Some people watching this video are jumping to the mistaken conclusion that I am simply backfeeding power from my generator into my home electrical system. THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM DOING OR SHOWING. 🙂 No linemen will ever be harmed by this idea! Please watch the entire video to best understand this idea. It is a safe, effective, simple way to power a few receptacles in your home for a short term emergency power supply using a small generator.
When you first came into the house and showed the 4 outlets behind the cloths rack, you said they were hot and that you could plug things into them. But you didn't explain that they were only hot when the generator was connected and running. That's probably why they thought you were backfeeding the grid.
Excellent video. I really enjoyed it. Very simple safe way to bring power from a generator into your home safely. Since you have a hackery, I'm curious that you didn't talk about having a few solar panels you could be charging it with.
Use a Sharpie to label your outlet covers “generator” and also “grid” next to your water pump. The EU2200i is probably more fuel efficient than the non-inverter 2500.
I have the exact same Honda EG-2500 generator bought it 1993 for power outages, and it still runs great. This past April I bought for $ 49.99 a Predator 2" semi-trash water pump Wheel Kit.. This wheel kit is heavy duty it comes with 10" rubber wheels a pull handle, and all the hardware. The best thing is, it will bolt onto the tubular frame of your Honda generator, just like it did on mine. Back in the 90"s portable generators did not have wheels, we had to pick them up to move. I would pick mine up put in a wheel barrel, take around back of the house and plug into a transfer switch I installed. I'm 66 and have been in construction my entire life, for $ 49.99 it made moving the generator easier on my back, and that makes me happy.
This is the reason I moved to Florida from Chicago. If you do buy a whole house generator stay away from Generac and go with Kohler. I rent and have 2-2200i's in parallel and 10 gauge extension cords. I just run the wires through a pool noodle with the window closed on the noodle. I also have 4-Ecoflow Delta 2 units and 2 Ecoflow River max power banks. I do not like going without power. I have 2 window ac units and 2 electric heaters. It does get cold in North Florida. I am happy a lot of people are getting a back up power sources for their home. What is a surprise is that we get a lot of hurricanes in Florida and there are very few people who have a back up power source. Also label all of your outlets or use a paint pen on the outside outlet. Great video,t hanks.
Your videos have been very helpful to me, now I can return the favor. We have just finished a diy hybrid solar/battery/inverter whole home power system. I also couldn’t justify the cost of a whole home backup generator, (which costs $15k in my area, and frequently fail), as you have correctly concluded, a high cost with no payoff other than convenience. For less than that, we are now consuming ZERO grid power! I’ve been watching the solar industry for many years, and in my opinion, the cost and reliability factors have finally reached the “no brainer”point. The key is DIY. If I can do it, you certainly can…
I'm powering my home from solar too. My grid is my first backup and my generac generator is my secondary. If I have a good charge in my ford lightning I run my home from that prior to using the grid.
I have come up with a similar solution for my home. I do have a whole home generator but it really guzzles the fuel. This was pretty much my solution to power the internet and refrigerator/freezer with a smaller more economical generator. Love having both options. I have the same type setup with parallel outlets that are only active when powered by a generator. I use different wall plates so everyone knows. Great idea, glad someone else thought of it too!
@HIKETOGRAPHER Those generators can cost from $70 to $100 per day.to operate. The dealers also try to sell you the biggest generator possible when you don't need to run every light in the house. The only time people should get one is if they have medical issues, or children home alone. Of course if they want one or have money to burn.
Great video. Wonderful idea of parallel circuits. The only thing I would change is to identify “emergency power receptacles” as you mentioned. That way anyone that follows you can identify what you have done.
I agree with you, Herrick. You just never know what is going to happen. i was in a similar situation as yourself, and finally just bit the bullet and got a whole house generator, power can go out at any time where i live, and it's been a while since it has been out for days, but like you, you can almost feel it in your bones. something is gonna happen...
I did a few things a lot better than you. I bought the biggest Honda inverter (EU 7000is) generator. The bigger brother of the one you have. It’s in its own house. It stays right there & is never moved. I have it so my wife can start it in my house without ever going outside. It is wired into my entire house with an inter-lock. It can power up our entire house including our 2-1/2 ton central air. My wife can rest assured she never has to camp in our house ever again. I’m a power lineman for a living. You’re very wise to have a back up generator. Although at your age do you really want to go through all that extra effort? With global warming & more fierce storms with longer durations folks need to wise up & have back ups. We keep 111 gallons of stored gas in our shed. Long enough for a 3 week outage. All our gas is pretreated & I can run my genny with an auxiliary for 42 hours straight. I start it once a month to be sure it’s ready. Mine is electric start & starts on the first try. It has electronic fuel injection so there isn’t any carburetor to foul. I have mine on a battery tender all the time. I change my battery every three years irregardless of whether it needs it or not. I change the oil once a year with Mobil one. It has never let us down. It’s a Honda. Thanks for posting. Glad your outage was only 31 hours. Atleast you were able to stay somewhat comfortable.
I do the same thing. I have a 20 amp inlet on the outside of my house. It goes inside the house to power one outlet that is never hooked up to my regular house power. That will run my sump, furnace and a few light appliances to keep us going for a few weeks on generator power. I also have three solar power stations to move from room to room to power small electric devices. My last ditch plan after a few weeks of no power is to use around 600 watts of solar panels I have stored in my garage to recharge a 4800 watt battery bank I have in my basement. If you have a newer furnace with a circuit board you may need to bond a ground on your generator or if you run a battery bank and inverter system you may need to run a ground wire from the inverter to a chassis ground on your furnace for it to run properly. The new furnaces will look for a bonded ground in your main panel and if they do not see that they will try to start and shut down.
We've got that same newer Honda. Got a kit to run it on LP. Less concern with stale fuel or any gumming up of the lines, and it runs right around 25-ish hours on a grill-sized tank vs 7-7.5 hours per tank of gas. It wasn't cheap, but the LP tanks can be cycled out through the grill, and a bonus is that we never have to worry about not having enough LP left if the tank runs out in the middle of cooking something, as we've got several backups for generator use.
Simply easy solution to for house generator hook up. Well done. I ended up labelling the outlet covers as well as spray painting them RED. I was going to check if I needed a ground rod to attach to the generator and how "clean" my power from generator is. (It is not a honda....)I am also an electrician. You did a nice clean install. Appreciate efforts it takes to make these presentations.
I personally find the simple main breaker sliding lockouts to be an even better solution and just as simple with no need to plug things in to different places. Just run one outlet from a top breaker in your panel outside for the generator and then all you have to do is flip the main off, slide the lockout plate and turn on the generator breaker and all circuits in your panel can be energized. All you have to do is not switch on too many things at once based on your generator size. Simple and safe.
I'm afraid your right Mr. Kimball. We loose power here because of wind and earthquakes. I have an old Wacker generator as backup. I may have to use your idea. Thanks for the video. I enjoy all of yours that I've seen!
Very nice setup very clever! I have 5 solar generators stationed through out my house and a back up gas/propane generator to charge them if no sun. Worked like a charm for the week of Milton power outage, Like you said does it run everything nope but it sure makes live a lot more bearable!!
Thank you for the idea. I will have to do this here on the farm. It also works well to tell you when the power comes back on, as you can still have lights on the main grid.
1998 we had a 3 to 4 day ice storm in northern VT and NH. Maybe you as well. My Homelite 2500 watt Briggs powered generator that my dad had since the 1970s was shuttled from house to house in the neighborhood. It was hooked up to furnaces or heaters for a few hours and then on to the next. A fireman who was an electrician oversaw some wiring changes on 120 volt furnaces for temporary plug in to the extension cord. Your idea makes it a lot easier to accomplish the same thing on a more permanent basis. In my house the sump pump is on the critical branch along with the freezer, refrigerator and furnace. We are on town water.
Good video Herrick, you keep em separate "one or the other and never both" the only safe way to do it. Reliance makes a feed through inlet for generators with just the lnlet on the outside and 4 110v sockets on the inside. We just added a gen and we went the transfer switch route. The only suggestion I have is to LABEL your Gen outlets! Well done, have a great day.
Unfortunately my well pump is 1.5hp 220. I have 3 generators of various sizes including a 10kw dual fuel that can run most of my house except electric furnace and range. Fortunately I have a spring fed pond and rainwater catchment for flushing toilets and general cleanup so would only have to run the big generator occasionally. My main concern is power enough to keep 2 fridges and a chest freezer going and run the fan on my wood furnace. You worded it very well, not going to live like nothing happened but enough to be comfortable. You can keep all that snow tho lol. I'll take Oklahoma weather
Good idea; i’ve done something similar with my home here in Alaska… The Power frequently goes out here and out goes the generator for a few outlets that are dedicated to it. I chose a larger generator and keep it in a heated room downstairs and pull it outside and start it every two weeks and pull a tank of gas through it generating power to make sure everything works well.
I gradually built my home solar backup. Now retired at 75 I have 55 kwh of battery storage, 18 kw of solar panels and 8.8 kw inverter. With another 10 kw inverter connected to the same battery bank to charge my EV truck. It took many years but now I'm finally ready when our grid goes down for an extended period, which it will either by failure, cyber attack, solar flare or nuclear EMP. What this administration is currently doing messing in Russia/Ukraine war we may not have to worry about having electricity or anything else for that matter. You can only poke a dog with a stick for so long before it attacks you.
Great video. Perhaps you should look into making a “ram pump” to get the water from your creek up to the house. No power would be needed and it would save you from carrying buckets of water.
Enjoyed the video !! NEW Subscriber..... I bought a Champion 6250 Watt inverter generator 3 years ago, because of occasional power outages in the past here in coastal Massachusetts ..... NEVER even put gas in the damn tank, .... Because we haven't had an outage more that 3 hours long, since I bought the gen ... LOL Better prepared than NOT, though .... 😉
Nice to keep it simple! Since you have a sort of 'ready to work' emergency power setup installed, i would suggest, if not done so, to take care of a proper ground or earth wire. So you have a good return path if there is a problem. Your house has likely already one, or you can drive at the generator spot a new one into the ground with a lead to be connected to the generator when used. With a proper ground a RCD can protect you. Without a proper ground, any self generated power from batteries, generator, solar, would need an isolation protector to be safe.
that is a great idea. May consider doing this should be simpler and easier than going the interlock way at least something to consider. thanks for the idea
Simply put, I see this as a good way to get power from the generator to the inside of the house without having to run extension cords through open windows and doorways etc. Just like a 30 amp wall plug but for 110 only. Totally separate from the main grid. Great idea IMO. Herrick...please correct me if I'm wrong.
You have the Wiz Bang cart! A surprisingly strong cart. Nice build. EDIT: Just realized you are the SOURCE of the cart plans. It's a great cart. So damn useful and strong.
We're planning on doing the same thing with a L14-30 external generator plug box running to a L14-30R receptacle inside. That gives us 240 or two 110 branches to power the house. We even got a transfer switch from EX Generator Switches to power our furnace blower off the generator. I haven't installed any of it yet as I'm still trying to figure out how to properly tie the grounds to keep it all safe.
Great idea I have done the same thing for my well at home nothing connected to the grid completely separate system run off your generator. A 500 gallon propane tank and a 5,000 watt predator propane generator and you could power for a very very long time!!
this is a great way to do it provided you are able bodied enough to lug it around and start the thing. I would also venture that 90% of gen sets out there are not maintained or run on a regular basis... and maybe some of that is lack of knowing better. The other side is those who are getting older and simply can't do it any longer. I am 71 and wondering how many more years I can keep after stuff like this. I was also in the gen business for 25 years so "knowing how" isn't going to be the issue.
Hello Herrick. I’ve been a reader since the Taurus Field Car days. Always enjoy your blog postings a videos. Thanks for choosing Honda products!! We appreciate it!!
Great set up… I’ll never understand why people spend $20,000 plus for a whole house set up here in Florida- unless they’re very elderly -and may never really even need it. Just in case a hurricane comes through and they lose power for 1 or 2 days. They have to run once a week plus yearly maintenance plus propane refills and storage tank(s)- harbor freight and AliExpress have some great inexpensive inverter generators
Obviously you do understand, as you mentioned elderly and others who may not be able to do the manual work of a portable gen set. There's another category... people with enough money.
A manual transfer switch would have been much easier to install than putting in a separate house circuit. I picked up a 4 circuit switch for $145 and wired it into my panel in less than 30 minutes and power it with a bank of 4 parallel lithium batteries or an EcoFlow Delta 2 that I charge mainly via solar panel. The way manual transfer switches work, there is no way to back feed the grid and risk life. I also wired in a 30 amp generator inlet for my propane generator if I want 240v with an interlock to prevent back feeding the grid.
My $1,000 Predator 8750 inverter generator runs my entire house, and it was much easier to just install a 240V 30 amp plug and a double pole 30A breaker in my 200A panel box, and no, I do NOT back-feed the grid👍
Great simple idea. However, doing a simple interlock in the main panel is a comparably simple and cost-effective way as well and of course allows you to run any circuit.
I love that electric set up that you have I have never seen it before I assuming that you run extension cords from the outlets to whatever you want power also with the well pump, I’m assuming you ran a line from outlet connection to outlet downstairs? Thanks in advance
Right. Extension cords. All 12 gauge. 14 gage is enough for a 15 amp generator outlet, but I'm a 12 gauge power cord guy. 🙂 And, yes, Romex line from where generator plugs in goes to 4 wall receptacles and from there to well pump receptacle.
Some power companies will fit a 'meter collar' (auto switching disconnect) which allows for a whole house 240 VAC generator backup right into the main service panel. My power co put one in free.
First, I thought that it was going to be an illegal hook up. Surprisingly, it was done as a parallel system. Good job, that was an excellent choice... I would do only two things for this system. First, I would label the cover plates for the generator power lines, or when I am at lowes/Homedepot/Ace, I would just buy the orange cover plates like you see in a hospital, and label them so that any idiot might know what it is. An added label might be where the generator inlet box is on the exterior of the house. Second, I would add a cover for the generator cart. It is always snowing or raining when you need the generator. For me, I put an inlet box in my outbuilding and ran a dedicated 10/3 underground line to the house. I built the outbuilding with a covered porch(for the generator). The inlet goes to an outlet near my breaker panel. I did go with a 10 breaker transfer panel and have a 14-30 plug there. The plug can go into the generator inlet(outlet) at the panel, or will plug into something like the Eco Flow Delta Pro ultra if an when I get one. I also put a protocol for what to do, if I am not here during the even. It is next to the panel. That way the wife can follow the instructions and start up internal power. Good job with your setup. Oh yes, my first generator was the Generac xl 5500 from 1998, after Ice storm 1998(Plattsburg NY). Still starts on the first pull.
do it right, add an interlock breaker to your main panel. Wire a receptacle on the outside of your house. What are you doing works, and maybe safe, but interlock breaker is not that expensive, and will benefit you more than what you're doing now.
This works but for just a little more, I just installed inlet 30 or 50 and just back feed panel with a manual interlock and I can pick and choose what circuits. I don't' have to worry about extra plugs or extension cords, etc.
I used to do the same thing you do, but after slipping on ice and screwing up my rotor cuff, I don't pull any cords any more. I have a 10K generac generator and installed the whole thing for $4k. All automatic no doing anything with any of that bs. If it really hits the fan thats life. At 75 dragging gas and pulling cords don't fit my bill anymore.
I basically did the same thing, I since have installed a transfer switch, and now I have all these unused outlets in my house that only worked when it was hooked up to the generator, I think I might get me a solar generator and put nightlight in all the outlet, this way at bedtime I can shut down the generator and not be left in the dark.
with a generator that small i would put a 4-gang box mounted vertically next to your sub panel and put in 3-way switches. hook the load to the common, and both feeds to the travelers. cheap transfer switch. ofcourse oveerload protect the generator feed before going to the switches.
Nice simple implementation but maybe label those outlets so everyone else will understand what they're for. And how did you address the grounding on the generator circuit? Maybe best that they be tagged/labeled as un-grounded? Also, what about moving the generator as far as possible from the house. A night time thermal inversion with no wind could push CO up against the house.
Do you recharge your power banks this way? A lot of people insist to only use invertor generators for them and others say it's fine. Thanks for the video.
I'm looking forward to a power outage in the winter here in Ohio. An electrician friend told me I can just put fuse out that runs the furnace, then disconnect the Hot black wire and White neutral wire and put a male plug on it. Then connect it to my generator. Got heat in the winter. No problem!
Great question. I never thought of it. Did some quick internet searching to see if portable generators should be grounded. It appears to be a complex subject. In my situation I suspect my generator line wiring in the house is grounded at the plug over the pressure tank in basement. The box is metal and attached to a concrete wall. All receptacles and metal boxes are grounded as per code. Perhaps someone who knows more about this can comment here...
Most portables are grounded internally. One needs to check their individual generator to know if you need a separate ground. Using a ground when not called for can cause a dangerous situation, same as NOT using one when called for. It can cause a neutral loop situation. There are videos on RUclips explaining it.
@@herrickkimball buy a plug tester, check your generators for bonded or unbonded grounds. There are some good videos here that explain when a generator ground is needed.
While it is a minimalist solution. I have a 7000 W running, 10,000 startup generator I connect to my main panel w a 30 amp 220V connector and manual transfer switch on panel. During a outage, I drag the generator out of my garage and 10' away is my plug. I have gas heat, electric hot water, 220v water pump, etc. I run everything except my AC in the summer. TVs and computers w. I problem (I am a computer tech). The generator was $800. You have 2 generators and 2 Jackerys. U spent a lot more money than me and have more transfer actions and power very minimal things.
My guess would be that the power supply lobby has resisted any serious infrastructure upgrades. Besides that, the our DC masters would rather spend hundreds of billions of dollars on senseless foreign wars. But that's just a guess.
It's a valid idea until you take into consideration that having two separate wiring systems that can have two separate supplies in a house is not allowed in most areas. I've proposed wiring the whole house with "emergency outlets" clearly marked and got shut down. Transfer switches and interlock kits ensure that only one power source is active at any given time throughout the house for first responders' safety. My only advice for you is to label those genny receptacles to avoid confusion in the future.
Generators are designed to run on a level surface. You just slung it around running while putting it into the cart and it was still running while you were pulling in the cart around with about a 20 degree angle from level. The rest of your setup is good and safe but is not a practical retro fit for 99.99% of homes today. It would really have to be installed at the time of construction. 99.99% of women will balk at having exposed conduit in their homes. I used to do the extension cord thing but after this last hurricane, I put in a lock out and transfer switch. I have 4 different size generators from 700 watts to 7.5 kilo watts capable of running on different fuel sources. I mapped and color coded which breakers to leave on for each of them. The smaller the need for electricity, the smaller the generator I run. The smaller the generator, the less fuel consumed. I also have a small solar system that will run a few lights and the TV.
I'm arguing with my neighbor- So you are running extension cords from that ONE SPECIAL outlet to your fridge and whatever and that's all- That special plug goes ONLY out to the generator. I think I got it - seems like genus to me.
Two special outlets. One in closet and one in basement for the water pump. Closet outlets provide power by extension cords (12 gage wire cords) to fridge and freezer. The "special outlets are powered by the generator only. 👍
Some people watching this video are jumping to the mistaken conclusion that I am simply backfeeding power from my generator into my home electrical system. THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM DOING OR SHOWING. 🙂 No linemen will ever be harmed by this idea! Please watch the entire video to best understand this idea. It is a safe, effective, simple way to power a few receptacles in your home for a short term emergency power supply using a small generator.
When you first came into the house and showed the 4 outlets behind the cloths rack, you said they were hot and that you could plug things into them. But you didn't explain that they were only hot when the generator was connected and running. That's probably why they thought you were backfeeding the grid.
Excellent video. I really enjoyed it. Very simple safe way to bring power from a generator into your home safely. Since you have a hackery, I'm curious that you didn't talk about having a few solar panels you could be charging it with.
Use a Sharpie to label your outlet covers “generator” and also “grid” next to your water pump.
The EU2200i is probably more fuel efficient than the non-inverter 2500.
I have the exact same Honda EG-2500 generator bought it 1993 for power outages, and it still runs great. This past April I bought for $ 49.99 a Predator 2" semi-trash water pump Wheel Kit.. This wheel kit is heavy duty it comes with 10" rubber wheels a pull handle, and all the hardware. The best thing is, it will bolt onto the tubular frame of your Honda generator, just like it did on mine. Back in the 90"s portable generators did not have wheels, we had to pick them up to move. I would pick mine up put in a wheel barrel, take around back of the house and plug into a transfer switch I installed. I'm 66 and have been in construction my entire life, for $ 49.99 it made moving the generator easier on my back, and that makes me happy.
This is the reason I moved to Florida from Chicago. If you do buy a whole house generator stay away from Generac and go with Kohler. I rent and have 2-2200i's in parallel and 10 gauge extension cords. I just run the wires through a pool noodle with the window closed on the noodle. I also have 4-Ecoflow Delta 2 units and 2 Ecoflow River max power banks. I do not like going without power. I have 2 window ac units and 2 electric heaters. It does get cold in North Florida. I am happy a lot of people are getting a back up power sources for their home. What is a surprise is that we get a lot of hurricanes in Florida and there are very few people who have a back up power source. Also label all of your outlets or use a paint pen on the outside outlet.
Great video,t hanks.
Your videos have been very helpful to me, now I can return the favor. We have just finished a diy hybrid solar/battery/inverter whole home power system. I also couldn’t justify the cost of a whole home backup generator, (which costs $15k in my area, and frequently fail), as you have correctly concluded, a high cost with no payoff other than convenience.
For less than that, we are now consuming ZERO grid power! I’ve been watching the solar industry for many years, and in my opinion, the cost and reliability factors have finally reached the “no brainer”point.
The key is DIY. If I can do it, you certainly can…
I'm powering my home from solar too. My grid is my first backup and my generac generator is my secondary. If I have a good charge in my ford lightning I run my home from that prior to using the grid.
I have come up with a similar solution for my home. I do have a whole home generator but it really guzzles the fuel. This was pretty much my solution to power the internet and refrigerator/freezer with a smaller more economical generator. Love having both options. I have the same type setup with parallel outlets that are only active when powered by a generator. I use different wall plates so everyone knows. Great idea, glad someone else thought of it too!
@HIKETOGRAPHER Those generators can cost from $70 to $100 per day.to operate. The dealers also try to sell you the biggest generator possible when you don't need to run every light in the house. The only time people should get one is if they have medical issues, or children home alone. Of course if they want one or have money to burn.
Great video.
Wonderful idea of parallel circuits.
The only thing I would change is to identify “emergency power receptacles” as you mentioned.
That way anyone that follows you can identify what you have done.
I agree with you, Herrick. You just never know what is going to happen. i was in a similar situation as yourself, and finally just bit the bullet and got a whole house generator, power can go out at any time where i live, and it's been a while since it has been out for days, but like you, you can almost feel it in your bones. something is gonna happen...
I did a few things a lot better than you.
I bought the biggest Honda inverter (EU 7000is) generator. The bigger brother of the one you have. It’s in its own house. It stays right there & is never moved. I have it so my wife can start it in my house without ever going outside. It is wired into my entire house with an inter-lock. It can power up our entire house including our 2-1/2 ton central air. My wife can rest assured she never has to camp in our house ever again.
I’m a power lineman for a living. You’re very wise to have a back up generator. Although at your age do you really want to go through all that extra effort? With global warming & more fierce storms with longer durations folks need to wise up & have back ups. We keep 111 gallons of stored gas in our shed. Long enough for a 3 week outage. All our gas is pretreated & I can run my genny with an auxiliary for 42 hours straight. I start it once a month to be sure it’s ready. Mine is electric start & starts on the first try. It has electronic fuel injection so there isn’t any carburetor to foul. I have mine on a battery tender all the time. I change my battery every three years irregardless of whether it needs it or not. I change the oil once a year with Mobil one. It has never let us down. It’s a Honda.
Thanks for posting. Glad your outage was only 31 hours. Atleast you were able to stay somewhat comfortable.
I do the same thing. I have a 20 amp inlet on the outside of my house. It goes inside the house to power one outlet that is never hooked up to my regular house power. That will run my sump, furnace and a few light appliances to keep us going for a few weeks on generator power. I also have three solar power stations to move from room to room to power small electric devices. My last ditch plan after a few weeks of no power is to use around 600 watts of solar panels I have stored in my garage to recharge a 4800 watt battery bank I have in my basement.
If you have a newer furnace with a circuit board you may need to bond a ground on your generator or if you run a battery bank and inverter system you may need to run a ground wire from the inverter to a chassis ground on your furnace for it to run properly. The new furnaces will look for a bonded ground in your main panel and if they do not see that they will try to start and shut down.
I did the same for a client that powered his modem/router and computer for his business. 👍
We've got that same newer Honda. Got a kit to run it on LP. Less concern with stale fuel or any gumming up of the lines, and it runs right around 25-ish hours on a grill-sized tank vs 7-7.5 hours per tank of gas. It wasn't cheap, but the LP tanks can be cycled out through the grill, and a bonus is that we never have to worry about not having enough LP left if the tank runs out in the middle of cooking something, as we've got several backups for generator use.
Simply easy solution to for house generator hook up. Well done. I ended up labelling the outlet covers as well as spray painting them RED. I was going to check if I needed a ground rod to attach to the generator and how "clean" my power from generator is. (It is not a honda....)I am also an electrician. You did a nice clean install. Appreciate efforts it takes to make these presentations.
I personally find the simple main breaker sliding lockouts to be an even better solution and just as simple with no need to plug things in to different places. Just run one outlet from a top breaker in your panel outside for the generator and then all you have to do is flip the main off, slide the lockout plate and turn on the generator breaker and all circuits in your panel can be energized. All you have to do is not switch on too many things at once based on your generator size. Simple and safe.
I'm afraid your right Mr. Kimball. We loose power here because of wind and earthquakes. I have an old Wacker generator as backup. I may have to use your idea. Thanks for the video. I enjoy all of yours that I've seen!
Very nice setup very clever! I have 5 solar generators stationed through out my house and a back up gas/propane generator to charge them if no sun. Worked like a charm for the week of Milton power outage, Like you said does it run everything nope but it sure makes live a lot more bearable!!
Thank you for the idea. I will have to do this here on the farm. It also works well to tell you when the power comes back on, as you can still have lights on the main grid.
I have the same setup in my home! It's wired into the old pantry. I haven't had to use it yet but for me it's like money in the bank!! Great video!!
1998 we had a 3 to 4 day ice storm in northern VT and NH. Maybe you as well. My Homelite 2500 watt Briggs powered generator that my dad had since the 1970s was shuttled from house to house in the neighborhood. It was hooked up to furnaces or heaters for a few hours and then on to the next. A fireman who was an electrician oversaw some wiring changes on 120 volt furnaces for temporary plug in to the extension cord. Your idea makes it a lot easier to accomplish the same thing on a more permanent basis. In my house the sump pump is on the critical branch along with the freezer, refrigerator and furnace. We are on town water.
Good video Herrick, you keep em separate "one or the other and never both" the only safe way to do it. Reliance makes a feed through inlet for generators with just the lnlet on the outside and 4 110v sockets on the inside. We just added a gen and we went the transfer switch route. The only suggestion I have is to LABEL your Gen outlets! Well done, have a great day.
Unfortunately my well pump is 1.5hp 220. I have 3 generators of various sizes including a 10kw dual fuel that can run most of my house except electric furnace and range. Fortunately I have a spring fed pond and rainwater catchment for flushing toilets and general cleanup so would only have to run the big generator occasionally. My main concern is power enough to keep 2 fridges and a chest freezer going and run the fan on my wood furnace. You worded it very well, not going to live like nothing happened but enough to be comfortable. You can keep all that snow tho lol. I'll take Oklahoma weather
Good idea; i’ve done something similar with my home here in Alaska… The Power frequently goes out here and out goes the generator for a few outlets that are dedicated to it.
I chose a larger generator and keep it in a heated room downstairs and pull it outside and start it every two weeks and pull a tank of gas through it generating power to make sure everything works well.
I've had this same setup for many years. Works fine to keep my boiler and fridge running on my 2500w inverter generator.
Agreed! A whole home standby cost is hard to swallow. I was quoted $18K CDN for a 24Kwh Generac unit.
I gradually built my home solar backup. Now retired at 75 I have 55 kwh of battery storage, 18 kw of solar panels and 8.8 kw inverter. With another 10 kw inverter connected to the same battery bank to charge my EV truck. It took many years but now I'm finally ready when our grid goes down for an extended period, which it will either by failure, cyber attack, solar flare or nuclear EMP. What this administration is currently doing messing in Russia/Ukraine war we may not have to worry about having electricity or anything else for that matter. You can only poke a dog with a stick for so long before it attacks you.
@ek8137 Stay away from Generac go with Kohler.
Nice. Maybe labels on the receptacles? (Generator vs. Utility line or similar)
Yes! I have that on my list of things to do this week. 👍
I suggest different color outlet plates.
@@Chris.Y.054 I like that idea as well .... Like Orange plate covers for Gen use ONLY
Great video. Perhaps you should look into making a “ram pump” to get the water from your creek up to the house. No power would be needed and it would save you from carrying buckets of water.
A 12v transfer pump might also work.
Enjoyed the video !! NEW Subscriber..... I bought a Champion 6250 Watt inverter generator 3 years ago, because of occasional power outages in the past here in coastal Massachusetts ..... NEVER even put gas in the damn tank, .... Because we haven't had an outage more that 3 hours long, since I bought the gen ... LOL Better prepared than NOT, though .... 😉
Nice to keep it simple! Since you have a sort of 'ready to work' emergency power setup installed, i would suggest, if not done so, to take care of a proper ground or earth wire. So you have a good return path if there is a problem. Your house has likely already one, or you can drive at the generator spot a new one into the ground with a lead to be connected to the generator when used. With a proper ground a RCD can protect you. Without a proper ground, any self generated power from batteries, generator, solar, would need an isolation protector to be safe.
that is a great idea. May consider doing this should be simpler and easier than going the interlock way at least something to consider. thanks for the idea
Simply put, I see this as a good way to get power from the generator to the inside of the house without having to run extension cords through open windows and doorways etc. Just like a 30 amp wall plug but for 110 only. Totally separate from the main grid.
Great idea IMO.
Herrick...please correct me if I'm wrong.
You got it right. 👍
But the generator outlets are 15amps (110 volts)
I have that model Honda generator. Same age. Starts first or second pull every time. Used it every week for years to power drills wiring houses.
You have the Wiz Bang cart! A surprisingly strong cart. Nice build. EDIT: Just realized you are the SOURCE of the cart plans. It's a great cart. So damn useful and strong.
We're planning on doing the same thing with a L14-30 external generator plug box running to a L14-30R receptacle inside. That gives us 240 or two 110 branches to power the house. We even got a transfer switch from EX Generator Switches to power our furnace blower off the generator. I haven't installed any of it yet as I'm still trying to figure out how to properly tie the grounds to keep it all safe.
Good way to protect the linesman, loved the information,thanks.
I like it! Simple. Dummy-Proof. Good idea. Subscribed!
Sounds better than running extension cords through the window. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea I have done the same thing for my well at home nothing connected to the grid completely separate system run off your generator. A 500 gallon propane tank and a 5,000 watt predator propane generator and you could power for a very very long time!!
I like your power supply. Can I suggest you use red cover plates over the emergency plugs.
I think that is a very good idea
this is a great way to do it provided you are able bodied enough to lug it around and start the thing. I would also venture that 90% of gen sets out there are not maintained or run on a regular basis... and maybe some of that is lack of knowing better. The other side is those who are getting older and simply can't do it any longer. I am 71 and wondering how many more years I can keep after stuff like this. I was also in the gen business for 25 years so "knowing how" isn't going to be the issue.
Hello Herrick. I’ve been a reader since the Taurus Field Car days. Always enjoy your blog postings a videos. Thanks for choosing Honda products!! We appreciate it!!
I would have me a light in my cellar. Just me but you have done a great job on everything else. Simple.
I've been using a through the wall generator kit for years works great
Thank you sir. I totally agree with you on it's just a matter of time. I have a 2300 watt inverter generator that serves us well.
Great set up… I’ll never understand why people spend $20,000 plus for a whole house set up here in Florida- unless they’re very elderly -and may never really even need it. Just in case a hurricane comes through and they lose power for 1 or 2 days. They have to run once a week plus yearly maintenance plus propane refills and storage tank(s)- harbor freight and AliExpress have some great inexpensive inverter generators
Obviously you do understand, as you mentioned elderly and others who may not be able to do the manual work of a portable gen set. There's another category... people with enough money.
A manual transfer switch would have been much easier to install than putting in a separate house circuit.
I picked up a 4 circuit switch for $145 and wired it into my panel in less than 30 minutes and power it with a bank of 4 parallel lithium batteries or an EcoFlow Delta 2 that I charge mainly via solar panel. The way manual transfer switches work, there is no way to back feed the grid and risk life.
I also wired in a 30 amp generator inlet for my propane generator if I want 240v with an interlock to prevent back feeding the grid.
My $1,000 Predator 8750 inverter generator runs my entire house, and it was much easier to just install a 240V 30 amp plug and a double pole 30A breaker in my 200A panel box, and no, I do NOT back-feed the grid👍
Omg I’m so shivering seeing snow. It’s pretty though.
Great idea thanks for sharing . Take care
Nice job! I like your thinking.
I did that as well. One outlet to my refrigerator, and one outlet in the living room. I did paint the outlets red.
Nice way to separate the generator power from the house power supply.
Thanks for wearing your microphone the correct way 👍
Great simple idea. However, doing a simple interlock in the main panel is a comparably simple and cost-effective way as well and of course allows you to run any circuit.
I agree with your forecast for future power outages, and thanks for the prep ideas.
Thanks for the very informational video and demonstration! I’ll be doing pretty much the same thing. Take care.
Looks great Mr. Kimball. Luckily we have yet to see that snow fly over here in Watertown area-Cheers!
Top priority....thumbs up for HK. Thank you.
😀🌱🐢
I love that electric set up that you have I have never seen it before I assuming that you run extension cords from the outlets to whatever you want power also with the well pump, I’m assuming you ran a line from outlet connection to outlet downstairs? Thanks in advance
Right. Extension cords. All 12 gauge. 14 gage is enough for a 15 amp generator outlet, but I'm a 12 gauge power cord guy. 🙂 And, yes, Romex line from where generator plugs in goes to 4 wall receptacles and from there to well pump receptacle.
@@herrickkimball thanks you for the response, I’ll try to find out more on this set up👍👏
Herrick. Love your stuff. Keep up the good work.
Great video. Thank you for teaching us.
Good advice. I hope people listen.
Thanks simple is better. Great job. Thanks
God bless.
Great setup!
Really great idea! Thank you so much
Some power companies will fit a 'meter collar' (auto switching disconnect) which allows for a whole house 240 VAC generator backup right into the main service panel. My power co put one in free.
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
It would be a good idea to label the generator outlets just as a reminder
Yes it would. Someone else commented the same thing yesterday. I printed and labeled the generator outlets today. 👍 Thank you.
I was about to suggest the same thing... Great minds!
I think that was a great idea that you did.
First, I thought that it was going to be an illegal hook up. Surprisingly, it was done as a parallel system. Good job, that was an excellent choice... I would do only two things for this system. First, I would label the cover plates for the generator power lines, or when I am at lowes/Homedepot/Ace, I would just buy the orange cover plates like you see in a hospital, and label them so that any idiot might know what it is. An added label might be where the generator inlet box is on the exterior of the house. Second, I would add a cover for the generator cart. It is always snowing or raining when you need the generator. For me, I put an inlet box in my outbuilding and ran a dedicated 10/3 underground line to the house. I built the outbuilding with a covered porch(for the generator). The inlet goes to an outlet near my breaker panel. I did go with a 10 breaker transfer panel and have a 14-30 plug there. The plug can go into the generator inlet(outlet) at the panel, or will plug into something like the Eco Flow Delta Pro ultra if an when I get one. I also put a protocol for what to do, if I am not here during the even. It is next to the panel. That way the wife can follow the instructions and start up internal power. Good job with your setup. Oh yes, my first generator was the Generac xl 5500 from 1998, after Ice storm 1998(Plattsburg NY). Still starts on the first pull.
Excellent. 👍
do it right, add an interlock breaker to your main panel. Wire a receptacle on the outside of your house. What are you doing works, and maybe safe, but interlock breaker is not that expensive, and will benefit you more than what you're doing now.
This works but for just a little more, I just installed inlet 30 or 50 and just back feed panel with a manual interlock and I can pick and choose what circuits. I don't' have to worry about extra plugs or extension cords, etc.
I used to do the same thing you do, but after slipping on ice and screwing up my rotor cuff, I don't pull any cords any more. I have a 10K generac generator and installed the whole thing for $4k. All automatic no doing anything with any of that bs. If it really hits the fan thats life. At 75 dragging gas and pulling cords don't fit my bill anymore.
I basically did the same thing, I since have installed a transfer switch, and now I have all these unused outlets in my house that only worked when it was hooked up to the generator, I think I might get me a solar generator and put nightlight in all the outlet, this way at bedtime I can shut down the generator and not be left in the dark.
Mr. Kimball, I just love your videos. Not your standard videos, yet so needed! Thank you for your service to the DIY community!
Ya, the beauty of a honda lol in a heated building
with a generator that small i would put a 4-gang box mounted vertically next to your sub panel and put in 3-way switches. hook the load to the common, and both feeds to the travelers. cheap transfer switch. ofcourse oveerload protect the generator feed before going to the switches.
Nice simple implementation but maybe label those outlets so everyone else will understand what they're for. And how did you address the grounding on the generator circuit? Maybe best that they be tagged/labeled as un-grounded? Also, what about moving the generator as far as possible from the house. A night time thermal inversion with no wind could push CO up against the house.
The problem with extremely long outages is going to be the lack of fuel for generators.
Do you recharge your power banks this way? A lot of people insist to only use invertor generators for them and others say it's fine. Thanks for the video.
Great idea!
separate wiring, good idea!
I'm looking forward to a power outage in the winter here in Ohio. An electrician friend told me I can just put fuse out that runs the furnace, then disconnect the Hot black wire and White neutral wire and put a male plug on it. Then connect it to my generator. Got heat in the winter. No problem!
Very interesting. Thank you.
If it has only been a few months and it is a heated building it damn well should be starting up easy lol
Thanks for the info
I'm curious about grounding. Does this setup not provide a ground?
Great question. I never thought of it. Did some quick internet searching to see if portable generators should be grounded. It appears to be a complex subject. In my situation I suspect my generator line wiring in the house is grounded at the plug over the pressure tank in basement. The box is metal and attached to a concrete wall. All receptacles and metal boxes are grounded as per code. Perhaps someone who knows more about this can comment here...
Most portables are grounded internally. One needs to check their individual generator to know if you need a separate ground. Using a ground when not called for can cause a dangerous situation, same as NOT using one when called for.
It can cause a neutral loop situation. There are videos on RUclips explaining it.
@@megastick9324 Thank you.👍
Good additional info, thanks!
@@herrickkimball buy a plug tester, check your generators for bonded or unbonded grounds. There are some good videos here that explain when a generator ground is needed.
Pri-G is what you want for long term gas storage.
"It started right up" in five minutes!
Thank you!
While it is a minimalist solution. I have a 7000 W running, 10,000 startup generator I connect to my main panel w a 30 amp 220V connector and manual transfer switch on panel. During a outage, I drag the generator out of my garage and 10' away is my plug. I have gas heat, electric hot water, 220v water pump, etc. I run everything except my AC in the summer. TVs and computers w. I problem (I am a computer tech). The generator was $800. You have 2 generators and 2 Jackerys. U spent a lot more money than me and have more transfer actions and power very minimal things.
Is your house earth ground connected to the generator outlets earth blade?
Reliance WKPBN30...about a hundred bucks. Gives you 6 outlets; takes about 20 minutes to install. Identical in theory to your system.
Wow. I didn't know such a thing was out there. Very nice. But that particular item may no longer be available? 👍
@@herrickkimball It's readily available. Enter that name/model number...several vendors have it; Northern Tool, Walmart, Ace Hardware, etc.
I to am prepped for those unannounced brownouts. Aka grid down not off grid which is for the vast majority of us.
could you explain why us has not upgraded power supply network so far?
My guess would be that the power supply lobby has resisted any serious infrastructure upgrades. Besides that, the our DC masters would rather spend hundreds of billions of dollars on senseless foreign wars. But that's just a guess.
It's a valid idea until you take into consideration that having two separate wiring systems that can have two separate supplies in a house is not allowed in most areas. I've proposed wiring the whole house with "emergency outlets" clearly marked and got shut down. Transfer switches and interlock kits ensure that only one power source is active at any given time throughout the house for first responders' safety. My only advice for you is to label those genny receptacles to avoid confusion in the future.
Honda generators handled Y2K so well most of us barely noticed it.
great idea but please install GFCIs in your cellar locations..where are your outlets fused?
Generator has fuses.
Your genator starts right upl
I've got generators from 2500watt to 7500watt dual fuel. Keep 50 gallons non ethanol gas and a ridiculous amount of propane.
👍👍👍👌
Generators are designed to run on a level surface. You just slung it around running while putting it into the cart and it was still running while you were pulling in the cart around with about a 20 degree angle from level.
The rest of your setup is good and safe but is not a practical retro fit for 99.99% of homes today. It would really have to be installed at the time of construction. 99.99% of women will balk at having exposed conduit in their homes. I used to do the extension cord thing but after this last hurricane, I put in a lock out and transfer switch. I have 4 different size generators from 700 watts to 7.5 kilo watts capable of running on different fuel sources. I mapped and color coded which breakers to leave on for each of them. The smaller the need for electricity, the smaller the generator I run. The smaller the generator, the less fuel consumed. I also have a small solar system that will run a few lights and the TV.
Not sure it's worth it when a proper 6 circuit transfer switch with remote inlet that's more convenient is only a few hundred dollars.
I'm arguing with my neighbor- So you are running extension cords from that ONE SPECIAL outlet to your fridge and whatever and that's all- That special plug goes ONLY out to the generator. I think I got it - seems like genus to me.
Two special outlets. One in closet and one in basement for the water pump. Closet outlets provide power by extension cords (12 gage wire cords) to fridge and freezer. The "special outlets are powered by the generator only. 👍
@@herrickkimball Thanks Boss- you just won me a cup of coffee from the neighbor- I may give this a wang before the snow hits