After the recent windstorm I decided to GUARANTEE myself that I would NEVER need a generator again. How? Simple. Get it all hooked up "ready" and you "will never need it again" LOL
I finally decided to buy (and had to ebay, nobody local carries them) one of these sliding metal interlocks. This Allows you to legally backfeed a breaker from the genset into your fuse panel, and mechanically interlocks the fuse panel "main" to OFF while the genset is allowed ON
Bought a breaker and few pieces, STILL need a box-mount MALE receptacle to hook the genset output cord to the fuse panel. Finally orded one like this, a 20A, matches the cord I have:
4 pin, 20A, 120/240V
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AND THEN I GOT TO OVERTHINKING that "20a is not enough" (I might "someday" get a larger generator than I have now)
Until I SUDDENLY REALIZED (dummy) this is just like the 240 coming from the pole--IT HAS TWO 120V hot legs which will SHARE the load and therefore this connector can handle 40A at 120...Each connector terminal is 20A and they will add, one each leg
BUT...but bu bu b b b b b b b b b b b b but you say THERE IS ONLY ONE NEUTRAL. Well the fuse panel will take care of that just as it does from "shore" power.....some of the loads are on "one side" and some of them are on "the other." So the neutral never sees "full" return current.
So, starting at lower left I will shoe-horn the weatherflex into the genset housing to bring out to a box with the new receptacle at top center. This will mount on the frame of the genset and mate to the "thrift store cord" (4X no10) at right and the cord will fit the ebay connector to be mounted on the fuse panel on the house
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The interlock. Nobody stocks these in town. You turn off the main, slide the interlock up, and that allows the genset breaker to be engaged. Since the panel is now being fed 220 just like on house power, this means any breaker can be engaged and "get juice." There will be no actual 220 loads, as the genset is not heavy enough to run the range or water heater. "I suppose" that if things got dire, it would run one burner if other loads are shed. And if all loads "except" were shed, AND I disconnected one element, "it might" heat water too LOL
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