Backfeeding with a portable generator - REAL safety concerns???

[North]

This is just plain stupid. The number one reason why you should never
heat a house with a stove or oven is grease that gets trapped in all
the little knooks and crannies in the stove. When that shit catches
fire, its all over unless you have a good chemical fire extinglisher.

Get sued by the power Co., go to prison, get fucked in the ass, ect...

Famous last words "I WON'T forget"

As long as you are vigilant about making sure the main is off, you
won't backfeed the grid, however there are other reasons why you do
not want to hook a POS generac 5kw genset to a 20Y/O panel.
Ive seen breakers stick "closed" especially mains, IOWs they are on
when you think they are off.

The main reason why I wouldnt do it the way you suggest is this:
I too have a 5kw generac, its kinda old but still works. I use it at
my cabin and sometimes on jobs (I have a real standby genny at my
house) Sometimes the genset will rev-up all by itself, many things can
cause this from bad fuel to dirt to murphy, when this happens, the gen
will surge HV (NEVER COUNT ON LOAD CONTROLLERS). One day the genset
went haywire and sent a 600-2500VAC surge for 5 whole minutes to my TV
killing it in a firery/smokey death, if I had this thing plugged into
the house panel, who knows what it would have destroyed.

For a POS genet such as the 5kw generac, I would only use outdoor
extension cords and power strips with surge protection. Just because
the genset only has 2 110 outlets does not mean you can only run two
things at a time, it just cost less for them to build it that way and
the generac was built for industial use in which most applances
(tools) run off of 220 anyways. I do understand that you need to run
the heatpump or whatever that requires 220, but I would wire the
heatpump straight to the genset (via extension cord as you described),
not through the panel.

Look at it this way; say you do what you say you want to do (genset to
panel with NO tranfer switch) and somehow the genny fucks-up and your
house burns down. Do you think that you home-owners insurance will pay
when the fire dept tells them that your genny was improperly/illegally
installed ?

The tranfer switch not only protects against backfeeding but also
protects from voltage spikes and surges common with an old generator.

Running extension cords and pwer strips is rather safe, it you have a
voltage spike the surge protectors in the power strips will trip. Sure
its a hassle to drag out the cords and all, but laziness is not a wise
survival or survivalist choice, YMMV.



A manual transfer swith from HD is rather cheap, have you looked into
one of these ? they are easy to install and if you are the homeowner
you can legally DIY, YMMV.

BTW the power Co will be far more pissed about the lack of a tranfer
switch then a pulled meter, in fact, if they happen to find out, they
may just pull the meter and not replace it untill after you pay the
$10,000 fine (yes thats ten with three zeros)

PS: What about grounding? I believe OSHA regulations require the
generator (manufacturers) to have its own grounding system (being
grounded to the chasis inmost cases). So by backfeeding into the house
system, what safety procedures should I take to ensure a proper/safe
ground?

From this statment you need to STOP NOW and read up on basic AC wiring
and home electrical systems before you kill yourself !!

TIA
Friday

n.

 

[Bob Peterson]

A couple points come to mind.

1. If someone else's life is not worth the few hundred bucks it would cost
you to do this right, then its likely nothing anyone can say will change
your mind anyway.

2. The reason for the transfer switch is so you don't have to rely on
someone remembering to turn off the main when the lights go off, and you are
scurrying around to get your generator running.

 

[Fads]

If anyone got killed due to an inadvertent back feed, it would only be
because the lineman or other workman violated safety procedures. A
workman must treat a conductor as live unless he has tested and then
grounded it. I am a graduate electrical engineer, retired from the
electric utility business, and formerly supervised line crews among
other things.

So what if the lineman had tested the line and found it to be dead and then
started work,
our cheapskate fires the gen set up & forgets to isolate from the mains and
subsequently
fries the lineman who thought he was working on a dead line?

 

[Friday]

You and Friday should get together. You might get one good brain between
you.

Hey Mr. holier-than-thou. I was simply asking questions!
And nobody has answered them yet.
Namely: how can power flow into or out of my panel with the main WIDE
OPEN???
I asked, NOT for knee-jerk reactions from Home-Depot Master-Seminar
graduates, but for fact-based answers from authorities on the subject.
If I were an idiot, as you thoughtlessly proclaimed, I would have
simply gone ahead and done it - without asking questions.
When did asking questions make someone an idiot?
FYI: I've managed to survive quite nicely for 50 years so far without
hurting myself or anyone else - unless they deserved it, that is.

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

Pulling the meter will only work in a home with a SINGLE through feed
meter. If the home has a second meter for the air conditioning or for
the water heater then that will serve nicely as the back feed route. If
the service to the building is four hundred or more amperes then the
meter is likely to be of the sampling type and pulling it will not
effect the power to the home. If a feed through meter is pulled under
load or if you fault it out by using improper technique you can receive
fatal arc burns. Some meters have bypass switches built into them that
will close automatically if the meter is removed. Such bypass switches
are often combined with the meter base jaw release.

The set up you are suggesting is just one mistake away from a fatality.
I pray that the fatality will be you rather than a lineman who is
working a twelve hour shift to try to restore your power.

If the person killed turns out to be your teenage son, your spouse, that
ever so helpful neighbor while you are away then I hope you are just as
glib with the judge at your manslaughter trial as you are in cyberspace.
Just once I would like to see one of you know it alls have to face the
consequences for your self centered actions.

Great, you're hoping I die for asking questions.
Nice guy.

I didn't say I was going to do it. I said I've seen it done and asked
for intelligent FACTS about the subject.

When was I glib?

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

If you always do what you say you will do NO PROBLEM. Invaribly when there
is a problem it is caused by someone who knew what they were doing, they had
it all planned out, they just made a mistake and property or life was
damaged. While you may be willing to take this risk should some poor linema
working out in the cold have to unknowingly take it too.

Point well taken.
I think I'll opt for a switch. Or simply extension cords, splitting my
boiler-pump/thermnostat feed with make and female plugs, then simply
unplugging the furnace completely from the (house) supply and plugging
it into an extension cord.
Thanks for one of the very few intelligent answers.

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

<snip>

1. Generator runs out of gas while you are out of the house. Lights
go off.
2. Your hard-drinking Uncle Ernie is visiting. He troubleshoots
problem. "Hey, lookit this! The main breaker was off!" Flip!
Nothing happens, and he passes out.
3. You come home, refill generator, and start it.
4. Utility lineman, working on the downed power line a mile away,
gets fricasseed.

In other words, you are setting a booby trap that can be set off by
*anyone* who visits your house during a power outage. Maybe you won't
forget, but can you guarantee that none of your friends, relatives, or
neighbors will turn that breaker on?

Remember that those linemen have relatives, and those relatives may
have guns. If they don't, then plenty of people will cheerfully loan
them guns.

I don't have visitors up here, but that's a valid point.

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

breakers can and do go bad. usually they go intermittent or open.
its hard to predict just what will happen each time power is restored,
sometimes nothing bad happens. i think the greater worry would be that you
might have taken a lightning hit through the panel.
i spend a lot of time repairing industrial equipment after a storm as moved
through. a lot of times the root cause is matter speculation. what i have
is a melted gob of goop that used to be a component.
surge suppressors (TVSS) help protect your stuff but as they are installed
after the main breaker or fuses the "mains" have to survive the current hit.

for what its worth, when i service equipment, after i turn off the breaker i
touch all formerly "live" connections with a grounding stick. i do this
every time i turn power off before putting my body in harms way.


id like to add my voice to those that recommend you not proceed with the
plan as you described.

for some reason it puts me in mind of a church in my home town that was so
poor that it ran an extension cord from the house next door to get
electricity.
when city building inspector became aware of it he of course made then
remove it.
the very next sunday the reverend opened his sermon in a loud booming voice
with: "and the lord said let there be light... then the devil came and took
it away"

i think there may be a solution to your problem that can implemented within
your budget and be relatively safe sane and legal.

i think you have take a prudent first step by asking for opinions of people
who appear to be knowledgeable.

the nest step is to discuss the matter with the local electrical inspector.
he may suggest a scheme you both can live with. he may even point you toward
an election who has something used on hand that will work just fine. is
your power company NIMO? just curious

Now, _THAT'S_ what I am looking for: an intelligent, informed answer.
So my plan is _OUT OF THE QUESTION_ then.
If there's _ANY_ chance of the main breaker failing -- and letting
power slip by -- then I WILL _NOT_ take that risk.
The lightning issue is also something I han't considered. Remote
possibility as it is, it _IS_ a risk, and I'm NOT willing to take ANY
risks.
Thank You!

PS: You said breakers can go bad and stay open. Did you mean closed
(leting power flow through it)? Also, am I to understand that transfer
switches never experience this? Isn't it just a three-position breaker?
Or is it engineered differenty? Heavier duty? Better quality control?

Thanks Again for your thoughtful answer.
Oh yeah - Yes, NiMo is my power company (Or whatever their new name is
now).
Friday

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

If anyone got killed due to an inadvertent back feed, it would only be
because the lineman or other workman violated safety procedures. A
workman must treat a conductor as live unless he has tested and then
grounded it. I am a graduate electrical engineer, retired from the
electric utility business, and formerly supervised line crews among
other things.

One of my crews worked on the restoration phase on Long Island after
hurricane Gloria. Contrary to doctrine, the first priorities were to
restore power to the motel they were staying in and then to the best
restaurants.

But of course. Working long hours in terrible weather, they deserve a
good meal and warm hotel room.
I can't fault them for that.

They did work horrific hours. I will never forget what
one told me on their return - "Jesus John, there is no way I could eat
another lobster." There was an incident where there was an accidental
breaker closure that would have otherwise energized the line section
on which they were working but they were protected by their grounds.

Many utilities require that points of protection must have a "visible
break" so neither enclosed circuit breakers nor transfer switches are
considered safe for personnel protection purposes. I do believe that
it is a code violation if the generator does not carry a fourth ground
wire but who is worried about the code during an ice storm?


Regards,

John Phillips

As I suspected. A transfer switch isn't necessarily any safer than a
standard main breaker EXCEPT, as pointed out by many others - to
prevent "human error."
Please tell me more about the "fourth ground" procedure you mentioned.
I HAVE decided to do it the correct way.

Thanks Again
Friday

PS: Also,would you elaborate on what you wrote:

"... points of protection must have a "visible break" so neither
enclosed circuit breakers nor transfer switches are considered safe for
personnel protection purposes"

What is meant by a "points of protection"? And are you indeed saying
that transfer switches are no safer (mechanically) than a
standard-issue main breaker in a home panel box?

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

This is just plain stupid. The number one reason why you should never
heat a house with a stove or oven is grease that gets trapped in all
the little knooks and crannies in the stove. When that shit catches
fire, its all over unless you have a good chemical fire extinglisher.

I know, I know, but it gets _COLD_ after a few days.
"Deadly" cold.
That's why I'm looking for alternatives.

I do not own the house, but it was the homeowner who actually suggested
this after showing me how he does it at his house. Maybe I should print
this out and show it to him.

Ive seen breakers stick "closed" especially mains, IOWs they are on
when you think they are off.

The main reason why I wouldnt do it the way you suggest is this:
I too have a 5kw generac, its kinda old but still works. I use it at
my cabin and sometimes on jobs (I have a real standby genny at my
house) Sometimes the genset will rev-up all by itself, many things can
cause this from bad fuel to dirt to murphy, when this happens, the gen
will surge HV (NEVER COUNT ON LOAD CONTROLLERS). One day the genset
went haywire and sent a 600-2500VAC surge for 5 whole minutes to my TV
killing it in a firery/smokey death, if I had this thing plugged into
the house panel, who knows what it would have destroyed.

For a POS genet such as the 5kw generac, I would only use outdoor
extension cords and power strips with surge protection. Just because
the genset only has 2 110 outlets does not mean you can only run two
things at a time, it just cost less for them to build it that way and
the generac was built for industial use in which most applances
(tools) run off of 220 anyways. I do understand that you need to run
the heatpump or whatever that requires 220, but I would wire the
heatpump straight to the genset (via extension cord as you described),
not through the panel.

Actually, the pump is 115v. Very small.
What do I look for in a "converter/transformer" that will allow me to
use the two 220 ouelets with 110 appliances/extension cords?

Look at it this way; say you do what you say you want to do (genset to
panel with NO tranfer switch) and somehow the genny fucks-up and your
house burns down. Do you think that you home-owners insurance will pay
when the fire dept tells them that your genny was improperly/illegally
installed ?

The tranfer switch not only protects against backfeeding but also
protects from voltage spikes and surges common with an old generator.

Running extension cords and pwer strips is rather safe, it you have a
voltage spike the surge protectors in the power strips will trip. Sure
its a hassle to drag out the cords and all, but laziness is not a wise
survival or survivalist choice, YMMV.


BTW the power Co will be far more pissed about the lack of a tranfer
switch then a pulled meter, in fact, if they happen to find out, they
may just pull the meter and not replace it untill after you pay the
$10,000 fine (yes thats ten with three zeros)


From this statment you need to STOP NOW and read up on basic AC wiring
and home electrical systems before you kill yourself !!

OK, I'm convinced.
Will a standard surge protector protect my TV and computer in the surge
scnario you outined?
Or should I forgo TV and computers until the grid comes up (I work from
a home office)???

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

A couple points come to mind.

1. If someone else's life is not worth the few hundred bucks it would cost
you to do this right, then its likely nothing anyone can say will change
your mind anyway.

I that were the case, I wouldn't have bothered asking.
I didn't ask anyone to "change my mind." I didn't even say I was going
to _DO_ anything.
I asked questions.

Thanks for nothing.

2. The reason for the transfer switch is so you don't have to rely on
someone remembering to turn off the main when the lights go off, and you are
scurrying around to get your generator running.

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Friday]

Even when the swith is in the off position , the contacts inside it may
still be touching due to age , their having welded themselves together
or any number of reasons .

Now that's an answer.
Thanks

--
#####################################
"The people cannot be all, & always well informed. The part which is wrong will
be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive.
If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner
of death to the public liberty. What country before ever existed a century & a
half without a rebellion? & what country can preserve it's liberties if their
rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit
of resistance? Let them take arms... The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants"
-- Thomas Jefferson
#####################################

 

[Louis Bybee]

Now, _THAT'S_ what I am looking for: an intelligent, informed answer.
So my plan is _OUT OF THE QUESTION_ then.
If there's _ANY_ chance of the main breaker failing -- and letting
power slip by -- then I WILL _NOT_ take that risk.
The lightning issue is also something I han't considered. Remote
possibility as it is, it _IS_ a risk, and I'm NOT willing to take ANY
risks.
Thank You!

PS: You said breakers can go bad and stay open. Did you mean closed
(leting power flow through it)? Also, am I to understand that transfer
switches never experience this? Isn't it just a three-position breaker?
Or is it engineered differenty? Heavier duty? Better quality control?

Properly designed transfer switches are usually interlocked both
electrically and mechanically. I have seen numerous transfer switch
failures, but none where the utility and alternate power sources were
inadvertently connected, with one exception where someone had modified the
transfer switch for some unfathomable reason.

Louis--
*********************************************
Remove the two fish in address to respond

 

[North]

I know, I know, but it gets _COLD_ after a few days.
"Deadly" cold.
That's why I'm looking for alternatives.

I do not own the house, but it was the homeowner who actually suggested
this after showing me how he does it at his house. Maybe I should print
this out and show it to him.

Check out:
http://www.mrheater.com

Actually, the pump is 115v. Very small.
What do I look for in a "converter/transformer" that will allow me to
use the two 220 ouelets with 110 appliances/extension cords?

You could rig up a 60 amp sub-panel to run off the generator only,
with a few breakers and outlets, ect.. for your needs. The 60 amp
sub-panel would simply plug into one of the 220 outlets on the genset.

Read up on basic house wiring, you should get the idea.

OK, I'm convinced.
Will a standard surge protector protect my TV and computer in the surge
scnario you outined?
Or should I forgo TV and computers until the grid comes up (I work from
a home office)???

Well YMMV here. Some surge protectors are good others are shit. It
really depends.

For the most part, you shouldn't have a problem, however Murphy tends
to show up unexpectedly.

I wouldnt run my 4000 dollar LED wide screen TV off of a genset (YMMV)
however an older TV and perhaps a POS computer (old pent Iand IIs and
even 486's can be had for next to nothing at thrift stores).

And since you work at home you should have an older POS computer on
hand as a back-up anyways.

Having back-ups and back-up plans is a prudent survival choice.

n.

 

[Tim Perry]

residential curcuit breakers are basicly switches that can turn themselves
off once the curent through them reaches a trip point. the failure modes
therfore are basicly the same as for switches (with the addition that
sometimes old breakers trip sooner then they should)
have you ever seen and old wall switch the wouldent shut off? its not as
common as the other failure mode where it wont turn on but i can show you an
example right now.

one could hope that breakers were made significantly better then common wall
switches. i have had a few apart (just to see how they are made) but i
certinly cant speak for all the brands that are out there.

to try to answer you question as best i can i will say yes i believe it is
possible for a breaker to short in such a way that it will conduct even if
the lever is in the off position especially if lightning is involved.
i would also say they the likelihood is pretty small.
i would also say that it would be likely that if it failed due to lightning
or surge there would be some external evidence like molten plastic, burning
smell, and/or "gritty" operation of the switch.
the problem is no one can predict what will happen only what might happen or
can happen or has happened in the past. when it comes to electrical stuff or
mechanical stuff some of us old guys were taught Murphy's Laws at an early
age. they seemed funny at first, a rather dark, pessimistic outlook. but as
time goes by we come to realize that the "Laws" are the one constant in an
ever changing existence.

my favorite corollary: Murphy was an optimist


Also, am I to understand that transfer

Properly designed transfer switches are usually interlocked both
electrically and mechanically. I have seen numerous transfer switch
failures, but none where the utility and alternate power sources were
inadvertently connected, with one exception where someone had modified the
transfer switch for some unfathomable reason.

Louis--
*********************************************
Remove the two fish in address to respond

i have several (transfer switches) at this point under my care three are 3
phase automatic. they are big, expensive, and use contactors (large relays)
when i open one of the older ones i am sometimes greeted by a snake. how the
snake has kept from being fried by 208 i don't really know. he slithers down
the conduit until i close the cover and go away.


one other is a manual 3 phase. it is very old. i believe it to date from
1949. it is mearly a large double throw knife switch in metal box (wih
external handle). fortunatly for me the associated generator is long dead
and not worth the cost of repairs therfore i have never have to actully use
this.

 

[Tim Perry]

I know, I know, but it gets _COLD_ after a few days.
"Deadly" cold.
That's why I'm looking for alternatives.

i hear ya. last 2 winters winters would make an eskimo shiver

Actually, the pump is 115v. Very small.
What do I look for in a "converter/transformer" that will allow me to
use the two 220 ouelets with 110 appliances/extension cords?

its called a "power distro" (short for power distributor). it looks and
works very much like your main house panel.

 

[daestrom]

So what if the lineman had tested the line and found it to be dead and then
started work,
our cheapskate fires the gen set up & forgets to isolate from the mains and
subsequently
fries the lineman who thought he was working on a dead line?

You missed the 'install grounds'. That means the lineman puts a cable about
the size of a heavy-duty car-battery jumper cable across each phase and to
ground/tower/whatever. *Then* they start work. Lineman don't consider the
line dead until they have the grounding cables installed. If the line can
be fed from either end, then two grounding sets are installed. Lineman
works *between* the two grounding sets.

Don't know if *all* utilities require this, but many do consider it a
'fire-able' offense to work without them.

Some smuck comes along with a gen-set and forgets to open the main, his
generator will just feed the grounding cable (dead-short) and burn-out/trip
his generator.

Mind you, if the grounding cable slips, or sparks a bit, the lineman is
going to jump down, find the SOB and cut their service drop. Then it will
be a while before customer gets restored.

daestrom

 

[B J Conner]

You didn't want an "honest" answer to your question, you just wanted people
to aid and abet your stupidity.
You didn't research it well or you would know better. There is probably
half a dozen threads on this form alone where you could have got the same
answers.
I don't know what utility your dealing with but her's an interesting link to
NYSGE.
http://www.nyseg.com/nysegweb/webcontent.nsf/Lookup/EmergGen/$file/EmergGen.pdf
Specifically read the right top side of page 3. Took a lot of reasearch to
find that. I may be holier that thou, but I'm not dumber than you ( sounds
like many people are not ).
You whole little scam is like saying "I wanna drive on the left side of the
road, I have heard that it's dangerous but I'v never see a head-on
collision"

 

[Gunner]

You could rig up a 60 amp sub-panel to run off the generator only,
with a few breakers and outlets, ect.. for your needs. The 60 amp
sub-panel would simply plug into one of the 220 outlets on the genset.

Read up on basic house wiring, you should get the idea.

Hospitals and other critical facilities do exactly this. They use
Orange colored outlets for critical power sources, if the entire
facility is not on a huge genset.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke

 

[Gunner]

Great, you're hoping I die for asking questions.
Nice guy.

I didn't say I was going to do it. I said I've seen it done and asked
for intelligent FACTS about the subject.

When was I glib?

We understand that you were well meaning. But after the 4-5 comment
from others that to do as you wish, it became apparent that your
wishes to do this the easy way..ala do it yourself cardiac bypass,
were overruling common sense and life saving methods.

Sometimes you can do things cheap and easy, sometimes either cheap or
easy, but not both..and other times..neither.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child -
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosphy of sniveling brats." -- P.J. O'Rourke