# Generator Questions Again



## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

I don't have a generator yet but have been reviewing buying one since this last weeken where we had the remanats of Ike blow through south East Ohio like a real hurricane. If I got say a Honda 2000 can I use it for home back up? How would I do that? Make a cable with a plug each end and plug into a recepticle? I have a solarium I can use out of the house ventilation system to keep it in whan its running.

I would need to run the fridge/freezer and the lights in summer. In winter I would want to run the gas furnace as well with its blower. It would also work the hot water but I am not sure of that load but it should be lower because its a gas heater.

I also see there are parallel cables and parallel power kits. Whats the difference between these 2? (appart from about $150)

Thanks


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

As far as a 2000 watt generator goes it would not be enough for your needs. I would suggest at least a 5000 watt to start. There is setup you can buy that fits in your panel and works as a transfer switch to safely run generator and not back feed to the power lines. However it would feed the whole panel so you would manually have to shed some of the load (turn off breakers not needed).Interlock transfer kit.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

2000 W will run your Fridge/freezer. Just use an extension cord. If you are planning on powering a house, get a bigger genset. If you do go that route, please make sure you get the necessary transfer switch installed (or at least make sure your main breaker is off if you are backfeeding through an outlet). If you run your generator without the safety's in place you can energize the line that normally feeds power into your house. This is a very big danger for the power crews working to restore power as they could be electrocuted by a line that should be dead.


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

I have a Honda 3000 and I looked into a panel that attaches next to your existing panel. It allows you to wire a certain number of circuits onto it and it would allow you to run several appliances - depending on the draw. Then there was a recepticle on the outside of the house that was wired into this new panel. During an outage you just plug the generator into the outside recepticle, start it up and then throw the switch between the two panels. You could keep the fridge, sump pump, etc. running.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

2000 will be just enough to run the fridge and some lights, etc. I was trying to do the same a few months ago, struggleing between the 2000 or something bigger. i finally opted for the 5000w Honda. i am wiring a dedicated 220 line to run the home essentials. on the occasional need to use when camping, ill bring it. when i start more dry camping ill get a pair of 2000iu's or the yamaha 3000.


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

z-family said:


> Last winter we used our honda 2000 to power our fridge/freezer, the furnace(blower motor) and one light during a power outage. It worked great. I have a heavy duty extension cord with 3 outlets on the end and I made a jumper cord to the furnace with a regular plug on it, then two more extension cords going to the fridge and one lamp. When the furnace would kick on, the idle speed on the honda would increase a little bit but it never came close to running full idle with that load. You can't use the 2000 for a complete home backup, but it can keep the house warm, food fresh and give a little light!
> 
> Rob


 I've done the same. The regular house wiring goes to a box on the side of the furnace, so the current can be turned on/off at the furnace. I replaced that switch with a double pole double throw job. The house wiring feeds it like it always did. The other side of the switch is wired to the male end of a cut-off extension cord. 
With the toggle up, the furnace runs on line current. In the middle, is the off position. With the toggle down, it gets current from a 10 ga ext cord from the generator. We had plenty of current for a fridge, the furnace, and a small tv. Well, heck, it was super bowl sunday! The current was off five or six days that time. Bought a bigger generator for a next time that didn't come before we sold out and went fulltime.

Sluggo


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## sleecjr (Mar 24, 2006)

I have the 2000 and use it at my house when power is out. I run 2 fridge and some lights. No problems at all. Just don't start the fridges at the same time.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Just to cause trouble







, you can also do this with the batteries from your trailer and a 2kW inverter as well. I ran our Fridge and a freezer for 4 hours on a group 27 12V batt as a test. I don't know how long it will run on the 2 6V's, but it has to be longer.

For those that did the furnace mod, do you need to isolate the neutral and ground, or just the hot wire? I want to try that next...


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Nathan said:


> Just to cause trouble
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very Innovative Nathan !!!







I like it.


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## docks5 (Oct 4, 2006)

I have an Onan 6500, and since we just had Ike visit us, our power has been out for a few days. What I did, since I'm not thrilled with tapping in to my breaker box is, I got a 4 prong 30amp plug (for the generator side), the necessary wiring (#10 AWG 4c) and a dryer plug. I attached the two plugs to either end and plugged it into my dryer outlet. I killed the main breaker so it wouldnt backfeed the house line, and I am able to run my entire house except for my central air conditioner. So far so good.


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## russk42 (Sep 10, 2007)

OutbackPM said:


> I don't have a generator yet but have been reviewing buying one since this last weeken where we had the remanats of Ike blow through south East Ohio like a real hurricane. If I got say a Honda 2000 can I use it for home back up? How would I do that? Make a cable with a plug each end and plug into a recepticle? I have a solarium I can use out of the house ventilation system to keep it in whan its running.
> 
> I would need to run the fridge/freezer and the lights in summer. In winter I would want to run the gas furnace as well with its blower. It would also work the hot water but I am not sure of that load but it should be lower because its a gas heater.
> 
> ...


parallel cables: connects two hondas together, and you plug your appliance into one of them--but get more power.
parallel kit: connects the generators together, plus gives you a 30A RV-type outlet with breaker (or whatever outlet the particular kit comes with)

I've also got honda 2000's with extension cords: one for the fridge/freezer, and the other for some lights, satellite tv, etc. they're very quiet. I also have a larger/louder/cheaper unit primarily for my well pump---which I only need to run intermitently.


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## russk42 (Sep 10, 2007)

OutbackPM said:


> How would I do that? Make a cable with a plug each end and plug into a recepticle?
> Thanks


That's generally illegal/against the electrical code/forbidden by your power company---not to mention dangerous: use extension cords or get a transfer switch. you can use cords for light loads and/or get a simple transfer switch for one or two large loads (water heater, furnace)
Or better yet--hook your generator to your outback.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

I quess you could look at this the same way as a tow vehicle. A f-150 could tow my 32 footer but that dont make it right or safe. Now a 2000 watt gen could power up a few necessaties safely if done right (extension cords running to everything is not).

You only get about the equal to a 15 amp circuit with 2000 watts.

With a properly installed transfer switch and a big enough generator you run all of your plugs and lights and important 240v loads.

So why get the f-150 with friction control sway when you could get the f-250 with equalizer setup and have all your bases covered? 
I don't wish to offend anyone by this post. If i did im sorry. This is just my professional humble opinion.
JOE


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## NHRA Larry (Jan 30, 2008)

I just read the replies to your question. I MAJOR factor in using a Honda 2000 or 3000 is that they are all 110 VAC. You will not be able to use any 220 VAC item.

Having spent 15 years living in Florida, I used my racing 6500 watt, w/220 VAC for home emergency power. It is noisy, buy I had use of all my appliances, tv a/c etc. I even ran extension cords to my neighbor to run their frige and freezer. I still have the racing generator available, but I use a Honda 3000 for the Outback. Be careful though, because when power is restored, Unless it's done correctly, you could experance serious feedback.

Larry


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Nathan said:


> Just to cause trouble
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If I understand your question, utilizing the double pole double throw switch with center off position will take care of this automatically. Doing it this way, you can't backfeed the power grid. One might think 110V would be no big deal to the linemen, but it ain't 110 - it will go through that stepdown transformer backwards, so it is now a stepUP transformer. It can very easily be fatal to those working to restore your power.

I didn't make clear in my original reply that other loads - ie the fridge and the little tv - were run off an extension cord. Fridge first, after it shut off then the TV. At halftime, I put the fridge back on, the tv off, and monitored the halftime on a battery radio. Game time, unplug, plug, off we go.

http://www.aecc.com/be-prepared/standby-generator/

This example is for a transfer switch for hooking up a gennie to the house, but you can follow the circuit to see how it would work for the furnace.

Sluggo


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Sluggo54 said:


> If I understand your question, utilizing the double pole double throw switch with center off position will take care of this automatically. Doing it this way, you can't backfeed the power grid. One might think 110V would be no big deal to the linemen, but it ain't 110 - it will go through that stepdown transformer backwards, so it is now a stepUP transformer. It can very easily be fatal to those working to restore your power.
> 
> .....


Thanks!

I fully understand the need to isolate the house from the grid. The power company linemen have a dangerous enough job without having power flowing out of houses!


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