You know after reading the comments I think Andrew will be able to inspect houses he sounds like an auctioneer with all the codes!!!!! Pretty good for a first time home builder !
I installed an interlock, breaker, wiring, and inlet. Got a permit and it passed inspection today. Pretty straight forward. Going to test it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Man that was a good job Andrew. I like how you went into details about the power. There are some people out there that don't know that information. You are doing a very good job of building this house. You take it easy buddy.
I love the interlock on mine. Keeps the wife from messing things up when I’m not home. I have a colored tag next to each individual breaker to leave on when on generator. Using LED lights lets you keep more “on” when the power dies and on generator. A few lights, food storage and heat. Don’t rule out window ac unit. For extended outages use it in the bedroom only so you can sleep in the heat. Backup to the backup. Remember in emergencies one is none and two is one.
We've always kept a window unit just for power outages. But this might be the first time ever that I can run my entire house hvac. We also have a gas stove and water heater. So showers and cooking is no problem during an outage either.
I used a champion 11,000 generator and the interlock. Several years now and am happy with it. I color coordinated the breakers. If it’s red it stays off when on generator power. I also have a power back alarm since I can’t see my neighbors that closely so that helps.
Great install Andrew 👍 I was hoping you would do this video. When you get your pole barn house completely done a generator startup procedure would make an awesome second part to this video. Keep up the good work, my brother from another mother.
I'm in the Smoky Mountains Foothills and where is natural gas available most people use a Generac generator and have no problem at all, but we do not get power outages too often unless it's in the higher elevations of the mountains where the lines can be down for days.
Very interesting, Andrew! I hadn't thought about needing power for the well. I love having my gas stove, gas furnace, gas water heater in our very rare power outages. For better or worse, they are being phased out of new construction.
Made my own interlock slide, works great and also made up emergency use cards to show genny startup sequence, and shutdown. It's also important to load balance your panel as much as possible so one leg of the 110 genny isn't working too much harder than the other leg. Like one leg is running a freezer and and refrigerator the other just a few fans or lights.
I would have installed the PB-50 50 amp inlet with 6/3 behind it because they make a 30 amp to 50 amp converter plug. This would allow you to use the 30 amp inlet yet have the ability to upgrade to the 50 amp if you ever up size the generator. Not trying to be critical just a thought so you can expand as your needs grow.
Something I would highly recommend since your wiring up a generator plug, take the time and frame out in the area your refrigerator is going to be located for an inexpensive computer UPS in-line for the refrigerator. My family owns an appliance repair company in Tampa, FL and the absolute most common electronic that is damaged from portable generators are modern residential refrigerators. Simple ups in-line will prevent this as an issue in your future.
We run very basic refrigerators with no bells and whistles (seem to last the longest). Do you think even with a low end model a generator would damage it?
@@TKCL Its just how cheaply they build them these days.. Its not the power going out that kills them, its the non-pure sinewave that occurs on portable generators. As the generator is loaded down with more and more load, the shape of the power curve degrades and this is when sensative electronics become damaged. Literally every time there is a major storm in the area that takes out power, we will get slammed with refrigerator repairs and 99% of the time when we ask them did they power their house on a generator, they say yes... Im not saying you need an expensive UPS, just a cheap 600va unit is more than plenty for covering the frig, plus when the power does go out or hiccups.. your frig is safe from power surges, voltage spikes, and such.. The UPS is just stepping in mostly as a filter than a backup power supply.
@@TKCL Also, the cheap models do in fact have the least issues. I always tell people when they want a new frig, dont buy one of the fancy ones wth ice makers, coffee makers, screens on the door.. Just get one that has a frig and a freezer with the ability to ADD an ice maker. Those are the ones that last the longest, because they build the ice makers far cheaper in the kits and seem to actually be more durable than the complex ones they pre-install in the doors of modern refrigerators.. plus.. $50-100 and you can replace a broken ice maker, which is the most common broken item on modern frigs that our company is called out for repair service.
Nice job here... The power inlet install on the outside had a professional feel to it...The clamped & sealed tube for the cable to run through was a nice touch, as I noticed the sealant when the box lid was opened up as well & assume the top & both sides will get a touch of sealant too. Back inside the main panel, once again clamped & just above the box, an additional brad to the wood beam for further nonmovement of cable when running it out... All good stuff, thanks for sharing... Bill on the Hill... :~)
They also sell panels with the interlock kit already installed on the panels. Very nice setup and easy to use. I can run well and whole house minus AC and Hot tub on 6500i Honda. So all I have to do is flip a few breakers and then I am on the generator (a must in northern CA due to our failing utility/power grid. Suggest using largest wire size possible from plug to panel to eliminate voltage drops and having to upgrade later if bigger generator is acquired.
Great info. I might get to do something you may or may not do. Our gun deer season is Nov. 20 - Nov. 28. I haven't hunted for 15-20 years now, but this season, yes. I hope you get to go also. You know you and your friend sasquatch...lol God Bless
I have almost the same set up that you have minus the dual fuel generator mine is gas only. Has worked great in the 3 years since I installed the system. You should really like it too
Good explanation. I know that your video doesn't get to actually hooking up a generator, but I see people mention that bonded neutral generators have to be made into floating neutral when the generator is hooked to a house electrical system.
I have a separate maintained supply panel for sockets, lights, spurs that will operate in an emergency. All the sockets and spurs are RED in colour. Normally they are switched to the main panel but in a power outage they automatically switch to the maintained panel. I don't know if my system would meet your electrical code.
When you stop and consider how many millions of homes lose power every single year in the US, it's hard to understand why the NEC (National Electric Code) has not made a power inlet box and generator interlock mandatory years ago on all new construction for homes. The power inlet and interlock kit are a simple, cost-effective, and efficient way to provide power during an emergency. I am shocked at how many people do not have or do not know about this kind of setup.
I don't know brother, I did that cord connected Generator drill for 20 years! I just purchased and installed a champion 14 KW LP whole house generator w 200 amp wi-Fi enabled transfer switch for ($ 6,850 generator and switch) transfer switch web enabled function is awesome. Shows the panel load on the normal or Generator conditions via embedded webpage . Peace
Well this one runs my entire house (hvac included) for about $800. That leaves me $6k to use elsewhere. It's also portable so I can use it other places. Really hard for me to justify a whole house one when I get no more benefits other than instant transfer of power and some monitoring.
One advantage of a transfer switch is that many of them can be programmed to run automatic testing where they fire the generator and either just run it or actually transfer the load. This is useful when you need the generator to run a whole plant or something. I used to work in a shop with one of these switches. Every Tuesday at 1AM, it would run the auto test. We had a big Kohler generator outside but the actual diesel engine in it was a John Deere tractor motor. I kid you not. Wasn't a Yanmar either. An actual JD motor. That thing was a beast. The reason for testing at 1AM on a Tuesday was to give us time to call emergency service when it didn't fire up, and still have it repaired and working before management showed up and started asking questions. The problems we did have were all charging system. It had a battery maintainer that didn't work right. The JD motor never gave is a bit of trouble. That shop closed and they used a crain to pull the generator and just scrapped it. For no reason. Sad.
Best money we ever spent was on a whole home Eaton/Generac 22KW with automatic transfer switch. When the power goes out, we still mange our power load, but that is not difficult to do at all. Plus if we ever decide to downsize and sale our house, it's a great selling point.
Yup, we are going through that same decision on our new home build. We ended up going with the generac 22 kw. I did not want to have to drag a generator out when power goes off but the biggest reason is if power goes out while you are away you don’t loose a freezer full of meat, a sump pump doesn’t get shut off and any other necessities that need to keep going like heat in house during sub freezing temps.
Everyone talks about how the interlock protects the linemen. But in reality if the generator power went out to the neighborhood the main breaker on the generator would most likely trip for overload. I think the interlock’s protection in the other direction is also important- you don’t want the male pins on the inlet to be energized. This would happen without an interlock and the breaker would not trip due to overload as the inlet would not provide a load when it’s disconnected. I can just imagine (without interlock) someone trouble shooting a power issue, noticing a breaker off and turning it on to fix an issue and energizing the inlet. So please use interlock to protect against shocking a person touching the inlet.
@@TKCL thank you for your feedback. I have gone back and edited my post. I hope it’s clearer now after making changes. I was trying to say that the probability of shocking a lineman was low due to overload causing power off of the breaker. Whereas shocking a local occupant might be higher due to exposed male inlet pins. Both of these issues are resolved with the interlock.
I think you're making a mistake by not installing a 50 amp breaker and correct wiring for 50 amp service. It won't hurt anything at all and you'll be set if you ever happen to upgrade your generator and it's only a few feet of wire so cost is negligible. I would definitely consider changing out to thicker gauge wiring before you insulate your walls! You go above and beyond on everything else I'm just a little shocked you aren't doing the 50 amp breaker and wiring here. I did at my house and don't regret it for a second because I did get a bigger generator and I was set without having to make any upgrades. Oh, you can get a plug adapter to plug your 30 amp generator into a 50 amp outlet just FYI! :)
It's because I have no desire to upgrade to a larger generator. I already have the wire leftover from the dryer install and I did not know about the adapter plugs. I built my main panel cabinet for easy access in the future. If I ever upgrade generators, I can change the power inlet box and wire in about 15 minutes. But if I ever do upgrade, it would most likely be a whole house on demand generator and that's a completely different setup.
I like your video and thanks for posting. Just so you’re aware, you could have installed 6ga or 4ga wire and still used a 30a breaker and plug. No adapters needed. I’m not convinced you could “easily” change out the 10a wire as it is not only stapled to the studs, but you put the electrical connector to the breaker box on with the wire clamp screws outside of the breaker box. Once the drywall and insulation is installed, you would have to cut open the drywall and dig out the insulation to replace the wire. Just a thought.
What this video doesn't show is a door that's being installed right below the breaker panel for full access. I'm also putting one above the breaker panel too for future wire pulls. I also tested my generator yesterday and it ran the entire house, central AC included. Doesn't look like I'll even need to upgrade the generator, wiring or plug.
There is no minimum for receptacles to ground, only a maximum height. It's low for future pulls of lines in through that decor box and to match the other decor box. Keep in mind this plug never has power unless a generator is hooked up. It's not in any danger and isn't a true receptacle in that aspect.
Suggestion: if you upgrade to a 50amp service, the cable for your generator will be VERY heavy. or at least mine is. The contractor didn't put any blocking behind the outlet and the outlet doesn't feel sturdy on the wall. If I had it to do over again I would have paid better attention and had them install a piece of 2x4 blocking or another piece of osb in the wall to give the screws more meat to bite into and to make the outlet feel more securely connected to the wall. with your access panel inside that will be something you can easily add. i would have some sheet rock work to do on my setup.
There will be a door directly behind that outlet inside under my main electrical panel for easy upgrade if necessary. Seeing how easy this size generator started my whole house AC, I don't see the need to ever upgrade generator size and wiring.
I think you should be fine. Our 9500 watt runs our 3.5 ton cooling 2500 sq. ft. just fine. The only circuits we leave off are the stove and water heater.
Looks great. Don't have much I want to comment other than I wanted to make a comment. A comment to say I love this channel. I want to share this with everyone I know.
Is there another device you can install that lets you know when the grid power back on ? I understand you can see your neighbors house if your in the city but if its out in the county or even day light out might be hard to tell .. I know if you call in and report the outage youll get text or email updates , but some sort of bell or buzzer , would be cool
I'd like that myself, I am not aware of a product because it would have to be before the meter or before the main panel. What I do is occasionally check the meter, if you see numbers or is spinning, you have power back.
Andrew I have a question. How will you ever up grade the wire to the generator should you need to with it nailed to a stud and then you have the spray foam on top of that without having to go into sheetrock and having a mess to repair in a wall? Looks like to me it would be better to have the larger say #6 wire installed now than later less headache again just asking..
Go back and watch the first main panel install video. The reason I built the wall out was to make an un insulated cabinet below and above the panel for future wire pulls. It will have a cabinet door above and below for easy access.
Dang it! Nope, and it's been driving me crazy! Now I have a crooked electrical conduit pipe in the yard that's really driving me nuts! It would cost an arm and a leg to change it, so I guess it stays. 😔
@@TKCL 😢 Crooked, un-level and off-center (when applicable) decals and stickers are my biggest pet peeve. I worked on a project years ago where we were labeling all the electrical circuits, receptacles and switches in a VA Hospital in Miami. I ended up spending hours going behind my co-workers and relabeling due the crooked applications. They all laughed at me while I seethed... lol. After a week, they all started doing better and actually attempting to get them placed level and centered though. By the end of the project, my obsession had spread and they all became master labelers. I can hardly wait to see your outlet plates laser engraved with each breaker # :)
Have you checked what the output breaker on your generator is? If it's a 10KW continuous, you'll likely have a 40 amp breaker. If it's 10KW peak, then a 30 amp breaker. Whatever the case, you'll want the same size breaker in the panel as on the generator.
Good thinking that way me and Chris and Mr Doug can charge your phones when the power is out and also we can play video games and watch movies. Also we're going to need a popcorn machine 👍🏽
If you're talkin about the hole that the wire comes through, not only did I use flashing tape, I use rubber butyl liquid flashing too. Nothing is getting in that hole.
Apologies if you've covered this in the past, but what appliances will you have that are gas (propane)? I have as much as possible (water heater, central heat furnace, dryer, cooktop) on propane so that I can have all those things even in the face of a power outage, relegating the remainder of the house to be carried by the generator (which is run on propane as well).
Plug might be too low. There's a minimum requirement to grade. At least that's the deal in my state up north. Also when are you going to do the service grounding and rods?
I've looked and looked and looked. No NEC code I can find for a minimum receptacle height. There is a code for maximum height. Don't forget this is a non power supplying plug. It only has power when a generator is hooked up otherwise it's dead all the time. Grounding rods go in towards the end of the week.
Does the main 200 amp breaker disconnects the main line neutral too? Or it doesnt matter? Does it not feed back power to the main line through the main neutral line?
@@TKCL gotcha. If you were closer I’d give you some 6/3. Got a roll of MC laying around. Guess I should try selling it now with the prices the way they are.
@@TKCL extremely surprised. Also your neutral should go on the neutral side. The ground should go on its own side as well in the main panel. You stated sub panels have to be done that way, thats incorrect sir. Im a licensed electrician myself.
I'll also disagree with you again, your assuming I have a outside disconnect, which I don't. Straight from the meter to the main panel. Code clearly states separation of grounds and neutrals AFTER first means of disconnect. My main panel is my first and only means. We are allowed to install without a disconnect if meter and main panel are back to back only.
I realize you are just doing rough in, but later when that generator breaker is installed it needs some sort of tie down to keep it from being removed easily. That’s a code requirement.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
In the process of hooking up a power inlet box and your video provided the exact information I needed to know about the interlock switch. I was about to knock out a couple of panels on the left side because I didn't think it mattered. Oooooooops,.... I do have one question. The box i'm hooking up is a 50A. A note inside of the box states it must be 2 feet from the ground. I noticed yours is kinda close to the ground. Is it because it's a 30A and not required?
I couldn't find anywhere in the National electric code that stated a minimum distance to ground for a receptacle. I'd do what the package says and you should be good. No flooding or splashing will make it to my box.
you didnt put the generator 10 gage cable into conduit all the way to the panel so switching to a 50 amp generator will still be difficult after sprayfoam. are you not sprayfoaming the area under the main panel?
Negative.... Don't forget I'm spraying 5 inches of foam. I built that wall out an additional 3.5 inches and made a cabinet space above and below the main panel. That will be hollow and eventually have doors for easy access and future wire pulls. I left enough conduit sticking out from the generator box inside to just get past the spray foam and into that hollow cavity.
Question: I thought new home builds require seperate Ground and not be "bonded" to the neutral. We had a whole house generator but got eaten up by rats, so there went a lot of money. So we have the second breaker box next to the main break panel...and of course the rusted pile of a whole house generator outside. I am thinking about removing that generator panel which has the auto switch to trigger the generator to turn on. i might remove that panel to get money off it. But an electric contractor in my area informed me all new breaker boxes must have seperate ground...and not be bonded. Since the home I am in was build in 68, its grandfathered in...
No, the code states the first means of disconnect after the meter is bonded. That even means a disconnect switch, so anything after that requires separation of neutrals and grounds. Some people are required to have a main disconnect after the meter, but before the main panel. In that situation, the main panel is the second means of disconnect and would require separation.
@@TKCL ok so our meter goes into a Main breaker panel where our solar panel line is fed into one of the breakers, oh heck i have to look at it in the morning. But our outlets in the house are not grounded, its bonded to the neutral....
I agree with your approach, even though auto transfer switches and auto start generators sure are fancy 😁. Something to think about, make sure you know which of your generators already have bonded outputs and which don't. I actually bought a tester and built bonding plugs for all my camping buddies and found one of them actually had a generator that is already bonded output per my tester.
Currious, how clean is the power coming out of the generator? Do you have a pure sinewave invertor to clean the power before it gets to your house? I love of devices need clean power or they will burn up or not work at all. Im sure you know this but just wondering your method
No this is a standard square wave generator. Sensitive electronics won't be ran while using it. I've never had a issue with this style generator running my equipment for the past many years.
@@TKCL Cool deal. Im working on solar off grid aquaponic system and hoop house for next summer. But also want back up generator setup with it, Loved the video as Im about to set up back for house also in Florida lol Cheers man!
The Kelley's Country Life is there anyway I can send you the link? I did the same thing you did with the interlock kit. I added a monitoring system so from my phone I can monitor load on the generator. Pretty low cost easy to install. Thought you might be interested. I’m in no way Affiliated with the company
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Thanks finally a decent video where you actually show how to do the wiring inside the box everyone else skips the most important part. Thumbs UP!
You know after reading the comments I think Andrew will be able to inspect houses he sounds like an auctioneer with all the codes!!!!! Pretty good for a first time home builder !
Finally someone who explains it comprehensively!!! I'm a dummy and you made me understand how, what,where and saftey. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I installed an interlock, breaker, wiring, and inlet. Got a permit and it passed inspection today. Pretty straight forward. Going to test it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Man that was a good job Andrew. I like how you went into details about the power. There are some people out there that don't know that information. You are doing a very good job of building this house. You take it easy buddy.
Thank you Mack!
yes you're teaching me about electrical Contracting I love it brother.
Finally, this is a good explanation and tutorial of the Interlock kit. Nice job
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi Andrew 🙂 I always learn something when I watch your videos. Your house is going to be awesome. I bet you're enjoying this cooler weather.
Yes it's been the perfect weather!
I love the interlock on mine. Keeps the wife from messing things up when I’m not home. I have a colored tag next to each individual breaker to leave on when on generator. Using LED lights lets you keep more “on” when the power dies and on generator. A few lights, food storage and heat. Don’t rule out window ac unit. For extended outages use it in the bedroom only so you can sleep in the heat. Backup to the backup. Remember in emergencies one is none and two is one.
We've always kept a window unit just for power outages. But this might be the first time ever that I can run my entire house hvac. We also have a gas stove and water heater. So showers and cooking is no problem during an outage either.
Thank You for the extra details on hooking up generator breaker!! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for watching
Good info 👍🏼
FYI: that interlock plate can be easily made with a piece of 1/8” aluminum plate. It cuts easy and you’ll save $50. Took me 30 minutes.
I used a champion 11,000 generator and the interlock. Several years now and am happy with it. I color coordinated the breakers. If it’s red it stays off when on generator power. I also have a power back alarm since I can’t see my neighbors that closely so that helps.
Best video on this subject I have seen by far. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it
Probably too late now, but I would have used 50amp wire from 30amp plug to service box, then if you changed later you'd only have to replace the plug.
Won't be a problem, that's why I built a panel closet. I can pull a new wire easily.
Great install Andrew 👍 I was hoping you would do this video. When you get your pole barn house completely done a generator startup procedure would make an awesome second part to this video. Keep up the good work, my brother from another mother.
I'm in the Smoky Mountains Foothills and where is natural gas available most people use a Generac generator and have no problem at all, but we do not get power outages too often unless it's in the higher elevations of the mountains where the lines can be down for days.
Learned something new thanks Andrew for all of your informative videos.
Thank you for watching
Very interesting, Andrew! I hadn't thought about needing power for the well. I love having my gas stove, gas furnace, gas water heater in our very rare power outages. For better or worse, they are being phased out of new construction.
That's a big reason I love gas appliances too.
Made my own interlock slide, works great and also made up emergency use cards to show genny startup sequence, and shutdown. It's also important to load balance your panel as much as possible so one leg of the 110 genny isn't working too much harder than the other leg. Like one leg is running a freezer and and refrigerator the other just a few fans or lights.
I agree, that's why I left my wires so long. I will think through and balance my panel when the time comes.
@@TKCL Yes Sir balance as best you can and adjust on the fly when the time comes! You'll make it happen. Love the videos Sir!
I would have installed the PB-50 50 amp inlet with 6/3 behind it because they make a 30 amp to 50 amp converter plug. This would allow you to use the 30 amp inlet yet have the ability to upgrade to the 50 amp if you ever up size the generator. Not trying to be critical just a thought so you can expand as your needs grow.
No worries, if I ever upgrade my genset I can easily pull a new wire outside and add a 50 amp inlet plug.
Great experience
Thank you for watching
Hi, Andrew! Wow! You amaze me!
Another great video on the house. 🤠
Something I would highly recommend since your wiring up a generator plug, take the time and frame out in the area your refrigerator is going to be located for an inexpensive computer UPS in-line for the refrigerator. My family owns an appliance repair company in Tampa, FL and the absolute most common electronic that is damaged from portable generators are modern residential refrigerators. Simple ups in-line will prevent this as an issue in your future.
We run very basic refrigerators with no bells and whistles (seem to last the longest). Do you think even with a low end model a generator would damage it?
@@TKCL Its just how cheaply they build them these days.. Its not the power going out that kills them, its the non-pure sinewave that occurs on portable generators. As the generator is loaded down with more and more load, the shape of the power curve degrades and this is when sensative electronics become damaged. Literally every time there is a major storm in the area that takes out power, we will get slammed with refrigerator repairs and 99% of the time when we ask them did they power their house on a generator, they say yes... Im not saying you need an expensive UPS, just a cheap 600va unit is more than plenty for covering the frig, plus when the power does go out or hiccups.. your frig is safe from power surges, voltage spikes, and such.. The UPS is just stepping in mostly as a filter than a backup power supply.
@@TKCL Also, the cheap models do in fact have the least issues. I always tell people when they want a new frig, dont buy one of the fancy ones wth ice makers, coffee makers, screens on the door.. Just get one that has a frig and a freezer with the ability to ADD an ice maker. Those are the ones that last the longest, because they build the ice makers far cheaper in the kits and seem to actually be more durable than the complex ones they pre-install in the doors of modern refrigerators.. plus.. $50-100 and you can replace a broken ice maker, which is the most common broken item on modern frigs that our company is called out for repair service.
Thanks I liked your generator safety switch, nice job
Thank you for watching
Nice job here... The power inlet install on the outside had a professional feel to it...The clamped & sealed tube for the cable to run through was a nice touch, as I noticed the sealant when the box lid was opened up as well & assume the top & both sides will get a touch of sealant too. Back inside the main panel, once again clamped & just above the box, an additional brad to the wood beam for further nonmovement of cable when running it out... All good stuff, thanks for sharing...
Bill on the Hill... :~)
Thank you for watching
awesome learning about the interrupt switch! excellent job!
Thank you
@@TKCL You're welcome.
Interesting video in regards to the interlock.
Very interesting Andrew. Enjoyed the video as always.😉🇨🇦
Thank you for watching
Good info Andrew. Appreciate you sharing.
Thank you for watching
They also sell panels with the interlock kit already installed on the panels. Very nice setup and easy to use. I can run well and whole house minus AC and Hot tub on 6500i Honda. So all I have to do is flip a few breakers and then I am on the generator (a must in northern CA due to our failing utility/power grid. Suggest using largest wire size possible from plug to panel to eliminate voltage drops and having to upgrade later if bigger generator is acquired.
Thanks! Always wanted to know how to integrate generator power into panel.
That was sharp, good video!
Very cool bro, thx man...👍
Thank you for watching
Great info. I might get to do something you may or may not do. Our gun deer season is Nov. 20 - Nov. 28. I haven't hunted for 15-20 years now, but this season, yes. I hope you get to go also. You know you and your friend sasquatch...lol God Bless
Wow that's such a short rifle season, we are blessed with a 3 month season.
@@TKCL we have a bow season and then gun season of only 10 days. Bow season lasts longer.
@@TKCL 3 months long we get 1 week of archery and 1 week of black powder and 1 week for shot guns
That's sad! Our season is from the middle of September through January
I have almost the same set up that you have minus the dual fuel generator mine is gas only. Has worked great in the 3 years since I installed the system. You should really like it too
Fired it up yesterday after sitting for months, ran great!
Good explanation. I know that your video doesn't get to actually hooking up a generator, but I see people mention that bonded neutral generators have to be made into floating neutral when the generator is hooked to a house electrical system.
That's the proper way to do it, some generators offer this ability.
I have a separate maintained supply panel for sockets, lights, spurs that will operate in an emergency. All the sockets and spurs are RED in colour. Normally they are switched to the main panel but in a power outage they automatically switch to the maintained panel. I don't know if my system would meet your electrical code.
they also use a transfer switch that knows when to turn off line power and on generator power and I think they're like $1,200
When you stop and consider how many millions of homes lose power every single year in the US, it's hard to understand why the NEC (National Electric Code) has not made a power inlet box and generator interlock mandatory years ago on all new construction for homes. The power inlet and interlock kit are a simple, cost-effective, and efficient way to provide power during an emergency. I am shocked at how many people do not have or do not know about this kind of setup.
Me too, it's very affordable and much safer than back feeding a home by other means.
@@TKCL Absolutely right. This is by far the safest, easiest and most cost-effective way to safely backfeed a panel.
Awesome job and very helpful thanks
Thanks
Nice video. Very informative. Looking to do this for myself!
Thank you for watching
I don't know brother, I did that cord connected Generator drill for 20 years! I just purchased and installed a champion 14 KW LP whole house generator w 200 amp wi-Fi enabled transfer switch for ($ 6,850 generator and switch) transfer switch web enabled function is awesome. Shows the panel load on the normal or Generator conditions via embedded webpage . Peace
Well this one runs my entire house (hvac included) for about $800. That leaves me $6k to use elsewhere. It's also portable so I can use it other places. Really hard for me to justify a whole house one when I get no more benefits other than instant transfer of power and some monitoring.
@@TKCL Thank you for not lowering your standards for a privileged guy! Those the type of people that always find something wrong.
One advantage of a transfer switch is that many of them can be programmed to run automatic testing where they fire the generator and either just run it or actually transfer the load. This is useful when you need the generator to run a whole plant or something. I used to work in a shop with one of these switches. Every Tuesday at 1AM, it would run the auto test. We had a big Kohler generator outside but the actual diesel engine in it was a John Deere tractor motor. I kid you not. Wasn't a Yanmar either. An actual JD motor. That thing was a beast. The reason for testing at 1AM on a Tuesday was to give us time to call emergency service when it didn't fire up, and still have it repaired and working before management showed up and started asking questions. The problems we did have were all charging system. It had a battery maintainer that didn't work right. The JD motor never gave is a bit of trouble. That shop closed and they used a crain to pull the generator and just scrapped it. For no reason. Sad.
Even with a transfer switch, it won't power up a basic generator like mine. You still need a auto start gennie and those ain't cheap 😬
Best money we ever spent was on a whole home Eaton/Generac 22KW with automatic transfer switch. When the power goes out, we still mange our power load, but that is not difficult to do at all. Plus if we ever decide to downsize and sale our house, it's a great selling point.
We were dead set on getting one.... But that money has been spent elsewhere lol.
Yup, we are going through that same decision on our new home build. We ended up going with the generac 22 kw. I did not want to have to drag a generator out when power goes off but the biggest reason is if power goes out while you are away you don’t loose a freezer full of meat, a sump pump doesn’t get shut off and any other necessities that need to keep going like heat in house during sub freezing temps.
Good thoughts on being away with a power outage.
Hi Andrew!
Hello
Electric circuit breaker EMP proof
Everyone talks about how the interlock protects the linemen. But in reality if the generator power went out to the neighborhood the main breaker on the generator would most likely trip for overload. I think the interlock’s protection in the other direction is also important- you don’t want the male pins on the inlet to be energized. This would happen without an interlock and the breaker would not trip due to overload as the inlet would not provide a load when it’s disconnected. I can just imagine (without interlock) someone trouble shooting a power issue, noticing a breaker off and turning it on to fix an issue and energizing the inlet. So please use interlock to protect against shocking a person touching the inlet.
You do realize it works both ways??? You can't energize the inlet due to the interlock cutting off the main pawer inlet from the pole????
@@TKCL thank you for your feedback. I have gone back and edited my post. I hope it’s clearer now after making changes. I was trying to say that the probability of shocking a lineman was low due to overload causing power off of the breaker. Whereas shocking a local occupant might be higher due to exposed male inlet pins. Both of these issues are resolved with the interlock.
It shows you care about your work.
Thank you, that means a lot.
I think you're making a mistake by not installing a 50 amp breaker and correct wiring for 50 amp service. It won't hurt anything at all and you'll be set if you ever happen to upgrade your generator and it's only a few feet of wire so cost is negligible. I would definitely consider changing out to thicker gauge wiring before you insulate your walls! You go above and beyond on everything else I'm just a little shocked you aren't doing the 50 amp breaker and wiring here. I did at my house and don't regret it for a second because I did get a bigger generator and I was set without having to make any upgrades. Oh, you can get a plug adapter to plug your 30 amp generator into a 50 amp outlet just FYI! :)
It's because I have no desire to upgrade to a larger generator. I already have the wire leftover from the dryer install and I did not know about the adapter plugs. I built my main panel cabinet for easy access in the future. If I ever upgrade generators, I can change the power inlet box and wire in about 15 minutes. But if I ever do upgrade, it would most likely be a whole house on demand generator and that's a completely different setup.
@@TKCL good deal! :)
I like your video and thanks for posting. Just so you’re aware, you could have installed 6ga or 4ga wire and still used a 30a breaker and plug. No adapters needed. I’m not convinced you could “easily” change out the 10a wire as it is not only stapled to the studs, but you put the electrical connector to the breaker box on with the wire clamp screws outside of the breaker box. Once the drywall and insulation is installed, you would have to cut open the drywall and dig out the insulation to replace the wire. Just a thought.
What this video doesn't show is a door that's being installed right below the breaker panel for full access. I'm also putting one above the breaker panel too for future wire pulls. I also tested my generator yesterday and it ran the entire house, central AC included. Doesn't look like I'll even need to upgrade the generator, wiring or plug.
Hay, why is that outlet so close to the ground, I thought the minimum above ground was 30 inches?
There is no minimum for receptacles to ground, only a maximum height. It's low for future pulls of lines in through that decor box and to match the other decor box. Keep in mind this plug never has power unless a generator is hooked up. It's not in any danger and isn't a true receptacle in that aspect.
I've seen receptacles on floor of homes
Ive got a Winco PTO drive 20KW generator for my house i can run evuh ting .
My friend just got a 24kw pto generator.
Suggestion: if you upgrade to a 50amp service, the cable for your generator will be VERY heavy. or at least mine is. The contractor didn't put any blocking behind the outlet and the outlet doesn't feel sturdy on the wall. If I had it to do over again I would have paid better attention and had them install a piece of 2x4 blocking or another piece of osb in the wall to give the screws more meat to bite into and to make the outlet feel more securely connected to the wall. with your access panel inside that will be something you can easily add. i would have some sheet rock work to do on my setup.
There will be a door directly behind that outlet inside under my main electrical panel for easy upgrade if necessary. Seeing how easy this size generator started my whole house AC, I don't see the need to ever upgrade generator size and wiring.
I think you should be fine. Our 9500 watt runs our 3.5 ton cooling 2500 sq. ft. just fine. The only circuits we leave off are the stove and water heater.
That's great to hear
17500W generac generator test it out
Looks great. Don't have much I want to comment other than I wanted to make a comment. A comment to say I love this channel. I want to share this with everyone I know.
Lol well thank you very much
Must not get any snow there? Thanks for the suggestions.
Definitely not in Florida!
Great video lots of info
Thank you for watching
Is there another device you can install that lets you know when the grid power back on ? I understand you can see your neighbors house if your in the city but if its out in the county or even day light out might be hard to tell .. I know if you call in and report the outage youll get text or email updates , but some sort of bell or buzzer , would be cool
I'd like that myself, I am not aware of a product because it would have to be before the meter or before the main panel. What I do is occasionally check the meter, if you see numbers or is spinning, you have power back.
Andrew I have a question. How will you ever up grade the wire to the generator should you need to with it nailed to a stud and then you have the spray foam on top of that without having to go into sheetrock and having a mess to repair in a wall? Looks like to me it would be better to have the larger say #6 wire installed now than later less headache again just asking..
Go back and watch the first main panel install video. The reason I built the wall out was to make an un insulated cabinet below and above the panel for future wire pulls. It will have a cabinet door above and below for easy access.
Call it what you want, plug etc. I am a new to me hearing aids wearer and I keep calling them headphones, because that's what they feel like to me.
Awesome install! (except for the crooked warning stickers, which I hope was a video optical illusion)
Dang it! Nope, and it's been driving me crazy! Now I have a crooked electrical conduit pipe in the yard that's really driving me nuts! It would cost an arm and a leg to change it, so I guess it stays. 😔
@@TKCL 😢 Crooked, un-level and off-center (when applicable) decals and stickers are my biggest pet peeve. I worked on a project years ago where we were labeling all the electrical circuits, receptacles and switches in a VA Hospital in Miami. I ended up spending hours going behind my co-workers and relabeling due the crooked applications. They all laughed at me while I seethed... lol. After a week, they all started doing better and actually attempting to get them placed level and centered though. By the end of the project, my obsession had spread and they all became master labelers. I can hardly wait to see your outlet plates laser engraved with each breaker # :)
Have you checked what the output breaker on your generator is? If it's a 10KW continuous, you'll likely have a 40 amp breaker. If it's 10KW peak, then a 30 amp breaker. Whatever the case, you'll want the same size breaker in the panel as on the generator.
It's 9375 peak and has a 30 amp breaker on the generator itself.
Cool, then you're golden :)
Good thinking that way me and Chris and Mr Doug can charge your phones when the power is out and also we can play video games and watch movies. Also we're going to need a popcorn machine 👍🏽
A bit needy you are!
@@TKCL a little bit 🤏🏽
@@5150cash dont forget to put the hot tub on there too
You really should have flashed that opening properly with Tyvek flashing tape.
If you're talkin about the hole that the wire comes through, not only did I use flashing tape, I use rubber butyl liquid flashing too. Nothing is getting in that hole.
Apologies if you've covered this in the past, but what appliances will you have that are gas (propane)? I have as much as possible (water heater, central heat furnace, dryer, cooktop) on propane so that I can have all those things even in the face of a power outage, relegating the remainder of the house to be carried by the generator (which is run on propane as well).
Outdoor kitchen, water heater and our stove.
Plug might be too low. There's a minimum requirement to grade. At least that's the deal in my state up north. Also when are you going to do the service grounding and rods?
I've looked and looked and looked. No NEC code I can find for a minimum receptacle height. There is a code for maximum height. Don't forget this is a non power supplying plug. It only has power when a generator is hooked up otherwise it's dead all the time. Grounding rods go in towards the end of the week.
@@TKCL the reason is snow or flooding up in my state.
Does the main 200 amp breaker disconnects the main line neutral too? Or it doesnt matter?
Does it not feed back power to the main line through the main neutral line?
If you kill the two main hots coming in, there is no current on the neutral.
I spoke too soon, sorry
👍
Quick question, why not throw in the #6 wire now so you don’t have to open your wall if you want to upgrade to the 50 amp gen later.
Availability, it's been tough finding what I need. It will be a easy change out later if needed with the way I'm designing my panel closet.
@@TKCL gotcha. If you were closer I’d give you some 6/3. Got a roll of MC laying around.
Guess I should try selling it now with the prices the way they are.
Exterior outlet should be 24” above ground, thats code.
That's not code, it only states a maximum height above ground. I've already passed my electrical inspection too.
@@TKCL extremely surprised. Also your neutral should go on the neutral side. The ground should go on its own side as well in the main panel. You stated sub panels have to be done that way, thats incorrect sir. Im a licensed electrician myself.
I'll also disagree with you again, your assuming I have a outside disconnect, which I don't. Straight from the meter to the main panel. Code clearly states separation of grounds and neutrals AFTER first means of disconnect. My main panel is my first and only means. We are allowed to install without a disconnect if meter and main panel are back to back only.
I realize you are just doing rough in, but later when that generator breaker is installed it needs some sort of tie down to keep it from being removed easily. That’s a code requirement.
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
It is
In the process of hooking up a power inlet box and your video provided the exact information I needed to know about the interlock switch. I was about to knock out a couple of panels on the left side because I didn't think it mattered. Oooooooops,.... I do have one question. The box i'm hooking up is a 50A. A note inside of the box states it must be 2 feet from the ground. I noticed yours is kinda close to the ground. Is it because it's a 30A and not required?
I couldn't find anywhere in the National electric code that stated a minimum distance to ground for a receptacle. I'd do what the package says and you should be good. No flooding or splashing will make it to my box.
Probably more of an issue in northern climates where it's not uncommon to have 2 feet of snow. Shouldn't be a problem in non flood areas of the south
you didnt put the generator 10 gage cable into conduit all the way to the panel so switching to a 50 amp generator will still be difficult after sprayfoam. are you not sprayfoaming the area under the main panel?
Negative.... Don't forget I'm spraying 5 inches of foam. I built that wall out an additional 3.5 inches and made a cabinet space above and below the main panel. That will be hollow and eventually have doors for easy access and future wire pulls. I left enough conduit sticking out from the generator box inside to just get past the spray foam and into that hollow cavity.
Question: I thought new home builds require seperate Ground and not be "bonded" to the neutral. We had a whole house generator but got eaten up by rats, so there went a lot of money. So we have the second breaker box next to the main break panel...and of course the rusted pile of a whole house generator outside. I am thinking about removing that generator panel which has the auto switch to trigger the generator to turn on. i might remove that panel to get money off it. But an electric contractor in my area informed me all new breaker boxes must have seperate ground...and not be bonded. Since the home I am in was build in 68, its grandfathered in...
No, the code states the first means of disconnect after the meter is bonded. That even means a disconnect switch, so anything after that requires separation of neutrals and grounds. Some people are required to have a main disconnect after the meter, but before the main panel. In that situation, the main panel is the second means of disconnect and would require separation.
@@TKCL ok so our meter goes into a Main breaker panel where our solar panel line is fed into one of the breakers, oh heck i have to look at it in the morning. But our outlets in the house are not grounded, its bonded to the neutral....
I agree with your approach, even though auto transfer switches and auto start generators sure are fancy 😁. Something to think about, make sure you know which of your generators already have bonded outputs and which don't. I actually bought a tester and built bonding plugs for all my camping buddies and found one of them actually had a generator that is already bonded output per my tester.
Thats preaty low to the ground, your back must still be in good shape 😉for now
Back is getting sore building my house, but I can still reach the power plug. 😁
Do you have an LB behind that Main Panel? If so, how is that going to pass rough-in?
It's not, the reason everything is apart is because I'm still trying to locate jacketed service cable.
Currious, how clean is the power coming out of the generator? Do you have a pure sinewave invertor to clean the power before it gets to your house? I love of devices need clean power or they will burn up or not work at all. Im sure you know this but just wondering your method
No this is a standard square wave generator. Sensitive electronics won't be ran while using it. I've never had a issue with this style generator running my equipment for the past many years.
@@TKCL Cool deal. Im working on solar off grid aquaponic system and hoop house for next summer. But also want back up generator setup with it, Loved the video as Im about to set up back for house also in Florida lol
Cheers man!
Hey Andrew!
What size cord do you connect your generator to the plug?
It's a good 30 amp rated cord, I'm assuming it's pure stranded copper 10 gauge.
Did you get my post with the link? I’m thinking maybe Amazon links aren’t allowed cause I don’t see my post.
Sure didn't, TH-cam isn't a big fan of links that drive traffic away from their site. Sadly that usually gets the comment deleted.
The Kelley's Country Life is there anyway I can send you the link? I did the same thing you did with the interlock kit. I added a monitoring system so from my phone I can monitor load on the generator. Pretty low cost easy to install. Thought you might be interested. I’m in no way Affiliated with the company
Kelleyscountry@gmail.com, I think I know the monitoring system you are using.
Andrew. Where did you purchase the white block you mounted the outlet on ?
Here you go amzn.to/3vre36b
👍💞
It's not 220 its 240 volt.
Man you didn’t wire nothing up I’m sick of these videos