Drive safe out there. Power lines down in roads, trees down in roads, roads are slick.

had to cut up 4 downed trees in the three miles from my house to the rich hwy this morning they finally plowed our road good this afternoon and we were only out of power for 12 hours not to bad considering some of the stories we were hearing while in town

Still no power out at my place. Not too big of a deal though, as I've got a generator going. If I ever get to build a house from the ground up I'd like to set-up the electric so that one could power the house or portions of it with a generator. I imagine it wouldn't be that hard to do? Unfortunately, my water system is all hard wired in, so back to dry cabin living for me. At least I've got juice going to the heat tape and water tank. Wouldn't want that to freeze at this time of the year. Also, I'm guessing that many of my wolf and fox snares will need to be fixed and adjusted this weekend. At least there is enough snow to deploy the #9s in blind trail sets now.

bairdi, you can power portions of your system by putting two male plugs on an extension cord. Plug one end into the gen set the other into an outlet. Switch all of your breakers off except for the one you are plugged into and which ever one you want to use. Also shut the main breaker off on the meter loop. Of course you need to have the appropriate sized generator depending on what you want to power.

Thanks for the tip nooksack. Been wondering that myself, but everything I read says not to do that. I figured if the main and all breakers are off and the. Just open the breaker to the outside outlet and want want to power on and it would be good. Big thing is to keep the main off was my thought.

-TJ

TJ, I have done this several times mostly to run the lights and outlets in the garage with out noticing any problems. It could very well not be a good idea and someone here can probably tell us why.

I know that the big thing is with the main and having it open. If main power comes on it can blow up your generator. Also, with the main open you can back charge the main when someone is working on it and kill them. But with the main off, as is required for hooking up a generator to a home, then it should work as you are only energizing your house panel. My only concern is blowing something in the house wiring.

-TJ

You have a transformer up on a pole or down on the ground on a pad. Open circuit equals no current. No current equals no voltage.

A lineman can correct me if I'm wrong, but when working on down lines they are supposed to ground both sides so that Joe Q Public doesn't kill them with backfeed.

Sounds like you Fbks area guys could use some Honda 2000s and chainsaws.....my buddy is thinkinnof flying up there to helpout his parents. El La espanol Nina came on an off year??
Stay safe up there.

I'm a lineman. The problem is 110v going back through a transformer comes out 7200v. You cannot trust a breaker to be open. You need a double throw switch or if your utility company allows a visual opening.

Just so folks know, I am not hooked up to crap. Main wire was taken out between the last pole and the house.

Got everything up at least once other than the furnace. Can't figure out how or why it won't fire. Everything else works if I open up the breaker.

-TJ

gas or oil furnace?

Oil.

It should be on its own breaker might have to hit the reset button

is there a pump for the fuel oil? perhaps they are on two seperate breakers.

Success! Figured the problem. House panel has 240 into it. Two hot and one ground. For 240, one has two hot wires to the breaker. For 120, just one. The panel has some 120 breakers on one hot wire and some on the other. Loop I plugged into the generator was not the one with the furnace. Broke out the Fluke and figured out some on the other loop and plugged the generator into that loop. Now my issue is that I either have heat or water from the well, not both.

What I need is a generator with 240 and could hard wire that into the panel and be good
Just opening up the breakers I need and have everything covered.

-TJ

talk to the electrician who is going to fix your line about wiring the panel for a generator. I think you need a disconnect switch between the panel and the line in. then a place to plug your generator into the panel. you then would just flick on or off what breakers you wanted powered...

or something like that.

Or two generators TJ, one for each side of the panel.

Very good advice Hup. It is best to do it with proper procedure so someone does not get hurt, or ruin something in the electrical circuit.

Day 3 almost over and now direct hook up. Seems that not only did it take out the line but fubarred the meter as well. Waiting for a new meter and drop to get hooked up. Upside is I got four more trees dropped and plent of fire wood for the next couple of years.

Honda 2000 is the best thing I have bought in a while. House is warm and I just got my first shower in 4 days with hot water. Now all I need is my cable hooked back up so I can use the internet like an adult instead of on my phone.

-TJ

So you waited 4 days for a shower, or took several cold ones waitng on power?
Any way, 4 days is nada. I will tell on myself and admit that while fishing, I once went 10! Was beyond my control, and only was even near any one at night in the focsile,(sp?), catching a few precious ZZZ'z. The benefits of being a skiff man, way back in the day.