I'm happy to see that you used an inlet receptacle instead of an outlet receptacle. But you need an interlock on the panel so that the utility main and generator main cannot both be closed at the same time. With the interlock, you never have to worry about whether the operator "knows what they're doing" because it's impossible to get it wrong.
Thank you for your comment. I state very clearly in the video that this is an emergency type connection. I agree with you that you should have an interlock or at transfer switch. As soon as I get my hands on a manual transfer switch I will be doing a video on that also. Thanks for watching and your feed back!! CM
It would be a good video to show how to make a diy interlock using some 1/8” thick plastic cut to the right shape. It only takes about 10 minutes to make and install.
Does every panel have a ul listed interlock for sale. If so they are cheap enough that a diy version is silly. But if they are not made then having one is better than not having one.
@@ecospider5 Yes, nearly all of them. You can go to a site such as geninterlock.com (I'm not associated with them, but that's where I got mine) or one of several others. They have aftermarket interlocks for nearly every panel, and they are UL Listed. That having been said, if there is an interlock made by the company that made the panel, then you should definitely go with that one.
Got a 120V 30A generator for a great deal on amazon and just finished wiring it. Bought an outlet box, installed it on the outside of my house. My problem was only powering 1/2 the panel but i figured out mine runs every other row so i had to relocate a few 15A breakers to land on the side that my generator powers. Moved the top right breaker down and also had a new open spot at the bottom which allowed me to run my living room and bathroom lines to a tandum breaker since both single pole locations werent on the side of the bus bar i needed which now frees up 2 spots in my panel. Needless to say everything came out flawless and I am into the whole thing for $475 i cluding the generator, inlet box, 40ft twistlock cable and interlock kit. Oh and the single pole 30A new breaker and the tandum one i purchased. I did buy a vinyl siding mounting plate so the box didnt have any gaps and the mount plate conforms to the grooves in the siding for a cleaner look Have almost all lights powered and both fridges in my 3600W 120V generator. Was kinda nervous going into it but I did a lot of research and watched tons of RUclips videos. Probably saved a shit load DIYing it and lucky for me both my grounds and neutrals are bonded and tied together with a large copper strap so from what I understand is both legs should be "balanced"...
I find it extremely important to mention that this is a way to hook up a generator in an emergency. I know this is just an example. The important thing is that this is totally illegal. To do this temporary 1 time during an emergency is ok and still illegal. An interlock or transfer switch of some type to avoid utility backfeed is required. In most instances utility companies will not repair an outage if they detect backfeed and you will be the reason your neighbors are still without power. The intent of course would be to install a safety interlock as soon as the event was resolved and be sure the main utility feed breaker is off anytime the generator backfeed breaker is on, whether the generator is running, hooked up, plugged in, or not. Great video.
Craig Thanks very much for this great tutorial. Your step by step instructions are intuitive and really help understand how it all comes together. Thanks a Lot 🌠 bob brown melbourne florida
Some other RUclipsrs just use two male plugs for back-feeding, one to the generator and the other to a 240v outlet (e.g., an electric dryer). This technique is faster in an emergency (as long as the main switch is off in the panel)
If you plug a male end into a running generator the other male end is live those exposed male ends if touched while trying to plug into a receptacle have been known to kill people.
Craig, I noticed you connected the neutral and ground wire coming from the outlet box, you just installed, into a single bar in the panel. You mentioned that this panel feeds another sub panel in the house somewhere. In that other subpanel, located elsewhere in the house that we did not see in the video, are the neutral and ground bars separate and isolated electrically from each other, or are they two separate bars electrically tied together or just another single bar that the neutrals and grounds are connected to? On the outlet box you said that the neutral wire goes in the “W” hole/slot, where would I go to look this information up? Would it be included in the instructions that come with the outlet box or in the NEC book somewhere? And since the generator is a single phase generator does it matter which hole/slot the black and red wires leading from the outlet box go into as long as it is NOT the hole/slot designed for the Neutral (that would lead to a HOT-Neutral wiring error)? Thank you for making the effort to produce these videos. I’m a homeowner who discovered an interest in electricity after an electrician I hired for a remodel wouldn’t show up, and when he did he had constant trouble with his apprentice who he eventually fired. To get the job done I got under the house and started pulling wire and making connections, under the guidance of the electrician. I discovered several things, this electrical stuff was fun and interesting and it wasn’t difficult at all. Eventually I got my apprentice card with the intention of becoming an electrician on the side while working my regular job. That never worked out. But I still find the subject interesting and enjoy learning. Respectfully,
Let me see if I can answer all your questions! Yes there is a sub panel in the house but if you watch my panel videos you will hear that at a main disconnect is the only place you bong the neutral and the grounding conductors. All other panels are separated. You will find all the info on the outlet in the manufactures info that comes with the outlet!! It is not stated in the Code book as the codebook is not a how to manual. There are a lot of bad electrical contractors out there but there are also a ton that are great! Sometimes it takes time to find them. Thanks for your question!! CM
Question? I have a older main panel that does not have separate ground and neutral . All are together on one bus bar .where would I connect ground wire and neutral coming from generator "plug"? Also it is a floating neutral generator. . Thanks much for any help .New sub here.
That is a great question!! If you are in the main panel and the neutral and the ground are bonded together than you follow that same rule. This is what is known as Backfeeding a panel. It truely is temporary. Thank you for watching!! CM
@@craigmichaud-electricalins4602 Thanks much appreciate your input. Was for information purposes only.thought maybe ground from "PLUG" might go to direct earth ground next to generator.didn't want to energize the ground. .. so neutral and ground from "generator plug" tie together at main panel bus bar.. just being sure .... Thanks again. . Waving a hand to ya from S.W Florida.
Yes this is a video on how to install a generator in an emergency. If it was a permanent install then yes you would need to install an interlock. Turning the main off is the key to any safe install. Thank you for watching. CM
Hey should I go with a larger gauge wire? I'm setting this outlet up on the other side of my house which is about 70 feet. Thanks for your video tutorial. I ordered a interlock and going to install it also.
Great video, thanks! Noticed you wired the WHITE neutral wire to the same GROUND bus bar. Is this because this is your main power panel and then you have a subpanel in the house? I have similar set up but haven't opened up outside main panel yet to see if it has only 1 ground bus bar or if both a neutral bus bar and also ground bus bar. Thanks again!
He used 10/3 with ground romex. Red - line, Black - line, White - neutral, bare copper - ground. The 10/4 is portable (flexible) unlike the romex where the bare copper is your ground, the portable cable has a green insulated wire.
A 4000-watt generator running at 240 volts will output a maximum of 16.7 amps. Would it be sufficient to use 12-3 romex and a 20 amp double-pole breaker? With a 30 amp breaker, what if the load exceeded the wattage of the generator? Could the generator be damaged in that case?
Jack depends on the situation higher voltage less amps BUT you are also running 120 volts too and you have to think about voltage drop for long running wires. Calculate your total load and size appropriately. Never connect neutral to equipment ground. Btw im an electrician
@@thorvgl805 It depends on the voltage. If you only run 120v devices then you have 58 amps of power available. If you want to figure for 240V appliances use ohms law. P = I x E where as P = wattage, I = amperage and E = voltage. So 7000 = A x B. Plug the known voltage into B slot and calculate.
I like the way you move around wiring. Very confident. It's easy to see you are purposeful on every move. I am also a contractor but not with wiring it scares me. LOL. So thirty amp would only be three wires correct? That means only one power wire to one circuit breaker?
I know how is to be without power, like 4 months after hurricanes irma and Maria. I used the back feed to run two 7000 watt generators 24/7, then I switch to a manual transfer switch which have pilot light, so I'll be able to tell when the power comes back.
Amateur here, I paid an electrician to install our transfer switch CS6375. (I'm pretty sure. I purchased the Predator 9500 from Harbor Freight. It's only a 30 amp generator. I need a cord and is it safe to pump or only have a 30 amp generator on a 50 amp inlet?
I just had mine done by an electrician. Also had my panel upgraded from 100A to 200A. They out in a 50A breaker for my inlet and no it will not power everything at the same time. I told then I wanted to be able to run my central Air lights fridge, freezer computer, wifi etc. He said you can but if you want to use the microwave, coffee pot, dryer I would have to turn the ac off until I was done with those things and then turn it back on. Your not going to be able to run everything all at once. But you get the essentials AC...LOL furnace in winter etc.
groundinhosen is first then the noodle which is w, x is black, y is red if 3 phase then blue would be z. just like Myrna said. that's the way I was taught by the old school. just like boy for 3 phase 480v
I just purchased a 6500 generator planning to run this hookup. I already purchased the interlock kit. My panel is full so electrician is gonna need to figure out if sub panel or tandem breakers are needed to create space for the double breaker. Any suggestions
That is a common factor in alot of homes these days. I assume your electrician will use tandam breakes as it is the most convenient way!! They do make a generator panel also so that may be another option. Keep me posted as to the direction you take!! Thanks for the question!! CM
It is a panel that acts like a sub panel but everything on it will be connected to the generator. Check out Northern Tool and then look up generator accessories. It will make more sense!! CM
In this case I put it at the bottom, but had to order the interlock and then moved it to the top by the main. I will be posting a video on how to install an Interlock kit!!. CM
Yes you are correct!! At this point in my video it had not been installed and is to show that you can hook up a generator in an Emergency. Thank you for your comment and watching!! I will be posting more other ways to hook up generators in the future. Thanks CM
Just make sure you have your calculations and formulas written in your code book. Read the entire question and dont over think it. Good luck let me know how you do. CM
I'm happy to see that you used an inlet receptacle instead of an outlet receptacle. But you need an interlock on the panel so that the utility main and generator main cannot both be closed at the same time. With the interlock, you never have to worry about whether the operator "knows what they're doing" because it's impossible to get it wrong.
Thank you for your comment. I state very clearly in the video that this is an emergency type connection. I agree with you that you should have an interlock or at transfer switch. As soon as I get my hands on a manual transfer switch I will be doing a video on that also. Thanks for watching and your feed back!! CM
It would be a good video to show how to make a diy interlock using some 1/8” thick plastic cut to the right shape. It only takes about 10 minutes to make and install.
@@ecospider5 True, but if you ever need to get an inspection, the extra $60 to get one that is UL Listed is well worth it.
Does every panel have a ul listed interlock for sale. If so they are cheap enough that a diy version is silly. But if they are not made then having one is better than not having one.
@@ecospider5 Yes, nearly all of them. You can go to a site such as geninterlock.com (I'm not associated with them, but that's where I got mine) or one of several others. They have aftermarket interlocks for nearly every panel, and they are UL Listed.
That having been said, if there is an interlock made by the company that made the panel, then you should definitely go with that one.
I'm in Sanford, FL thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Please email me at sparkyinsructor@gmail.com I would like to connect with you! Thanks CM
Got a 120V 30A generator for a great deal on amazon and just finished wiring it. Bought an outlet box, installed it on the outside of my house. My problem was only powering 1/2 the panel but i figured out mine runs every other row so i had to relocate a few 15A breakers to land on the side that my generator powers.
Moved the top right breaker down and also had a new open spot at the bottom which allowed me to run my living room and bathroom lines to a tandum breaker since both single pole locations werent on the side of the bus bar i needed which now frees up 2 spots in my panel.
Needless to say everything came out flawless and I am into the whole thing for $475 i cluding the generator, inlet box, 40ft twistlock cable and interlock kit. Oh and the single pole 30A new breaker and the tandum one i purchased. I did buy a vinyl siding mounting plate so the box didnt have any gaps and the mount plate conforms to the grooves in the siding for a cleaner look
Have almost all lights powered and both fridges in my 3600W 120V generator. Was kinda nervous going into it but I did a lot of research and watched tons of RUclips videos. Probably saved a shit load DIYing it and lucky for me both my grounds and neutrals are bonded and tied together with a large copper strap so from what I understand is both legs should be "balanced"...
This dude is super confident! now i got confidence...
I find it extremely important to mention that this is a way to hook up a generator in an emergency. I know this is just an example. The important thing is that this is totally illegal. To do this temporary 1 time during an emergency is ok and still illegal. An interlock or transfer switch of some type to avoid utility backfeed is required. In most instances utility companies will not repair an outage if they detect backfeed and you will be the reason your neighbors are still without power. The intent of course would be to install a safety interlock as soon as the event was resolved and be sure the main utility feed breaker is off anytime the generator backfeed breaker is on, whether the generator is running, hooked up, plugged in, or not. Great video.
Good job explaining. That Reliance box is a “Inlet box”.
Craig
Thanks very much for this great tutorial. Your step by step instructions are intuitive and really help understand how it all comes together.
Thanks a Lot 🌠
bob brown
melbourne florida
Some other RUclipsrs just use two male plugs for back-feeding, one to the generator and the other to a 240v outlet (e.g., an electric dryer). This technique is faster in an emergency (as long as the main switch is off in the panel)
If you plug a male end into a running generator the other male end is live those exposed male ends if touched while trying to plug into a receptacle have been known to kill people.
Craig,
I noticed you connected the neutral and ground wire coming from the outlet box, you just installed, into a single bar in the panel. You mentioned that this panel feeds another sub panel in the house somewhere. In that other subpanel, located elsewhere in the house that we did not see in the video, are the neutral and ground bars separate and isolated electrically from each other, or are they two separate bars electrically tied together or just another single bar that the neutrals and grounds are connected to?
On the outlet box you said that the neutral wire goes in the “W” hole/slot, where would I go to look this information up? Would it be included in the instructions that come with the outlet box or in the NEC book somewhere?
And since the generator is a single phase generator does it matter which hole/slot the black and red wires leading from the outlet box go into as long as it is NOT the hole/slot designed for the Neutral (that would lead to a HOT-Neutral wiring error)?
Thank you for making the effort to produce these videos. I’m a homeowner who discovered an interest in electricity after an electrician I hired for a remodel wouldn’t show up, and when he did he had constant trouble with his apprentice who he eventually fired. To get the job done I got under the house and started pulling wire and making connections, under the guidance of the electrician. I discovered several things, this electrical stuff was fun and interesting and it wasn’t difficult at all. Eventually I got my apprentice card with the intention of becoming an electrician on the side while working my regular job. That never worked out. But I still find the subject interesting and enjoy learning.
Respectfully,
Let me see if I can answer all your questions! Yes there is a sub panel in the house but if you watch my panel videos you will hear that at a main disconnect is the only place you bong the neutral and the grounding conductors. All other panels are separated. You will find all the info on the outlet in the manufactures info that comes with the outlet!! It is not stated in the Code book as the codebook is not a how to manual. There are a lot of bad electrical contractors out there but there are also a ton that are great! Sometimes it takes time to find them. Thanks for your question!! CM
This guy’s the man !
Question? I have a older main panel that does not have separate ground and neutral . All are together on one bus bar .where would I connect ground wire and neutral coming from generator "plug"? Also it is a floating neutral generator. . Thanks much for any help .New sub here.
That is a great question!! If you are in the main panel and the neutral and the ground are bonded together than you follow that same rule. This is what is known as Backfeeding a panel. It truely is temporary. Thank you for watching!! CM
@@craigmichaud-electricalins4602 Thanks much appreciate your input. Was for information purposes only.thought maybe ground from "PLUG" might go to direct earth ground next to generator.didn't want to energize the ground. .. so neutral and ground from "generator plug" tie together at main panel bus bar.. just being sure .... Thanks again. . Waving a hand to ya from S.W Florida.
I believe u need an interlock kit so that the main breaker and the back feed breaker can not b both on at the same time for safety
Yes this is a video on how to install a generator in an emergency. If it was a permanent install then yes you would need to install an interlock. Turning the main off is the key to any safe install. Thank you for watching. CM
@@craigmichaud-electricalins4602 what happens if you connect X and Y cross, (X black and Y red) any difference?
@@Ansi-Ashan Honestly it does not matter. It is just the way we tradesman install devices!! CM
@@craigmichaud-electricalins4602 thank you so much for your quick answer. Awesome video and thank you.
Why W, X & Y? W: white X: Red Y: black
Hey should I go with a larger gauge wire? I'm setting this outlet up on the other side of my house which is about 70 feet. Thanks for your video tutorial. I ordered a interlock and going to install it also.
Great video, thanks!
Noticed you wired the WHITE neutral wire to the same GROUND bus bar. Is this because this is your main power panel and then you have a subpanel in the house?
I have similar set up but haven't opened up outside main panel yet to see if it has only 1 ground bus bar or if both a neutral bus bar and also ground bus bar.
Thanks again!
Yes that is the main breaker panel!! That is were you bond the 2 together. Now we put 2 bars in and bond them!! CM
Love this video, Question, 10-3 Romex inside 10-4 outside to generator, why don’t you need 10-4 on the inside as well To the panel?
He used 10/3 with ground romex. Red - line, Black - line, White - neutral, bare copper - ground. The 10/4 is portable (flexible) unlike the romex where the bare copper is your ground, the portable cable has a green insulated wire.
A 4000-watt generator running at 240 volts will output a maximum of 16.7 amps. Would it be sufficient to use 12-3 romex and a 20 amp double-pole breaker? With a 30 amp breaker, what if the load exceeded the wattage of the generator? Could the generator be damaged in that case?
Jack depends on the situation higher voltage less amps BUT you are also running 120 volts too and you have to think about voltage drop for long running wires. Calculate your total load and size appropriately. Never connect neutral to equipment ground. Btw im an electrician
@@dhunsaker26 Yea and I'm an Astronaut...
I got a 7000 watt starting watt 9000 generator what amps should I use
@@thorvgl805 It depends on the voltage. If you only run 120v devices then you have 58 amps of power available.
If you want to figure for 240V appliances use ohms law.
P = I x E where as P = wattage, I = amperage and E = voltage.
So 7000 = A x B. Plug the known voltage into B slot and calculate.
I like the way you move around wiring. Very confident. It's easy to see you are purposeful on every move. I am also a contractor but not with wiring it scares me. LOL. So thirty amp would only be three wires correct? That means only one power wire to one circuit breaker?
I know how is to be without power, like 4 months after hurricanes irma and Maria. I used the back feed to run two 7000 watt generators 24/7, then I switch to a manual transfer switch which have pilot light, so I'll be able to tell when the power comes back.
Amateur here, I paid an electrician to install our transfer switch CS6375. (I'm pretty sure. I purchased the Predator 9500 from Harbor Freight. It's only a 30 amp generator. I need a cord and is it safe to pump or only have a 30 amp generator on a 50 amp inlet?
great video Craig. so, to power the whole house, all you need is a 50A breaker installed in the main circuit box?, is that it?. Thanks.
I just had mine done by an electrician. Also had my panel upgraded from 100A to 200A. They out in a 50A breaker for my inlet and no it will not power everything at the same time. I told then I wanted to be able to run my central Air lights fridge, freezer computer, wifi etc. He said you can but if you want to use the microwave, coffee pot, dryer I would have to turn the ac off until I was done with those things and then turn it back on. Your not going to be able to run everything all at once. But you get the essentials AC...LOL furnace in winter etc.
groundinhosen is first then the noodle which is w, x is black, y is red if 3 phase then blue would be z. just like Myrna said. that's the way I was taught by the old school. just like boy for 3 phase 480v
nice vid man not too much yapping just plain ol common sense make more defentally subscribing
I just purchased a 6500 generator planning to run this hookup. I already purchased the interlock kit. My panel is full so electrician is gonna need to figure out if sub panel or tandem breakers are needed to create space for the double breaker. Any suggestions
That is a common factor in alot of homes these days. I assume your electrician will use tandam breakes as it is the most convenient way!! They do make a generator panel also so that may be another option. Keep me posted as to the direction you take!! Thanks for the question!! CM
A generator panel. Is that different than a transfer switch
It is a panel that acts like a sub panel but everything on it will be connected to the generator. Check out Northern Tool and then look up generator accessories. It will make more sense!! CM
I got everything installed he used a tandem breaker. Havent had to use it yet. But I'm ready if the power goes out
Question: Does the breaker for the generator need to be at the top or can it be placed anywhere in the panel that has an opening?
In this case I put it at the bottom, but had to order the interlock and then moved it to the top by the main. I will be posting a video on how to install an Interlock kit!!. CM
@@craigmichaud-electricalins4602 Thanks Craig! Keep up the good work.
I need to move a double amp breaker on the top right for my interlock to fit. Is it simple as just to moving that breaker to an empty spot?
Yes.
Thank you.
He should have installed a Mechanical interlock switch first on the cover of the panel to prevent the main being on while the generator is running.
Yes you are correct!! At this point in my video it had not been installed and is to show that you can hook up a generator in an Emergency. Thank you for your comment and watching!! I will be posting more other ways to hook up generators in the future. Thanks CM
Hey man I’m going for my electrician test in a month any tips
Just make sure you have your calculations and formulas written in your code book. Read the entire question and dont over think it. Good luck let me know how you do. CM
How did you do