You have identified a common problem with generator interlocks. That is a great solution for most folks. Our utility has different rates for water heating so we have two utility meters. When I installed our backup generator I used the fact the water heater remains connected to include a visual and audible indictor when utility power comes back.
This signaling device works great. I have the same set up. It works by a magnetic field around the supply side conductors from the meter. You could also look at the street lights in your neighborhood because if they’re back you’re likely back on too.
I installed one of these several years ago and they work great. You need to change the 9 volt battery when needed. emits a loud screeching noise when power cones on. I love it.
Another thing you can do is take a circuit detector pen that alarms when its near a hot wire, and jam it beside the main feed wires. As long as its the type that you dont have to hold down a button for it to trigger. Once power is restored the pen will start beeping constantly until you pull the tip back away from the wires feeding your panel.
I have recently wired in a generator inlet box and an interlock and also had the same concern. I added a little 240v LED directly to the utility supply coming into my breaker box. It won’t make noise but definitely visible anytime I have utility power on both legs. Only cost a couple dollars.
That will work but it's a not code compliant for a few reasons. One you cannot put more than one wire in the service lugs and you have no overcurrent protection for the wires or the device. This could be dangerous and possibly a fire hazard which would not be covered from your insurance if they discovered the cause of the fire.
Our transfer switch is on a sub-panel that services furnace, water pump, refrigeration, emergency outlets on all floors. . . the main panel is still active so lights just come on when the power company finally gets it act together
That sounds like the best idea because you have more control over what is drawing power from your generator. People want to just power the whole house, but that's wasteful when you could power the essentials with a smaller unit.
@@CognitiveHeatsink He's talking the old school way that we used years ago with a transfer switch and sub panel, before interlocks were common. With an interlock you still need to know your loads and what you can't run on a gen set, which requires flipping some breakers off when you operate the system. The interlock system does allow some intermittent use (load sharing) in other areas of the house, although caution should be used.
Cool little device, I spotted it when I was poking around looking for somebody else but ended up going a different route (neon indicators, that's what he wanted! I at least fused them). Wasn't a lot of information out there about it 4 years ago. It's really too bad they didn't make this device so it attached to the generator side power, so it was only active and powered when your generator was running no battery needed. Then there would be no need to operate the switch. Although I'm curious if one were to power it with a 9V DC adapter plugged into a outlet that's only fed by the generator if it would come on and operate in and function. Then one would only need to switch power and turn off the generator.
Thanks for the video! Now I'm wondering if I can just use my non-contact voltage probe to check the hot wires going to my service. Probably not a reliable indicator though...
I was thinking about that as well but I never run the generator while we're sleeping so I would just switch it off when shutting down the generator. I usually shut off the generator and switch back to utility at night and it's always comforting when you wake up to the power coming back on.
some of those non-contact probes will give you a reading at the face of a breaker, which means you may not need to remove the panel cover. OTOH, if you have a digital utility meter you can just look at that to see if the numbers are showing, which means the power is back.
looks like a neet gaget. but should have a rechargeable battery system in it for me all my breakers and main also the manual power block is all outside. i will stick to the tried and true way. no street lights here. no “other” house to look into. but i can see into part of town.
Not a fan of it using a 9V battery that will require remembering to replace it regularly. Some sort of self recharging system makes more sense. Didn’t catch if this unit is outdoor rated - our main panel is outdoors. The loud noise to notify would be obnoxious to our neighbors (and us) especially if it happened when we aren’t home to shut it off. Why not just a light up an LED as an option?
I would stick with a well know manufacturer like Eaton, Schneider Square D, GE, Siemens etc. If I were buying one today I would probably pick this one by Schneider Square D. amzn.to/4eMZiQ5
I use a Mag mount wifi Camera looking at the Meter and it is positioned so it can see the TX side of the optical Fiber coupler on the front of the meter Face. When Power is restored The camera can see the light output of the Fiber connection.. Day or night...I just have to glance at my screen every now & then..
I do not have our hallway light on my transfer panel, so when I switch to generator power I just turn on the hallway switch. This seems way more complicated than necessary.
If you have a separate transfer panel for your generator loads this would not be needed since everything else would return when power was restored. Most generator users do not have a separate panel of their critical loads.
@@BackyardMaine true story from working 25 years in the standby gen business.... Customer calls late at night furious that there was no power in the house after recently spending $50k on a BIG set. (Greenwich Ct, bedroom town to NYC) We go there to find a 3 month old set in perfect shape, but has 250 hours of run time and no fuel. (4,000 gallons of propane) Further checking shows the underground power has failed and the driveway is near 1/4 mile long. The neighbors all had power so we figured his line failed over a week ago and the set ran till the fuel was gone. He also didn't hear it running because of his insistence that it be located far from the house. Ok, holiday weekend with no fuel delivery possible and the utility says they will need to bring in subcontractors on Monday to start digging. (can you say Holiday Inn?) Yes, he did install monitoring for power and fuel level after this issue.
@fredeerickbays Actually this is a not a “piece of shat u do not need “. If you are running the correct interlock system, the main breaker is turned off during generator operation. With the main breaker off, the panel is not connected to the grid. So, there is no way to leave one light connected to the grid, hence the need for the device depicted in this great video. Thank you to Backyard Maine for posting this, and all of his other informative videos 😊
Or you could put your transfer switch on a sub panel that only feeds essential equipment. It's not necessary to feed generator power to your entire house. Save money and fuel with a smaller generator.
@@CognitiveHeatsink with an interlock you can also flip off circuits you don't want during an outage. Just use colored tape or a sharpie. This will save hundreds of dollars over a TS and subpanel. I did that for years and only used a 5Kw gen that also powered my well pump. Using a microwave instead of an electric range is really the only drawback during an outage.
3:00 *DO NOT, ever, pull a utility meter!!* One, it is sealed by the power company and if you break those seals without the company's ok, you WILL be charged with meter tampering which carries some hefty fines and possibly criminal charges. Two, Pulling meters is extremely dangerous and can result in a fire, explosion or arc flash. ONLY the power company or a properly trained electrician can safely pull a meter. (Even then, failures can and have happened. In my career as an electrician, I have had about a dozen issues, a few breaking the meter or the connections, a few arc flash incidents and one explosion.) If you are installing this alarm and need the power cut by pulling the meter to do it, call your power company and arrange for a quick disconnect/reconnect service call, with your electrician present to install the device at that time. There are SOME areas where the power company will allow the electrician to pull and reset the meter, *but it is NEVER a DIY/Homeowner permitted process.* (Some electricians also have the appropriate PPE and experience to install the alarm without shutting the power off.)
Stop being so dramatic. It was always common practice for us as a retired lineman, to pull meters with just leather gloves. Pulling an arc, it’s only 240 volts going into most homes. You are correct about most power companies frowned upon it though.
I just give them a call and they make a note that I pulled the meter for a repair or replacement. No problem. But of course this would be done by a licensed electrician like myself.
@@purplesocks5984 No need to be a jerk about it. As a former lineman you of all people should know the risks involved if someone with no experience or training tries this. I have over 45 years in the trade, and had many utility servicemen and meter dept. guys told me of failures and injuries pulling meters. I was trained by my local utility in the proper way to pull meters for service work or service upgrades (they even provided me with seals, blank covers and rings.) The way it was worded in the video (not intentionally) made it seem like he was saying it's ok for the average person to pull a meter. They wouldn't know the correct way to do it, and maybe the company you retired from didn't care, but times have changed. Fault currents in residential areas have increased, more dishonest folks steal power...all stuff you of all people should have known. I'd rather be dramatic than hear about some homeowner getting burned or killed by trying to pull a meter.
@@BackyardMaine Thank you for the reply. It is the same in some areas I used to work, licensed electricians could call and get the ok. As I mentioned in my other reply to the retired lineman, I was trained on the right way to do it safely and provided with a supply of seals, meter rings and blank covers. (For some unknown reason, that utility prohibited the use of ringless meter cans...odd since those are more secure IMHO.)
@@mxslick50 It seems to me that it is you, who is playing the part of being a jerk. I can assure you that you that I was properly trained with the removal of electrical meters and the company that I retired from was involved with employee safety. No, I is not a good idea for anyone not trained properly to mess with electricity just as it’s not a good idea to go skydiving without proper training. As I stated, power companies do not want people pulling their own meters and yes, it’s also illegal. But if someone were to do it the world will not come to the end. Relax Mary.
I hot wired a light to one leg of the main power side of my manual switch. Light is on continuous until power goes out. With the generator on the light stays off until main power is restored. I use a low watt led bulb for the indicator light.
I've seen that done but it's against code because your wires to the switch and the light have no overcurrent or short circuit protection. If you have a failure with the light, switch or wiring you could have an electrical fire in your home.
I did something similar. I mounted a Miniature Circuit Breaker 120/240VAC 20Amps Breaker 1 Pole Circuit Breaker DIN Rail Mount inside the panel and then supplied my service outlet beside the panel with it. It is supplied by one of the hot legs before the main breaker. I have a night light in one plug and a little $10 smart wifi relay board plugged into the other outlet. In the app for the smart board, I set it to notify after it senses a power loss. I also set it to automatically trigger one of the relays upon power restoration. This will send a notification to my phone from the app. Then using Alexa routines, I created one that when that relay is triggered will make Alexa announce on all smart speakers that the power has been restored. I keep my fiber internet and wifi router plugged into my UPS so its always active if I'm using CMP or the generator. CMP supposedly will text you when power is restored but they either never come or arrive several hours after it's actually restored which is pretty useless IMO.
Careful - lights , buzzers etc. are often retail price tagged life insurance policies. Especially if a roaming ground activates a light or audible device.
another piece of shat u do not need. Just leave one light connected to gird when it comes on power is back on need to go spend money on this shat. Tumbes down for tying to sell something that has no real use. very bad form
⚡ PowerBack Monitor - amzn.to/3CIoXMr
You have identified a common problem with generator interlocks. That is a great solution for most folks. Our utility has different rates for water heating so we have two utility meters. When I installed our backup generator I used the fact the water heater remains connected to include a visual and audible indictor when utility power comes back.
This signaling device works great. I have the same set up. It works by a magnetic field around the supply side conductors from the meter. You could also look at the street lights in your neighborhood because if they’re back you’re likely back on too.
We don't have any street lights where I live but that would be helpful.
I look to see if my neighbors have power. Granted, I can only see two neighbors from my house, but that's one more than I need. :)
I installed one of these several years ago and they work great. You need to change the 9 volt battery when needed. emits a loud screeching noise when power cones on. I love it.
Another thing you can do is take a circuit detector pen that alarms when its near a hot wire, and jam it beside the main feed wires. As long as its the type that you dont have to hold down a button for it to trigger. Once power is restored the pen will start beeping constantly until you pull the tip back away from the wires feeding your panel.
I have recently wired in a generator inlet box and an interlock and also had the same concern. I added a little 240v LED directly to the utility supply coming into my breaker box. It won’t make noise but definitely visible anytime I have utility power on both legs. Only cost a couple dollars.
That will work but it's a not code compliant for a few reasons. One you cannot put more than one wire in the service lugs and you have no overcurrent protection for the wires or the device. This could be dangerous and possibly a fire hazard which would not be covered from your insurance if they discovered the cause of the fire.
If the power comes back only for a fraction of a second because there is another short on the line, will the alarm still stay on or will it stop?
It will stop as soon as power is lost again.
Our transfer switch is on a sub-panel that services furnace, water pump, refrigeration, emergency outlets on all floors. . . the main panel is still active so lights just come on when the power company finally gets it act together
That sounds like the best idea because you have more control over what is drawing power from your generator. People want to just power the whole house, but that's wasteful when you could power the essentials with a smaller unit.
@@CognitiveHeatsink He's talking the old school way that we used years ago with a transfer switch and sub panel, before interlocks were common. With an interlock you still need to know your loads and what you can't run on a gen set, which requires flipping some breakers off when you operate the system. The interlock system does allow some intermittent use (load sharing) in other areas of the house, although caution should be used.
Very clever device. 👍
Thank you so much for posting this. I am finding your videos to be very interesting.
Thank you.. Glad you like them!
Cool little device, I spotted it when I was poking around looking for somebody else but ended up going a different route (neon indicators, that's what he wanted! I at least fused them). Wasn't a lot of information out there about it 4 years ago. It's really too bad they didn't make this device so it attached to the generator side power, so it was only active and powered when your generator was running no battery needed. Then there would be no need to operate the switch. Although I'm curious if one were to power it with a 9V DC adapter plugged into a outlet that's only fed by the generator if it would come on and operate in and function. Then one would only need to switch power and turn off the generator.
I would imagine the batter will last a few years or more since the device will only be turned on during an outage.
Thanks for the video! Now I'm wondering if I can just use my non-contact voltage probe to check the hot wires going to my service. Probably not a reliable indicator though...
That should be very reliable and you won't have to worry about being startled awake in the middle of the night by that 100db siren.
That would work better than cycling breakers. I like this method because its cheep, easy to install and I'm covered from now on.
I was thinking about that as well but I never run the generator while we're sleeping so I would just switch it off when shutting down the generator. I usually shut off the generator and switch back to utility at night and it's always comforting when you wake up to the power coming back on.
some of those non-contact probes will give you a reading at the face of a breaker, which means you may not need to remove the panel cover. OTOH, if you have a digital utility meter you can just look at that to see if the numbers are showing, which means the power is back.
Thank you John! As always your content is as good as gold. 👍
I appreciate that! Thanks so much my friend.
Bridea also makes a similar one that is about half the price of the Reliant. I've never tried either though. Cool concept.
Yeah, I looked at that one as well but I like this one better mainly because it's a well known brand.
looks like a neet gaget. but should have a rechargeable battery system in it
for me all my breakers and main also the manual power block is all outside.
i will stick to the tried and true way.
no street lights here. no “other” house to look into.
but i can see into part of town.
Not a fan of it using a 9V battery that will require remembering to replace it regularly. Some sort of self recharging system makes more sense. Didn’t catch if this unit is outdoor rated - our main panel is outdoors. The loud noise to notify would be obnoxious to our neighbors (and us) especially if it happened when we aren’t home to shut it off. Why not just a light up an LED as an option?
I would guess it will last years since the device will only be turned on during an outage.
Which Whole House Surge Protector would you recommend, if any??
I would stick with a well know manufacturer like Eaton, Schneider Square D, GE, Siemens etc. If I were buying one today I would probably pick this one by Schneider Square D. amzn.to/4eMZiQ5
Cheers from Waldo County Maine!!! this is a great idea for me!!! wow!
Ahh a fellow Mainer.. I'm down in York county.
Easy. The streetlight outside my house lights up.
We don;t have many street light here in Maine. lol
That's great if it comes back on when it's dark, but what about when it comes on at 9am?
I use a Mag mount wifi Camera looking at the Meter and it is positioned so it can see the TX side of the optical Fiber coupler on the front of the meter Face. When Power is restored The camera can see the light output of the Fiber connection.. Day or night...I just have to glance at my screen every now & then..
Thanks for that video. 🙂
My pleasure! Thanks for watching.
I just look out the window to see if the neighbours lights are on , lol
Assuming they have no generator..
I went over and told my neighbor power was on after they ran their generator for about 12 hours after it returned.
Good idea electric EMP shield for your circuit breaker proof check it up online
I have one ordered. I was thinking that would make a good video as well since they also function as a type 1 SPD.
I do not have our hallway light on my transfer panel, so when I switch to generator power I just turn on the hallway switch. This seems way more complicated than necessary.
If you have a separate transfer panel for your generator loads this would not be needed since everything else would return when power was restored. Most generator users do not have a separate panel of their critical loads.
@@BackyardMaine right... not these days. OTOH, 20 years ago a gen subpanel was what many did because interlocks were not approved then.
I ran my generator for 3 weeks until I realized power was restored after 7 hrs.
I'm sure you're kidding but none of us want to be that guy who runs his generator all night when the power was restored in the afternoon. lol
@@BackyardMaine true story from working 25 years in the standby gen business.... Customer calls late at night furious that there was no power in the house after recently spending $50k on a BIG set. (Greenwich Ct, bedroom town to NYC) We go there to find a 3 month old set in perfect shape, but has 250 hours of run time and no fuel. (4,000 gallons of propane) Further checking shows the underground power has failed and the driveway is near 1/4 mile long. The neighbors all had power so we figured his line failed over a week ago and the set ran till the fuel was gone. He also didn't hear it running because of his insistence that it be located far from the house. Ok, holiday weekend with no fuel delivery possible and the utility says they will need to bring in subcontractors on Monday to start digging. (can you say Holiday Inn?) Yes, he did install monitoring for power and fuel level after this issue.
@@rupe53 Crazy.. That was a costly mistake..
@fredeerickbays Actually this is a not a “piece of shat u do not need “. If you are running the correct interlock system, the main breaker is turned off during generator operation. With the main breaker off, the panel is not connected to the grid. So, there is no way to leave one light connected to the grid, hence the need for the device depicted in this great video. Thank you to Backyard Maine for posting this, and all of his other informative videos 😊
Thank you!
Or you could put your transfer switch on a sub panel that only feeds essential equipment. It's not necessary to feed generator power to your entire house. Save money and fuel with a smaller generator.
@@CognitiveHeatsink with an interlock you can also flip off circuits you don't want during an outage. Just use colored tape or a sharpie. This will save hundreds of dollars over a TS and subpanel. I did that for years and only used a 5Kw gen that also powered my well pump. Using a microwave instead of an electric range is really the only drawback during an outage.
3:00 *DO NOT, ever, pull a utility meter!!* One, it is sealed by the power company and if you break those seals without the company's ok, you WILL be charged with meter tampering which carries some hefty fines and possibly criminal charges. Two, Pulling meters is extremely dangerous and can result in a fire, explosion or arc flash. ONLY the power company or a properly trained electrician can safely pull a meter. (Even then, failures can and have happened. In my career as an electrician, I have had about a dozen issues, a few breaking the meter or the connections, a few arc flash incidents and one explosion.)
If you are installing this alarm and need the power cut by pulling the meter to do it, call your power company and arrange for a quick disconnect/reconnect service call, with your electrician present to install the device at that time. There are SOME areas where the power company will allow the electrician to pull and reset the meter, *but it is NEVER a DIY/Homeowner permitted process.* (Some electricians also have the appropriate PPE and experience to install the alarm without shutting the power off.)
Stop being so dramatic. It was always common practice for us as a retired lineman, to pull meters with just leather gloves. Pulling an arc, it’s only 240 volts going into most homes. You are correct about most power companies frowned upon it though.
I just give them a call and they make a note that I pulled the meter for a repair or replacement. No problem. But of course this would be done by a licensed electrician like myself.
@@purplesocks5984 No need to be a jerk about it. As a former lineman you of all people should know the risks involved if someone with no experience or training tries this. I have over 45 years in the trade, and had many utility servicemen and meter dept. guys told me of failures and injuries pulling meters. I was trained by my local utility in the proper way to pull meters for service work or service upgrades (they even provided me with seals, blank covers and rings.) The way it was worded in the video (not intentionally) made it seem like he was saying it's ok for the average person to pull a meter. They wouldn't know the correct way to do it, and maybe the company you retired from didn't care, but times have changed. Fault currents in residential areas have increased, more dishonest folks steal power...all stuff you of all people should have known. I'd rather be dramatic than hear about some homeowner getting burned or killed by trying to pull a meter.
@@BackyardMaine Thank you for the reply. It is the same in some areas I used to work, licensed electricians could call and get the ok. As I mentioned in my other reply to the retired lineman, I was trained on the right way to do it safely and provided with a supply of seals, meter rings and blank covers. (For some unknown reason, that utility prohibited the use of ringless meter cans...odd since those are more secure IMHO.)
@@mxslick50 It seems to me that it is you, who is playing the part of being a jerk. I can assure you that you that I was properly trained with the removal of electrical meters and the company that I retired from was involved with employee safety. No, I is not a good idea for anyone not trained properly to mess with electricity just as it’s not a good idea to go skydiving without proper training. As I stated, power companies do not want people pulling their own meters and yes, it’s also illegal. But if someone were to do it the world will not come to the end. Relax Mary.
I just look to see if my neighbors lights are on.
Assuming they have no generator..
I hot wired a light to one leg of the main power side of my manual switch. Light is on continuous until power goes out. With the generator on the light stays off until main power is restored. I use a low watt led bulb for the indicator light.
I've seen that done but it's against code because your wires to the switch and the light have no overcurrent or short circuit protection. If you have a failure with the light, switch or wiring you could have an electrical fire in your home.
I did something similar. I mounted a Miniature Circuit Breaker 120/240VAC 20Amps Breaker 1 Pole Circuit Breaker DIN Rail Mount inside the panel and then supplied my service outlet beside the panel with it. It is supplied by one of the hot legs before the main breaker. I have a night light in one plug and a little $10 smart wifi relay board plugged into the other outlet. In the app for the smart board, I set it to notify after it senses a power loss. I also set it to automatically trigger one of the relays upon power restoration. This will send a notification to my phone from the app. Then using Alexa routines, I created one that when that relay is triggered will make Alexa announce on all smart speakers that the power has been restored. I keep my fiber internet and wifi router plugged into my UPS so its always active if I'm using CMP or the generator. CMP supposedly will text you when power is restored but they either never come or arrive several hours after it's actually restored which is pretty useless IMO.
@@BackyardMaine The main power lug is probably not rated for multiple connections, and almost certainly not for small gauge wire.
Careful - lights , buzzers etc. are often retail price tagged life insurance policies. Especially if a roaming ground activates a light or audible device.
When the lineman falls off the poll due to the backfeed..
Thats why we have an interlock..
@@BackyardMaine I appreciate safety for all utility workers. One of my relatives was with Boston Edison for many years.
another piece of shat u do not need. Just leave one light connected to gird when it comes on power is back on need to go spend money on this shat.
Tumbes down for tying to sell something that has no real use.
very bad form
It has a use for some.
Not really possible if you have a manual transfer for your whole panel.
I installed a 3 watt bulb on the circuit panel that is on when power is at panel. I just have to look at bulb to know if power is back on.