How to Install a Backup Generator with Interlock Kit on a Budget
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- The installation and wiring for a backup generator using a simple interlock kit is fairly simple and reasonably affordable. Certainly this is much cheaper than going with a whole home backup generator and automatic transfer switch. The wiring should be performed by an electrician but if you choose to DIY you can do it with only some simple tools and hardware. The items I used for my installation are linked below.
Generator - Duromax XP13000E - amzn.to/3WED7Tv
Interlock Kit - You will need one for your specific breaker box - amzn.to/3vbRSS1
50 Amp Eaton Breaker - amzn.to/3v9SCab
Gas Tank - amzn.to/3WlG8sf
Generator Extension Cord - amzn.to/3YHairs
Generator Power Inlet Box - amzn.to/3FODrZ8
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Nice DIY work there Dan. Very similar setup to what I installed at our rural location up here in BC 14 years ago and it works a treat for such a low cost investment in both time & money. We generally have at least 2 long term power outages every year; thing pays for itself as you said in just one long term outage event + the peace of mind. Best of the season.
Thanks! Hopefully I don't need to use it much but it's nice to have
I came for the generator set up, but what a beautiful garage!
Thank you!
Dan is spot on. The portable ones are a lot cheaper but there are a lot of drawbacks. I went with a whole house standby and it was an expensive endeavor but it will power the entire house and come on and off by itself.
Hi, where do you live? How often does it go on?
@@dzikijohnny nj. It usually comes on a couple times a year. Ironically it actually came on today because we’re getting some significant storms. I did a bunch of videos on my channel about it.
Yeah if we were in an area that lost power frequently then I would have been more inclined to get a whole house generator but this should be sufficient for most instances
Dan, I am a commercial generator tech in the northeast with alot of experience in residential units. Putting in a standby system will be minimum of 10k for a generac unit. I would stand clear of generac bc they are junk. We call then genajunk in the field. I run my whole house on a 6800... You can run ur whole house with the generator you have. You will need to install easy starts on ur ac/heat pump systems to work properly and not overload the generator. I strongly recommend installing a whole house surge protector. Any other questions please contact me.
Great Advice
Generac anything are junk. I got a Generac pressure washer ; first one lasted 8 minutes , the warranty replacement , 20 minutes. The Honda upgrade I still have ( 20 years)
Thanks for the tips. Yeah I've heard generac are crap. I looked into getting a Kohler but yeah it was really 10k plus then I'd need to install a propane tank so we're taking a lot more than that
I am a Kohler dealer. The best residential unit you can get. I have oil heat for my house which is #2 diesel fuel. I got myself a diesel unit and run it off my tank for my heat. I would never run natural gas for emergency back up power. I prefer having a stand alone fuel source that I can control and not the gas conpany. Couple years ago where I live in Massachusetts we had a severe gas over pressure issue which blew up multiple homes and shut down the power grid and gas supply for weeks. It will cost more to go with diesel or propane but it is the best option.
Consider Champion as well. A 14KW dual-fuel whole home generator with 200-amp auto transfer switch is less than $4,700.
Beautiful set up Dan! I used to have to fire up my portable generator until I got sick and tired of dealing with 8 to 10 or more power outages in my neighborhood every year. I also have a swimming pool and a 300 gallon aquarium, and so I went with Sunrun solar panels and Tesla Power wall back up battery that automatically switch over instantly whenever the system detects a power outage from the grid. After two years I found out I actually have saved an average of almost $7,000 a year on the electric bill.
Of course now we only have 3 to 5 power outages a year, and I only know about the power outage when I receive a notification text from my local utility company notifying me about the power outage. And many of my neighbors have since went with Sunrun solar panels and Tesla power wall battery back up so they don't freeze in the dark during a cold winter while fumbling to hook their portable generator when there is a power outage. Cheers!
I'm definitely considering solar panels in the future as well
@@normalguysupercar Yeah because you also have a pool I highly recommend getting solar panels and the Tesla Power Wall back up battery so you can save tons of money on electricity every year.
You pay $583 a month in electricity and a single tesla power wall can operate as a backup?
@@Christobevii3 Correct. I have a large aquarium and an Olympic size swimming pool with pool equipment, and they both draw lots of electricity. And so before I went solar with the Tesla Power wall back up battery I was paying almost $600 a month for electricity. Now with Solar my meter runs backwards and I am paying zero for electricity, and some of the extra electricity generated gets sold back to the Utility Company.
And the Tesla Powerwall battery back up can be programmed to run on reserved electricity for 8 to 10 hours or longer. (Most power outages in my area only about an hour, the longest outage we had the last 10 year lasted almost 3 hours.)
Very smart addition to your new home when we moved to Eastern Michigan the first thing we did in the rural area we moved to was put a whole house generator in never regretted it one bit we've needed it in some of the worst conditions possible for days on end
Yeah I would do a whole house if we were further out but we're reasonably close to town
Don't forget. You never have everything on in your house at the same time. My 9400 watt tri fuel generator runs my whole house including a 3 ton ac unit with no problem.. I run mine on natural gas so its a lot less than 9400 watts. My main concern was heat in the winter, but the ac works just fine. I don;t have most of the electric stuff you have. Mine is mostly gas. I also use an interlock on the fuse panel. I love it . I had 2 different switch boxes before, one 6 circuts and then a 10 circute. Then went to the interlock . So much faster and easier. Im in MIchigan so we see cold weather a lot. I have been using this setup since I have been in this house 23 years. Your gonna love it.
Yup!
Thank you Dan! You have done me a huge favor by sharing this
Glad to help!
Thank you ... never again those were tough times.
That really sucked
I enjoy the Normal Guy DIY channel 😊
Thanks!
Nice video!
We would love to see it power your AC! Depending on the tonnage it should be able to handle it if its less than 5 Tons.
Thank you!
Oh interesting. I didn't think this one would have enough power for that.
Especially if a Micro Air soft start was installed on the AC.
You should make sure your generator can run, uncovered, if it is wet. I make a tent, for mine, so rain can’t get in, but ventilation is good. PVC frame and some stakes make an easy structure.
Good idea.
I found the generator diy very helpful & i for years have prolonged the effort of following through buying one .But did the same thing with buying a snowblower & still just sitting haven't been used.
I feel like it's one of those things that once you have it you'll never need it. But if you don't buy it you'll always need it
This is the smartest man on TH-cam. 😎
Lol I hope that's not true
@@normalguysupercar A Texan who doesn’t trust the government of Texas? Seems legit. 😁
Interersting panel you have there. All but one in that panel are 220 breakers, except one unlabeled 120v breaker. You have to go one step further in your other panel (wherever that is), and trim off some more load as it's on a 100 AMP breaker. Can't imagine another sub panel with 100 amp load on it for just other routine low energy drawing devices. But, I see nothing wrong... just precautionary to see what the subpanel has on it.
Yeah
Great video Dan - I've always been told to connect the umbilical cord before starting, then have all breakers off and slowly turn the ones you want on one by one as to not overload the generator with startup current. BTW, love my Winco generator for a more premium product.
It's funny cause the instructions on the generator were different from the instructions that came with the interlock kit. I'll probably go with the generator instructions
You’re like a genius Dan. I would have blown up the neighborhood.
Lol
You must break-in the generators before you need to use it. Read the manual . Fyi that is not a inverter unit, it could cause problems with sensitive electronics like cell phones, tvs, computers, new washers dryers and refrigerators.
Don't assume so much, the manual did not mention a break in procedure.
We have a similar generator and YES, you’re supposed to break it in for five “5” hours at no more than a Half a load Before using it loaded like I’m sure you did, it appears that the generator windings need broken in as well, all of our generators Before this we only broke in the Engine, but Not the generator portion. 🫣 Oh Well 🤔🤷🏻♂️
Potential life saving info you're sharing for real!
Thanks!
Although the gas is ethanol free, I would still add a fuel stabilizer like Sta-bil or Startron to it. Modern gas will start going bad in a month even without ethanol.
Yeah I got some of that stuff and plan to add it in
I was going to mention the same. Zero ethanol.gas.is best but it still goes bad after about 6 months. It can lose flammability and also turn to varnish. You don't want that stuff in your generator long term, because you will run into problems trying to start it in 12 months. My suggestion is to run the generator dry of gas when you think it might sit for more than a few months. Then add a couple of ounces of gas every 6 months, then start and run it dry again. This keeps things moving and starting when needed, and doesn't leave anything to gum up when you are waiting for the next power outage
Confident Dan the Man, not going to try and see if it powers house until the power goes out. My Man!!
I trust my work
@@normalguysupercar You sir do have mad skills. Happy Holidays to you, Ash(?) Meg and most of all Moe.
Merry Christmas to you and your Family Dan!!
And to you and yours🎉
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Very Timely
Yup!
Texas….your gonna need it. So sad
@@Azspeedin In Minnesota you need it all year round. Tornadoes and thunderstorms.
@@dzikijohnnyVery true, I lived in Iowa for 16yrs I get it. The problem with Texas is, they are not supported by the national grid like all other states. The grid is way under supported and outdated, they do not have the capacity to handle any sizable event timely, then people die.
I have that very generator, looks the same only 12,500 watts. 10k under load.
A couple points, mine killed our coffee maker. Guess the surge. Also I have a buddy in Fla that killed his fridge during generator use from a hurricane. So, be aware that without the inverter or whatever the hell it’s called, that flattens the phase on load , sensitive electronics and controls can be affected.
I know you can buy these control boxes at an RV store. I haven’t, because I’m stupid. (Coffee maker was $150 bucks which would have covered a lot of the cost).
Also. Believe me here, turn off ALL of the breakers when starting up the generator. Turn on the individual ones you actually need, like pool and heat. And the room you are huddled in, after the generator is started. I learned the hard way the first time I used it that it’s a PIA to do all this in the dark and rain. (Never need it when the weather is good) so sharpie the breakers that are the key ones to be on.
Lastly. Reverse the process when reverting to city power. Everything off, main breaker on, then individual breakers one at a time.
I too run only non-ethanol gas, and use a battery operated pump (Amazon) to fill and drain the generator tank.
I start and run the unit about every two months and keep it on its own battery maintainer when not in use. Dead battery… bad time when it’s cold.
I also did a sheet showing the main circuits and their power amperage draw. That tells me what can be on at the same time. This all takes time, but now vs when it’s cold/hot is time we’ll spent!
I’m in GA and we have ice storms. So I get it.
Finally, if Beto had won you’d be on the national grid by now! Sorry,, had to add that. 👍
Yeah, Texans have no one to blame but TX politicians who are in the pockets of the utilities. Free enterprise has its costs and Texans paid dearly for letting profit maximizing businessmen decide what's best for the population. I guess the businessmen needed newer private jets, better supercars, and more vacation homes than they needed to protect the citizens of Texas from having no electricity during a life threatening (and sadly life ending) storm.
Your absolutely right! This day & age you NEED a inverter generator.. Just about everything now has circuit boards in them.. I wish Dan did a little more research like me (NO dis-respect to him, Really like his channel).. This could be costly for him if the refrigerator gets fried & other things (he did a great install)! After all my research.. I picked the Honda EU7000is (EFI) it powers everything I need, and then some.. It's around $4,000 but what does a new refrigerator cost 3k? Dan is a smart guy, I'm sure he knows about harmonic distortion!
@@nickd5591 The main thing with any generator is to start it with the circuit breaker off ; and turn it off before stopping the engine. And NEVER let run out of gas while in use. The cycles per second are dictated by engine speed.
Theoretically as long as it's holding 60hz it should be reasonably safe for most devices but yes, a true inverter would have been good but also very expensive
@@ETM-md7cu Of coarse.. I assumed everyone that operated a generator, knew that procedure... Besides that yes if it's truly holding 60hz. IMO I just don't trust a non-inverter generator, to power expensive stuff in my home.
Literally lost power while watching this video. I’ll take it as a sign.
Rut roh. Lol
Hi Dan. Thanks for this. I got the same exact generator off of Amazon for a similar price delivered on 10/14 (actually still in the box). I have zero experience with generators or electrical matters period. So this is helpful. I’m going to hire a company to install interlock kit and inlet box. What do u think is a good labor price I should be looking for? Also any hints to turning on the genre besides what you show on the video? Appreciate any advice bud.
I honestly have no clue on how much it should cost
Have you thought about security for the generator? They get stolen all the time when disaster strikes...
Eh no. I could rig up something
@@normalguysupercar If nothing else a screen and something to muffle the sound. Also a chain to slow them down from stealing it. You could put big tent anchors near your house and leave them there permanently.
Now THAT’S Impressive! Stay warm and Merry Christmas!
Thank you and Merry Christmas
Good job Dan!
Thank you
Please next video: how much gas does the generator take to fully charge a Tesla.
Lol that would actually be pretty funny
I like this idea!
I just installed inlet box and micro-air soft stater for my 5 ton ac unit I have 12500 watts generator can run my whole house
Very nice
Dan i have the same setup here in the Northeast outside NY. Question... is it a Texas thing to have the fuse box on the outside of the house? Find it odd as i would not want anyone to have easy access to the breakers.
Yeah I think it's stupid but that is what they do here
Over the past 15 years, regulations have been introduced in certain parts of the country requiring breaker boxes to be located outside of the home. This is so that the local fire department can quickly shut off a home's electricity supply in the event of a fire. But I personally don't like having the breaker panel mounted outside the home exposed to the elements, I may then have to go out in the rain or snow to reset a tripped breaker or GFCI , it is very difficult to make future electrical changes with the breaker panel fully boxed into an outside insulated wall which cuts off easy access as compared to being mounted to an open basement wall, anyone with bad intentions or just a prankster can easily access the breaker panel, etc. So tell me, what is so difficult for the fire department to instead simply pull the watt meter from the outside wall mounted meter box to cut the power to the home? This is a better and already existing alternative to requiring the main breaker panel to be mounted outside so that the main breaker is easily accessed to turn off the power in the rare event of a fire.
Have you thought of using a soft start on your AC? Then you can use the generator to heat or cool the house. That’s if you have central air. I have a 4 1/2 ton ac so I installed the ICM870-32A Soft Start
I will have to look into that
@@normalguysupercar th-cam.com/video/y0qsAqo2b9E/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xw0WtNrsWe2DKOtR
That's crazy your breaker box is outside the house. Is that a Texas thing?
Yeah I find it stupid as well
Not all of Texas do this. I have lived in Central Texas, Austin area, and in West Texas. Only one house, in the Austin area was like yours.
Interesting, is killing the master breaker all that’s required? Have you lost power yet?
Yes you have to kill the supply otherwise you can cause some serious problems. We did not lose power yet thankfully
@@normalguysupercar Merry Christmas to you, your family and the team! I enjoy the content and the humanity!
Why is your panel outside?
That's common in Texas
Trusting Greg Abbott is like trusting 14 year old tires that have been patched 4 times.
Lol
@@normalguysupercar not many youtubers reply to comments made on 6 month old videos. Kudos.
Never seen the main breaker panel on the outside of a house.
Yeah that's how they do it here in Texas. I think that's stupid
1,399.00 generator, LATING Generator Interlock 36.88,Eaton CHF250 50A Double Pole Circuit Breaker 24.00,GeepKey Latest 50 Amp Generator Power Inlet Box, NEMA 3R Generator Receptacle 50 Amp, NEMA SS 2-50P PB50 45.99, 7 50 Amp Generator Extension Cord, 13FT STW 6/3 + 8/1 Power Cord N14-50P & SS2-50R & CS6364 Twist Lock Connectors 69.99, Scepter 06792 14 Gallon Flo-N-Go Duramax Gasoline 14 Gallon Portable Gas Fuel Tank 136.99 so right around 1800 not bad.
Yeah that's pretty reasonable
did you do a engine break in? normally 4-8 hours on dino 30 or 40 straight oil.
The instructions didn't suggest any break in period
Nice install Dan!
Thanks Fred
thanks for sharing. What kind of wire did you use from the Circuit breaker to the inlet box?
I think it was 6 gauge
@@normalguysupercar thanks, just installed my inlet box, and used 6/3 wire. It was a pita to close the enclosure on the inlet box, not enough room for such a heavy wire.
That generator would 100% run the furnace fyi
It's an electric furnace.
Put a sport exhaust on it and a flame tune!
Lol pops and bangs
maybe a dumb question, can heavy snowing damage the generator?
I would think hopefully not but I don't know to be honest
You are good. Power grid is strong....
We will see
@@normalguysupercar The power grid is holding up fine, but some neighborhoods are without natural gas because the pressure has dropped too low.
I've decided to go with a whole home generator. I'm tired of Duke Energy losing power at a mild wind. So stupid. It didn't use to be this way. Texas power grid is the worst in the country because of....."freedom". Yeah.
Lol correct
Been watching a lot of videos on larger generators using a 30A double poll breaker but looking at my 3600w one it is 120v 30A max via a generator or RV cord.
Assuming I would only need a single poll 30A breaker instead to do the job as i am only running 120 at 30A max ? Does that sound right ?
I think so but I'm not certain
I am not an electrician, but I think that would only power half of your circuits. There are two phases in a normal US residential building. The phases alternate between the breaker slots.
Probably not a bad idea to swap that breaker to GFCI - come on Dan you got a Ferrari sitting in the garage - you can afford a 50amp gfci breaker. Bring that setup to code.
OK
You have a Super car........ So why not get a Super Generator ❓❓😅😂 Like a Super Standby Generator
Why? Those are very expensive and my power doesn't go out that often.
You wouldn’t get away with that generator cable in the U.K. potential to have live pins in your hand if the genny was running. Unlikely - but possible. Our appliance plugs attached to the wall are also interlocked but have the male pins and the genny cable would have female pins.
Well... Good ole USA standards. Lol
Save the pool forget the heat in the house YOU LIVE IN TEXAS RIGHT? No Natural Gas WTF? Ooohhhhh Austin Texas the NON BIG OIL TEXAS - GOT IT
Yeah I was shocked there was no gas at the house but oh well
Many Austin suburbs which have natural gas are experiencing an outage of natural gas right now. Atmos Gas isn't giving much information other than asking everyone to conserve natural gas. Quite a few areas reporting no gas.
Great vid!
Thank you
Now that you've got storm power I recommend storm enjoyment. The two best car magazines on the planet earth ( haven't checked other planets) , Autostrada Magazine and Vicarious Magazine. Get the print version .With Vicarious the paper is from Finland . Ferrari type quality.
Not sure what those have to do with storms but ok.
Septic power ? We've had septic before and now, but never powered. 🤨
Supercarpoop requires a powered septic system.
@@admranger 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@admranger 😮💩🚽
Yeah I'm not totally sure why it's got power to be honest. Maybe a pump of some sort.
@@normalguysupercar If your septic field is not a gravity discharge system, it will have a pump in the pump chamber of the second settling tank to pump the effluent to the field. It's also code (up here in the great white north anyway), to have a septic tank high level alarm which needs power.
That generator doesn’t produce 50 amps on they fo you recover it to. A 14-50 outlet doesn’t mean 50 amps the main breaker on the generator for the 50 amp outlet is is only 40 amps. Simple maths if you run that at full bore (10500 watts) it won’t last a year if you’re using it that way more often than not. So to figure the amps it makes at max is easy use your running watts! 10,500 devided by 240 amps and that equals:-- 43.75 amps in total also NEC and local codes in my area require a “BUFFER OF 10%” so another math problem 43.75A plus 10% equals 48.125 since they don’t make breakers that size we round up. And we get 50amps! 12,000 continuous watts is exactly 50 amps! And we don’t use surge watts because surge watts are EXTREMELY SHORT TERM WATTS TO GET LARGER ITEMS GOING ESPECIALLY IF YOURE CLOSE TO YOUR “wall”…..
Ok
The generator needs a Klein exhaust......
Lol
Gong to be 1,200,000 soon because government inflation
Probably
Dude, you have a Ferrari Mercedes AMG and another car. I'm sure 10k is nothing for you. I would of just got a whole house generator. Nice video though.
I own a dealership, those are cars in selling to make a living
Don't let it get wet. The $800 ones the circuit boards are not epoxy dipped; the $1800 ones are. Ask me how I know!!!!
That's good to know
If you mean just the clear waterproofing, this is conformal coating. You can buy it in spray cans or small bush bottles. I will apply additional conformal coating to hvac boards or anything that may be exposed to humidity. Another approach is epoxy potting where the entire board and components are encased in a block of epoxy and this is very good for preventing damage due to vibration which might not be a bad idea for something on a generator.
My 4th and working generator (10+years) has the curcuit board in poured epoxy.
Dan, thanks for giving me yet another reason NOT to have a pool.
Yeah they are pretty expensive
You have no idea what you’re doing by turning it on and off! Start gen let warm and even out a couple min. While running shut main off and turn gen breaker ON. Then with a large panel like that shut off all breakers. Plug cord in and then turn your generator main breaker ON! (The 2 pole on the generator) then start turning breakers on one at a time so the generator can acclimate to each load. Flip on 1 breaker wait 1-2 seconds then next and wait 1-2 seconds until all breaker switches are on that you want on same when shutting off turn each panel
Breaker off 1 at a time then shut the gas off on the generator and let it run all the gas out of the bowl helps with issues don the road plus it gives the generator time to run without load to cool down a bit. Once the gen stops running disconnect then turn on main breaker and the rest. Also NEC requires stickers on the meter box, a printed gen sticker on the gen. Breaker. And on the gen inlet box that you plug the gen into all are a NEC MUST die to potential hazard should an electrician come out to work on it. Also if the generator is a “bonded neutral” you HAVE TO UNBOND OT especially since you should have only one bonded point and that’s at the service entry. If it says floating neutral you’re fine
Cool
Soooo, “normal guy on a budget” ?? Looking at your garage, you are neither normal or needing to be on a budget ???
You think just because I have some money that I should throw it at things vs being frugal?
First🎉
Almost
I got that same generator and I cant be sure but I don’t think the 50amp plug is not putting out the full wattage. I have mine hooked into one of my panels, not running a ton and the breaker on the generator keeps popping …
Hmm I don't know enough to tell you what would cause that