Generators, where do you put them

[Guppy]

This is the right forum, I DIM , do it myself,,,
A portable on wheels In the shed and Hotwire it to the panel when needed...

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by Guppy

This is the right forum, I DIM , do it myself,,,
A portable on wheels In the shed and Hotwire it to the panel when needed...

As long as you install a transfer switch per code, you can do that.
If you don't and just wire it into the panel, you can backfeed thru the power companies lines and kill or injure the guy doing the repairs.

I know a few people who did this and when they went to use the generator a few years later it wouldn't start because they never exercised it.

An standby generator exercises itself weekly and does need to be serviced yearly, but they are typically failure free for a number of years.
We usually do 20KW generators unless the house has a really large service over 200A and the difference in price between minimal one with an emergency panel and one that does the whole house is usually judged worthwhile by our customers.

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by Guppy

This is the right forum, I DIM , do it myself,,,
A portable on wheels In the shed and Hotwire it to the panel when needed...

Exactly.

flip the breaker that’s feeding this sub panel off at the main panel, then crank up the generator....

Yup.

[basswipe]

As long as you install a transfer switch per code, you can do that.
If you don't and just wire it into the panel, you can backfeed thru the power companies lines and kill or injure the guy doing the repairs.

That or just flip the main on your box and no one dies.Every house has a "switch" already built in...its called the main.

I backfeed thru an exterior outlet and flip the main.Whole house is energized and no one on a pole can die.