One for the Electricians out there

[rusty]

I like generac transfer switches, been to the factory took the training and i like them. they are not as good as the thompson panels or the asco.

 

[Snort]

What I have heard about Generac is that it is a real ball ache to get parts and service for them.

 

[MATTIAC]

i was just reading about that generac. looks like a handy system, especially running off NG or LP

 

[Summiteer]

I have been looking for a standby generator myself. These are units that have an automatic transfer switch and will self start when the power drops out and then shut off when the power is restored. Personally looking at a 15 kWatt unit to run the whole farm. The LP model with all available winter prep equipment was about $7000.

Have not heard too much good about Generac.

As far as I know, it is highly frowned upon to tie a generator in with no transfer switch. I am sure I heard of an instance where the power provider found such a situation and immediately disconnected the service.

It is also illegal to tie in a generator without a transfer switch or some sort of interlock so that it is impossible to backfeed the system.....Can be hard on linemen trying to repair outages.

 

[bigz64]

Big thing is to shut off the outside feed!!!!!! Once done its your own campsite. You own it!! As far as the power company goes you have the power to shut off their feed at anytime. As per the guy saying that my 4000 watt genset can kill someone i am a happy participant in you proving that!! Give more info to back that up!!!! transformers are not a capacitors so how could this happen?

transformers work both ways, so you will actually re-energize the powerline to its rated voltage, 14400 volts or 25000 volts 5000V in old areas. if its far down the line the generator will pick up to much load from other residences and burn out/trip. but right at your transformer will be the full amount of power from your generator. 5000W-10000W at 14400V will hurt.

you only need 100 mA or 0.1 of an amp to stop your heart

 

[bigz64]

I apoligize, this was the point i was wondering about...


i work for one of the power companies and this is the first ive heard of this. i would call your local utility first, we may not allow them at all

talk to your local utility first before installing any generators, some systems like micro-gens we dont allow to island themselves from the grid during an outage.

We run into a lot of apartment buildings, businesses and farms with back up generators and its all inspected so we dont care about those setups.

micro gens allow homeowners to sell renewable energy back to the grid. i know its dumb but its an auc regulation that micro gens cannot opperate with no grip power. there arnt very many people doing the microgen thing yet but its going to increase

scroll to page 7 and read the safety part, here:

 

[sledderdoc]

Thanks for the info guys, appreciate it! Thanks for the link to that website Summiteer, some good info on there for sure.

Has anybody got/used the 'Generac' Gensets from Princess Auto? They're priced not too bad, I was wondering if the motors were any good on them, and how reliable they are.

You can do this very simply. I powered mine with a honda 2000.

Make a cheater cord with 2 male ends plug one into the generator and one into an outside plug

Before you start the generator

Turn off the mains
Turn off anything that requires 220 ie hot tub breaker etc.

Now you can start. This method will only light up half of your panel so make sure the outside plug is on the same side as anything you want power for.

My little generator would power TV, two fridges, 1 freezer, christmas lights, furnace and microwave all at the same time.

 

[Showtime]

I have been looking for a standby generator myself. These are units that have an automatic transfer switch and will self start when the power drops out and then shut off when the power is restored. Personally looking at a 15 kWatt unit to run the whole farm. The LP model with all available winter prep equipment was about $7000.

Have not heard too much good about Generac.

As far as I know, it is highly frowned upon to tie a generator in with no transfer switch. I am sure I heard of an instance where the power provider found such a situation and immediately disconnected the service.

In your case i would go PTO, this is the set-up my cousin has at his dairy farm, when the power goes down back the tractor up to the shack by the poll hit the transfer switch and hook the pto of the tractor up to the gnerator.
He can run the whole entire farm with this set-up, works good.

 

[rusty]

neighbor of mine has the same set up.

 

[Polarblu]

Please reread your post and add this at the end..
Transformers have the ability to induce voltage on either side. So 240v will be transformed into 5kv

ya ya ya 12 volts hits 20,000 volts in your spark plugs but it cant kill you. You have to have the power to create the flow and i know for a fact that a 4500 watt genset can only energize the grid for a few seconds before it kicks the over load.
What you guys are talking about are large units that actually have the power to light up a whole city block.

 

[rusty]

ya ya ya 12 volts hits 20,000 volts in your spark plugs but it cant kill you. You have to have the power to create the flow and i know for a fact that a 4500 watt genset can only energize the grid for a few seconds before it kicks the over load.
What you guys are talking about are large units that actually have the power to light up a whole city block.

Ok im gonna level with you here, YES IT CAN. Your facts are incorrect.

 

[Polarblu]

Ok im gonna level with you here, YES IT CAN. Your facts are incorrect.

what the 20,000 volts from a spark plug? Im still alive so hmmmmmmm.

Or that the 4500 watt genset isnt going to hurt anybody but your tv and microwave?

 

[rusty]

what the 20,000 volts from a spark plug? Im still alive so hmmmmmmm.

Or that the 4500 watt genset isnt going to hurt anybody but your tv and microwave?

Ok, i will confess that I am a Master electrician with 15 years in the powergen industry. I apoligize your experience trumps mine. Clearly i'm in the wrong, please accept my sincere sorry.

I'm no longer going to debate this.

 

[MATTIAC]

Ok, i will confess that I am a Master electrician with 15 years in the powergen industry. I apoligize your experience trumps mine. Clearly i'm in the wrong, please accept my sincere sorry.

I'm no longer going to debate this.

I'm a bc master electrician(FSR) Did my schooling in Alberta then moved here. Still want to go back to Alberta to do that masters course

 

[sledderdoc]

I'm a bc master electrician(FSR) Did my schooling in Alberta then moved here. Still want to go back to Alberta to do that masters course

Do you even need it anymore? A couple years back the provinces dropped all the red tape to allow trades to freely work in any of the western provinces. If your trained in one your good to go in the other. Speciality training aside.

 

[moyiesledhead]

You can do this very simply. I powered mine with a honda 2000.

Make a cheater cord with 2 male ends plug one into the generator and one into an outside plug

Before you start the generator

Turn off the mains.

I'm not even gonna try to explain how many regulations you violate by doing that!

 

[moyiesledhead]

Do you even need it anymore? A couple years back the provinces dropped all the red tape to allow trades to freely work in any of the western provinces. If your trained in one your good to go in the other. Speciality training aside.

Trade Qualification is interprovincial if your ticket is red seal IP certified (well...except for Quebec!). The FSR he's talking about is an additional ticket in B.C. that allows you to represent a contractor on permits and declarations, as well as connections with the power authority. Gotta take a code course, write an exam, and now they're considering making it renewable with training requirements every 3 years.

And, ya....Polarblu's wrong! More than one lineman's been killed this way! That's why it's illegal!

 

[MATTIAC]

Trade Qualification is interprovincial if your ticket is red seal IP certified (well...except for Quebec!). The FSR he's talking about is an additional ticket in B.C. that allows you to represent a contractor on permits and declarations, as well as connections with the power authority. Gotta take a code course, write an exam, and now they're considering making it renewable with training requirements every 3 years.

And, ya....Mattiacs wrong! More than one lineman's been killed this way! That's why it's illegal!

Hey it wasn't me who said that.

Ive got 12 yrs experience in the trade and did most of My Apprenticeship at syncrude doing industrial. Everything from Construction maintenance temp power and working in a 260kv switch yard for a year. I'm no idiot and defiantly no red neck electrician. Also
Pulled off top marks in 3rd 4th and my FSR test.

 

[moyiesledhead]

Hey it wasn't me who said that.

Yup, sorry about that! My bad....it was Polarblu! Fixed it!

 

[sledderdoc]

Trade Qualification is interprovincial if your ticket is red seal IP certified (well...except for Quebec!). The FSR he's talking about is an additional ticket in B.C. that allows you to represent a contractor on permits and declarations, as well as connections with the power authority. Gotta take a code course, write an exam, and now they're considering making it renewable with training requirements every 3 years.

And, ya....Polarblu's wrong! More than one lineman's been killed this way! That's why it's illegal!

My understanding was that it went past red seal trades as well. An apprentice here gets credit there etc etc. Medical staff can move where previously you needed to hold a licenses in both prov. etc. The idea was to make it easier to employ people anywhere. Believe it came into effect April 2005 or something.