3500W generator I picked up

Demonx2 said

Food for thought....

I made a laminated step-by-step instruction sheet of each exact thing to do in the proper order for mine - from cable hookups to numbered breakers to throw to generator starting, etc. I keep it right at the main panel so there are no errors or confusion when power is off and it's dark, etc. Just grab a flashlight (or phone), and follow directions exactly as written. Seems like that shouldn't be needed but when you only need to use it every 3 or 4 years, it can be easy to forget.
This has worked well for me for close to 20 years. And like sireland67 notes above, it's a pain to haul the heavy Generac (7500W) out of my garage but I do it when I have to!!

Click to expand...

^ This is the way to go, if you can't install a mechanical lockout on your HOUSE panel. I know you fix aircraft, and are used to strictly following procedures....but an interlock will take any room for error away. It sounds like you may not be able to use one in your situation. I've worked for the power company for 44 years, and seen more than one instance where someone got all excited about the power being back on, and goofed up their disconnect of the generator before flipping the main back on. A guy that lives on Michigan Street in Tulsa, OK did that....and you wouldn't believe the fireball that came out of his garage. Flash burnt his eyes when his breaker box exploded, and started a brush fire behind his and his neighbors house when the fault current he created burnt down the open wire secondary we had just put up to get the power back on. That was after the power had been out for a week because of the ice storm that hit right before Christmas of 2007. Please just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt.