I know this topic has been covered before but I have something happening that is strange and wanted some help with it if possible.
First of all let me just say i have ordered a transfer switch and everything needed to have my generator backfed properly to my home without any safety concerns. The kit has not arrived yet however and I am on day 5 of a power outage here in the Detroit area. High winds came through on Wed and took like 800k customers out.
Anyway, I am currently backfeeding one leg of my panel (with the main breaker open) for the essentials, fridge, furnace, sump, a few lights and a couple other things. I am running a 6875/5500 watt Coleman generator that will power pretty much what I need. Since my transfer switch hasn't arrived yet and I am on day 5 there are a few other things I could use at this point that are on the other leg. I looked at my box because I was simply going to move a few things off the powered leg and move the things I need onto it but I don't have the room. So here's my problem. I was reading that you can successfully backfeed both legs (120v on each) by running two suicide cords from the generator (my genny has two separate 120v circuits) to an outlet that falls on each leg to give power to it. I am currently running one cord through a 30amp circuit and want to run another cord to a 20amp circuit on the other leg. The problem is, whenever I do this, the 30amp breaker on the first leg always trips. So then I end up with power only to the second leg. I have all my 240v breakers open so that isn't the problem. Any thoughts?
First of all let me just say i have ordered a transfer switch and everything needed to have my generator backfed properly to my home without any safety concerns. The kit has not arrived yet however and I am on day 5 of a power outage here in the Detroit area. High winds came through on Wed and took like 800k customers out.
Anyway, I am currently backfeeding one leg of my panel (with the main breaker open) for the essentials, fridge, furnace, sump, a few lights and a couple other things. I am running a 6875/5500 watt Coleman generator that will power pretty much what I need. Since my transfer switch hasn't arrived yet and I am on day 5 there are a few other things I could use at this point that are on the other leg. I looked at my box because I was simply going to move a few things off the powered leg and move the things I need onto it but I don't have the room. So here's my problem. I was reading that you can successfully backfeed both legs (120v on each) by running two suicide cords from the generator (my genny has two separate 120v circuits) to an outlet that falls on each leg to give power to it. I am currently running one cord through a 30amp circuit and want to run another cord to a 20amp circuit on the other leg. The problem is, whenever I do this, the 30amp breaker on the first leg always trips. So then I end up with power only to the second leg. I have all my 240v breakers open so that isn't the problem. Any thoughts?
