on the secondary side is over 200V on the primary side of the service transformer. That's enough to injure or kill. Why do you think a bonded generator needs a three pole switch and a floating generator requires a two pole switch. It's to prevent neutral-ground loop circuits. As for those home tinkerers who know more than the hydro inspector and electricans. Wonder on down to the Wiremens Union Hall and tell them you don't need transfer switch for your generator.And backfeeding with a double male cable while counting on the main for isolation. Make certain your health and life insurance is paid up before telling these guys. Cheepskate backfeeders are ignorant low life scum.

Gerald J.

Not to mention the "double male" jumper cable you're talking about. Not good having an exposed (hot) male end.

Get the proper transfer switch. Do it right.

Second that ground current from the high line comes from the power system being grounded and the fact that a significant portion of the return current passes through the LARGE cross section of the earth, no matter how large the power line's grounded conductor. Unless there is a ground fault in the generator, most generators aren't grounded at all so there is no ground and it won't be transformed back to the power line. That voltage is the resistive drop from that primary current fraction into the ground. Its a MUTUAL voltage, not a transformed voltage.

The Square D switch I have out on my pole at home does NOT break the ground or neutral, only the phases. The interlocked square D breakers I have in my barn don't either and the interlock was in place when the untility crew wired the meter and the service into that panel. They agreed it was good.

Gerald J. Electrical Engineer in Iowa.

>Link Electric Technician, IBEW Interprovincal Electrician with CFFF endorsement and Nuclear Control Tech with OPG.