Most Homeowners Don’t Know About This Trick To Get Heat During A Power Outage.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
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00:00 Introduction
01:20 Generator overview
02:12 Aftermarket NG Regulator
03:53 Priming natural gas
04:28 Starting up the generator
05:30 Turning off main breaker
06:42 Pigtail At furnace
09:01 Powering up the furnace
10:34 ZERO BACKFEED
12:10 How to properly turn off the furnacee
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Excellent video! Thanks for running through everything with so such detail. The pigtail is a great tool to provide many options for a power source. I live in Michigan so no power in the dead of winter is a nightmare scenario. Definitely am going to install one and look into a generator.
Awesome. Thanks for watching! Cheers
not sure if the pigtail is in code, need to check local area
I’d rather not die of hypothermia than worry about “code”
@@brandonious9060 you can still hook it up with out doing what he did as he's shown before, it just requires more work.... or better yet just install a transfer switch for your generator and be in "code" and it's permeant and easy.... power up generator plug into switch, flip switch get power to appliance....
Just to comment on the above statement. Yes this will work on most standard furnaces manufactured prior to 2019 that have psc type motors. This definitely wont work modern furnaces with x-13 or variable speed ECM motors. I had a conversation with a fellow technician who tried this on his own equipment last winter during a power outage. This ended up frying the ecm motor module on his furnace, which cost him several hundreds in repairs.
If you live in a very cold area and you have the extention cord propping he door propped open. Letting very cold air into the house. You can take The door door knob off an fun the extension cord through the knob hole an stuff a small towel in the door knob hole. Keeping the cold out side. To keep the door closed. You can use the dead bolt or a chair or something against the door to to keep it shut.
Appreciate you taking the time to make this video. No doubt it will help a lot of folks! I didn't know about the NG regulator 👍
They run at different pressures. Know what you're doing. Propane runs at twice the pressure. and a much smaller orifice
Great set-up. It's definitely something I need for harsh winters in PA when the power goes out.
I have the tri-fuel model and a NG quick connect similar to this set up. What I learned from frequent outages in our area is that in winter, with the furnace, water heater and two gas fireplaces taking NG off the line first, pressure was inadequate to the generator to run on NG. Fortunately I have a 20lb propane tank that I can use instead. NG is great, but most houses will have other NG requirements that will prevent NG from being useable to power the generator. Thanks for this video! The more knowledge the better!
I stand corrected on this explanation. It so happened that my water tank needed replacement last week and coincidentally the guy who installed my BBQ gas line 5 years ago was the guy who came to do the tank. I asked him about this. He said it’s the size of the BBQ line to the deck (1/2”?) which I use for the generator, not the number of appliances on the system. A bigger line would help.
Just a comment on plugging the open fuel ports: A better method would be to purchase some rubber caps (similar to those used in automobiles to plug unused vacuum ports). They seal better than tape and are reusable. Great series of videos btw.
I used your plug Idea last winter to heat two furnaces using my Dual fuel generator last winter . Thank you so much,now watching for power stations for the quiet
Not sure if it was mentioned here, I was told by an electrician to start the generator and let it run a couple of minutes to let the power head gain steady power prior to putting a demand on it. It’s especially important for those back feeding the panel box.
A sine wave generator is needed for sensitive electronics like TVs and computers as any voltage spikes will likely ruin them.
Nice information on this channel, I like the pigtail setup, I previously unwired my furnace and used Romeo to the generator during hurricane Sandy years ago, my house had 70 degrees of heat and lights for all 8 days. needed while the rest of the street was dark. I now will now add your method to have the quick plug disconnect so I can have a permanent solution.
On one of our last videos, a commenter suggested that running the furnace off the battery (and then charging the battery with the generator) was a better idea, as normally the furnace goes off and on. The generator will keep running (even at idle) whereas nothing is drawn from the battery when the furnace is off.
Quite an informative video! Yes I would like to see how you set that generator up to run on the natural gas! Thanks Michael 😊
Thanks for the follow up video and the tip about how/when to turn off the generator. I hadn't thought about not cracking the heat exchanger but agree it could be a possibility if you turn the generator off before the heat exchanger has cooled down.
You bet!
@@diyhvacguy Couldn't the heat exchanger crack when the line power goes out?
@@brianw6645 yes of course, but why add to it on purpose.
That's a great reminder to people. I hadn't thought of that risk.
nice operations. Always wondered why the furnace was hardwired in my house. Its just the way they are delivered, and of course to keep homeowners out of them. Maybe you could plug in a "Kill O Watt" meter to should the current draw on startup and run. This is good stuff and well within the capabilities of a conscientious homeowner. Thanks.
Very nice setup for using a generator to keep the heat working, the outlet/plug system is simple and safe, great idea, will be doing this mod.
I admire your ability to do all this stuff...pretty amazing.
Excellent job explaining to someone who’s not familiar with this. In Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 thx
Great video series!! Never really thought about setting up a secondary power supply for the heater. Keep it up
Thanks for watching!
Ow boy I love this!! You sir have given me a great project to do that could really save my family in a time of need.
Thank you
Glad I could help!
These vids will save lives if put to use in proper time.
I bought a champion tri fuel generator this year to use as a backup. Thanks for sharing the info.
This stuff is great. Will be a great help. Please do show us how to set up the natural gas regulator for a generator, as well as for other propane heaters, grills, fireplaces.
Will do!! Thanks for watching
I will chime in here on important information that you have left out. First of all I am a HVAC Service Tech and Electrician with 25+ years experience including installing backup Generators. The information you posted here and in your last video are partially correct but you need to go a step farther before you tell everyone this will work for all Furnaces before they damage their own equipment. First off, your furnace is a simple 80% furnace with a PSC Blower Motor and most likely a Shaded Pole Inducer Motor. With those motors it is no issue running a common Generator or common Inverter for operation as these motors rely on magnetics for operation. Unfortunately newer Furnaces with ECM and Variable Blower drives are Frequency driven. This means that the Generator or the Inverter you use must be a Pure Sine Wave form as the common equipment is generally a stepped or modified wave form for a 60 hertz frequency. Most of the newer furnaces will sense this frequency change at the circuit board and will shut down the system before it tries to operate. The other issue is with grounding back to the source of the Generator or the Inverter. Again, if the circuit board doesn't sense a good and 'clean' ground it will shut off the unit to prevent damage. What you have done here is the basic of the basics that home owners have been doing for years, but now with the newer electronics it's not the same story. The other issue with running Natural Gas thru your Generator: You did not change the metering device that meters the amount of gas into combustion. Yes, the setup you have right now is working, but I will guess as soon as you put a heavy load on the generator it will not be able to keep up because you did not make that change. The Regulator just reduces and regulates the pressure, and the orifice is what meters the gas amount.
So, to have this setup work on a brand new forced air furnace would an inverter generator do the job?
@@jolkraeremeark6949 Again, if it is a 'Pure' Sine Wave Inverter Generator, and it is properly grounded to the Inverter and Earth Ground.
@@bradw.5991 crap, if only knew what "grounded to the inverter" meant. I just hope to be prepared to run a new forced air, natural gas furnace in a power outage.
I’m glad I read this comment as someone who has new furnaces and was thinking about getting a generator for this.
Then for those of us with heat pumps, we’re pretty much screwed. Lol
I live in the Southeast US, we routinely lose power approximately 3-4 times a year for about 4-6 hours per occurrence. The generator I use is a 4000 watt Harbor Freight and runs strictly on gasoline. I put a reminder in my phone calendar every month to run it and make it power something. I also use Stabil in the gas for it and have never had a problem with it, starts every time on the first or second pull. Every year it also gets the oil changed in it. Think I am going to be doing this with my furnace as we just lost power on the coldest day of the year (low 10 degrees) it's usually always in the spring, summer, or fall, and never that cold. Thanks for posting this. FLY NAVY!!!
Thanks David, I like the idea of using natural gas with my generator.
Good video. I used the same Garretson natural gas regulator to convert an old Porter Cable generator to NG and it is super convenient to just quick couple to the home's gas line. It starts right up with no need to worry about old stale gasoline or running out of gasoline if power is out to the local gas stations.
It’s so nice isn’t it?!? I love it
That is a nice set up.
No issues with larger loads? I don’t get how it’s regulating the amount of gas coming to it
@@somethingsomething404 The regulator varies the gas flow as a function of vacuum, just like a carburetor.
Bought a duel fuel generator at Sam's and used it with LP to paint a house 4 years ago. Pulled it out a month ago for a power outrage and it saved the day. Have to look into that mod for the furnace
Very cool video! That model generator has very high total harmonic distortion. This can potentially cause issues for certain controller boards. It is also important to note that this generator has a neutral bond to the frame. I would bet that if you used a generator that did not have a neutral ground bond ( floating neutral generator) that the furnace would not work properly. From what I've read the flame sensor needs a ground reference otherwise only the fan will turn on and not ignite the flame on generator power.
I'm going to be working on that exact model Firman dual fuel generator in the near future as it currently has an issue.
That's a slick generator.
Good job showing those that thought you were doing something wrong and back feeding onto the main grid. Those people commenting that clearly don't have a concept on electricity and how things work and shouldn't attempt to do this kind of work. Pretty basic stuff here. I did a similar setup for my sump pumps where instead of hard wiring it into my GFI plug (to provide protection on the rest of the circuit) I wired it to a male plug adapter and just plug it into the GFI receptacle itself. Then whenever there's a risk of the power being out during the mid winter thaws and the power does indeed go out, I can just run an extension cord to that receptacle, unplug it and plug into the extension cord which is being fed from my gas powered generator outside. Exact same idea you've shown everyone but for the furnace. At the time 10 years + ago when I did this I was more concerned about basement flooding versus keeping the family warm :) but have since adopted the same thing for the furnace.
I love the idea of a dual fuel generator. I have natural gas too. This would be a great way to power my house with my generator transfer switch. I had a electrician put one in my house. I can run everything except the electric stove and washer and dryer. My house is a small one.
Just get a Generac standby generator, the one I have can run everything and the air conditioning too. But before getting the generator, I swapped out the stove and dryer for gas versions. Saves a lot of electricity use, and I was able to get a much smaller generator. There's no point in burning gas in a generator to make electricity to just waste and turn into heat. It's 3x more efficient to just burn the gas directly to get heat. Small generators are only about 20-25% efficient in turning the energy in the gas into electricity, so you end up throwing away buckets of money running a generator to power a clothes dryer or stove. Use the generator only for electronics or motor and lighting loads, the things you can run off of gas directly.
Thanks Dave I appreciate you sharing your knowledge have a good weekend 🤙🏽
Same to you brotha 👊🏼
Love it! Thanks 4 these furnace backup power videos brother !
🙏🏻 you got it
I have the same generator, she's running off propane though, best generator I've ever had!! Thanks for the info about that natural gas hook up!!
Glad to help!
Great Video! My friend had that same brand generator! It’s still in the box inside his house
Very cool! It’s been a wonderful gen set. Very reputable brand
you should also mention as a warning that anything that is a sensitive electronic can be hurt if the generator surges or is overloaded. you shouldn't run your tv, pc. and potentially your furnace if your generator isn't running smoothly like yours. basically anything that runs with a chip can be sensitive to voltage drops. i really like how smooth your generator runs on natural gas i had not considered that
Wonderful job! Thank you, David. Take care.
Of course!
I'm glad you were not using a suicide cable. This was the first video I saw from you & I have seen too many TH-camrs use suicide cords to connect a generator to their house.
Another great video....
Very detailed....no guessing.
Good job!
Glad you liked it!
Well we’re about to hit 10° here in Texas and in 2021 (after a low of -7°) we went with a Champion dual fuel 4250w to run off our 200 gal propane tank. We won’t have central heat but do have a fireplace and can run a refrigerator, a 750w small heater, coffee maker, griddle and a TV/cable/internet set up (obviously not at the same time). We also have a Bluetti EB50 for phone charging and a few LED lights. The NG and LP are absolutely the best way to go vs gasoline. Slight reduction in available wattage but still an easier way to maintain a unit. Great video.
🙏🏻 stay warm friend
you stumped me with tri-fuel, i didnt know they existed, great video, im sure it will help many peeps
Thank you!
Your excellent to watch.great vid and info.keep up the good work
Thanks, will do!
Great content! Ignore the idiots that don’t understand how things work.
Wow that's a very interesting I might have to think about buying me a generator because my first is hooked up same thing like yours
3:07 I would REALLY love a video explaining how you set up the regulator.
Thank you Dave!
Yes , info on how to adjust the natural gas regulator for different pressures would be helpful. thnx
I have this exact same generator that I power with a 20lb propane tank. We have an interlock system setup on our electric control panel and an outlet outside the house to plug the generator into. Easy peasy to set up and will save our bacon during these cold Wisconsin winters should the power go out.
This is awesome!! Great video!!
Thanks for posting.
Really useful video. I have a barely used Black Diamond Champion gen set spec'd the same as your firman. I'm gonna wire up that switch on my furnace so I can do this. Thanks!
Of course!
Always great content thanks you for sharing 😊
My pleasure
I totally agree. You mentioned on those other videos that the setup with the inverter was for an emergency when you have no other choice because generators are not available. Some cannot afford a generator. The battery and inverter is more economical. I have a Tri-fuel Firman generator with power going onto my house using the 30 amp 240 volt cord. It goes through to the transfer switch. I haven’t had a power failure recently but I hope it will work in the event of one.
Please test out your system now,
It takes out the guess work.
@@Glocktard I run it for 20 minutes each month so that it doesn’t cease up on me. I have a reminder that pops up each month.
Anyone can afford a generator. It's all about the priorities. People wastes mega $1000's on stupid crap like smokes, beer, alcohol, eating out, going on expensive useless vacations etc. Then complain they can't afford electric bill.
@@brnmcc01 That’s true to a certain extent. Those on fixed incomes may not be able to afford a generator. I could because I don’t smoke or drink or go anywhere on vacation. Kind of boring yes, but I really don’t have the money to travel and I don’t need bad habits like drinking and smoking adding to the problem. Electricity where I live is very stable but we did have 2 tornadoes since 2018. That took the power out for more than 24 hours each time. I think because power is so stable people don’t think about having a generator.
@@ds99 Oh yeah that's very true! There's too many people on retirement that can't even afford gas and groceries these days, and then they have to rob Peter to fill their prescriptions. It's terrible.
A good and easy way to plug the orifices that you aren't using on your propane regulator would be to attach a short section of the hose and plug it with a bolt. No spiders would get in and you'll have the hose hooked up if you decide to put the regulator back into service.
MIND BLOWN!!!! 🤯🤯. North Eastern Ohio, urban area. Power outages for me are rare and brief. However, a day without power in winter can turn a house into an ice box. Will definitely be looking into the gen option, but the bat powered furnace is a MUST. I do service a VARY rural area where power outages can last for several days.
WOW! Update: I have the power inverter hooked up to the furnace for emergencies. Awesome idea, thanks again. I priced out that port gen you recommend 2 months ago it was $499...... *Today (3/26/2023) It is $699.99!!!!* "stuff" is getting real folks.
*The question:* Do you have a recommendations for a 240 volt dual fuel gen? (Want to be able to run A/C) EDIT: An Electrician by trade.
Excellent video! Thank You!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you a million times over
Excellent information, you are a remarkable teacher and your solutions easy to follow. I have an AC200p and an oil fired hot water radiators furnace, following your pigtail bypass do you feel that would work as well as your gas furnace keeping in mind that there is a circulating water pump attached to the furnace.
Thanks Dave.
Good content. Thank you.
Great job 👍 thanks for sharing. I've always had a generator ready. Now where I'm going I'll have to do it there. I liked your inverter with the 12 volt battery close to furnace. That would get you through the night no problem. I'll have to check out that generator mines too big and heavy. Only thing I would do is have it so i can pug the generator from outside.
Run the furnace and a kitchen light and fridge and stove. It might be a good idea to get a gas stove instead of electric.
Thanks. And yes gas stove is always a great idea. That’s one of the first things I did when I bought my place. I’m gonna be doing some test videos with two different 1000w lithium power stations so stay tuned for that!
Nice! Appreciate the explanation.
Of course!
Awesome info. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Most smaller generators 2500 watts or smaller are running with a floating neutral. You have to have a bonded neutral for this to run most newer furnaces. My furnace is 16 years old and required a bonded neutral on the generator before it will operate with a straight extension cord to the generator. Large generators like yours are all wired with the neutral bonded to the ground wire from the factory.
to get my furnace to operate with this same setup you are showing, I had to order a bonding plug from Amazon and plug it into one of the 120 v outlets on the generator .. It looks just like a plug off of an extension cord .. when plugged into the socket on the generator, It connects(bonds) the neutral wire and the ground wire together on the generator. The main panel box on your house is wired this way with the neutrals from all circuits connected (bonded) to the Ground.
If you were hooking the generator to your main panel box for operating the furnace, you wouldn't need to use a bonding plug on the
generator because your main panel is already bonded.
This is good Knowledge to have. Thanks for sharing!
You can bond the neutral just by taking a male plug and connecting the ground to the neutral and plugging it into one of the generator outlets.
@@tgriebe Yes, you can make a plug like you're talking about. I just bought this one already made. it's all connected inside the plug like you are saying.
Solved my furnace starting problem...
I agree with Roger. If you have a generator with a floating neutral this will not work with newer digital furnaces. The blower runs but will not go into the fire mode.
You need to purchase or make a Bonded Neutral plug. This needs to be plugged into one outlet of the generator. Then you have a bonded neutral circuit that is just like your household power. If you have more questions, research Bonded neutral grounds for generators on TH-cam.
A floating neutral........I never knew.Why would they do that?
Great advice - thank you sir
Very welcome
In 2020, I bought a 6,500 watt Champion generator and did the same tri-fuel conversion with the Motor Snorkel. I love it. Hooked up primarily to my natural gas utility with 8 20lb propane tanks backing. I made a mistake though, I really should have bought an inverter generator. May remedy that in 2023 depending on how the geopolitical world looks. Also looking at the comments below, I think I should look into that bonded neutral issue. Always new stuff to learn.
My Firmin 3500 white actually has a bonded neutral apparently. I didn’t realize that but it prevents you from having to take that extra step
Why was it a mistake to not get an inverter generator? I think the only one that I trust is the Honda lineup, but they have low power output and are really expensive on a per watt basis. They also don't have a grounded outlet, and if I remember right the neutral is floating. So some things don't like it, but can make a cheater box for it. Anything with a 2 prong plug will work fine, I think if I remember right, I plugged in my outlet tester into one of the generator outlets and it said I had no ground, but hot and neutral polarity was correct.
@@diyhvacguy Bonded neutral is fine. You just have to be careful if you directly connect to the building system that will already have a main bonding jumper. What you could do in that case is, only connect your hot(s) and neutral wires from generator to the house, and DO NOT CONNECT any ground wire from the generator to the house. And leave the generator neutral to frame bond alone. And then put the generator on some rubber pads or something to isolate it from the surrounding ground, and don't touch while running. This way you will only have 1 point of interconnection from neutral to ground on your premises, and you stop nuisance neutral current from flowing thru the grounding equipment conductor back to your generator. This isn't quite code legal, but then you don't have to modify your generator, and by keeping the neutral to frame bonding intact, you can still use your generator for camping, running power tools etc, and still be OSHA compliant to use on a job site.
Of course, if you want to permanently connect a standby generator to your house, then you want to convert or make sure to get a "neutral floating" generator, if the transfer switch setup does not switch the neutral. Which will be 99.9% of the time for residential setups. The only time I run into transfer switches that also switch the neutral is at health care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes where the generator has to meet life safety codes. My wife works at a larger nursing home, and we ripped out the old Generac generator there which only backed up the coolers, freezers, computers, and the resident room outlets and such. And installed a newer generator that runs the whole facility, that things a beast! It only has an inline 6 cylinder engine.... but it's twin turbo, 750hp, and 33.4 liters... It can supply up to 1600 amps at 208v 3 phase! Anyway, that transfer switch switches all 3 phases and the neutral from the utility pad mounted transformer to the generator, however the neutral to ground bond is still in the main 2000 amp service disconnect in the basement.
Anyway the thing to remember to keep things safe in any electrical service, is you only want one single solitary point on the entire system from the meter or utility point of presence, to the last branch circuit, that has a neutral to ground bonding connection. Think of it like Highlander, there can only be one. Multiple points of contact on one service between neutral to ground, especially in wet locations, can be extremely hazardous. Kids have been killed by stray currents of only 2 volts flowing thru a swimming pool, because neutral current was flowing thru everything grounded at the place because some moron installed a sub panel out in the barn, and connected all the neutrals and grounds on all the same bus bars just like the main panel in a house. Big no-no, you can only do that if there's only one electrical panel right behind the meter.
Watch some of Mike Holts videos on grounding and bonding, and 250.2, and 250.6, (objectional current).
@@brnmcc01 Because apparently some electronic devices can be damaged if they are powered by a non inverter generator. Which on the one hand does make sense, but on the other, it doesn't, and it is hard to get a clear answer. I am sure tons of people use non inverter generators in power outages, like the one we just had, and yet you don't hear of tons of people blowing their fridges, freezers, TVs, etc. Yea some, but you'd think the stories would be more plentiful if it were a hard fast rule.
@@johncasey5594 That was my thought too John, No proof of this but I believe a gas generator that surges from lack of regular maintenance is more harmful than a NG generator with a higher THD. It would be all over the internet if people were burning out electronics left and right. I think most people just use what they bought and never give it a second thought.
Thank you I'm still a dumb A but at least I have ideas where to start
In Florida for hurricanes I have a 8500 watt generator. I turn off my main breaker and run a cord I made to my dryer plug. I can power my whole house except the dryer. I use the breaker box to choose when I power my water heater.
If I wanted a switch like this installed by an electrician or HVAC guy what would I ask for? This is genius and could be a life saver as we are 70 years old. Thanks
Just share this video with them 👍🏼
Great setup and great video! It would be much better and safer to NOT mount the NG regulator to the machine due to the vibrations coming from the generator. At minimum I'd suggest adding a rubber isolator. Thanks for taking the time to make the video and share your setup!
You have an interesting process that will work. I used a pigtail as well, but I ran it from the furnace to the dedicated curcit junction box I converted to a single plug to meet North Carolina electrical code. This way, I can simply unplug the furnace from the wall and plug the end into a drop cord that is run to my small honda generator. I also installed a conduit through an interior basement wall that has a flip cover. This way, I can run the dropcord under my garage door so that no doors have dropcords run through them, and all of them are fully closed. There is no need to trun off the breaker for the furnance, but I still do to keep the process the same for deentergising the power. My wife can complete this simple process without any issue. The grid power can come back on at anytime without any concern, as the furnace is completely independent like a large appliance. The panel does not have to be shut off. The local code only allows for a single plug for the furnance.🎉
I understand what you did and your are correct that you can not back feed your service, but you did not need to turn off the main breaker
Great idea
Good video , thanks for your , God bless !
Very interesting video. Thanks. Question: The hose you removed from the propane regular is the same hose that is on the natural gas regulator load block, now correct? Thanks.
Nice video. I like the way you simply disconnected the LPG hose and connected that to the natural gas regulator. Was the hose long enough? Or did you replace or extend the existing hose?
Dang, All great videos, You are the man!!! :)
🙏🏻
Before you buy one just think of the noise level of the generator. Your neighbors are going to appreciate if you buy a Honda or alike and just think if you could sleep with this tractor running next to your house:)
Ver good point! One advantage to a smaller one.
How about a silent generator 😊
th-cam.com/video/25dCG557qC0/w-d-xo.html
When it is in the middle of winter and you need heat who gives a f@#k what the neighbours think you are just trying to keep warm . If they have any sense they will be doing the same thing.
@@12wingwfetech couldn't agree more! Survival situations surpass courtesy.
And use the extra outlet to feed the electic fence...😉
@@dje7335 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Can't stop laughing!
For real though...Great idea. I'm getting a cheap fence charger now. In an extended outage generators could tend to walk away.
Thank you Dave you have some really clever ideas.. once I figure out how to keep the heat on during the blizzard this year, I want to figure out how to replace my AC compressor that is going on 12 years. And not have to pay an HVAC guy like three to $4000, when a 3 1/2 ton Goodman would only cost about 1500.. just no need to know how to change out the lines and refill the gas. Wiring and a coil are all there, and doing it before july might be good thinkin! Nice work man!
Hey thanks so much! If you’d like tech support for your ac replacement as well as finding the best price on equipment check out our $25 membership at Patreon.com/diyhvacguy and I’ll help walk you through the replacement. Cheers
Hi Dave I appreciate your offer , I am retired and I have a small income. Since I was in the trades for over 50 years, this is why I feel confident on working around stuff. I did play the lottery tonight if perhaps an extra $25 will show up, and I will gladly pay you. I really do wish you well, and I think you’re doing well..? Really enjoy your work and hope to see more…
Sorry just a crusty old Yankee.. got take a note by Wall Street. Nevertheless your work is good and I appreciate your videos and sure watch.
You'll need a manifold guage set and a vaccumn pump plus fittings, map gas or acetylene, silver solder. Maybe rent vac pump, guage manifold?
Thanks
Part of the preparedness challenge is the knowledge that when you need a generator, so does the fuel station. Friends in CA had to find a generator big enough to run the fuel station before they could buy the fuel they needed.
That 100 amp breaker in the main panel that you turned off, I think needs to be locked to prevent anyone other than you from operating that breaker switch. I know you are very good at what you do. Just an observation brother. Be safe!
Thank you. I’d love to do the interlock kit and power inlet box at my house but haven’t made time to tackle that one. Thanks for the tip though! Cheers
Yes, it works and it's great way to do a backup in an emergency. I would highly suggest that you install an interlock in your electrical panel to insure that someone else doesn't come along and turn the main breaker on while the generator is running. Please keep it safe for yourself and the linemen that may be working on the lines in your area.
Thank you. Interlock kit is soon to come with a full install tutorial! Thanks for watching. Cheers
Nice generator and I like the pigtail but who wants to have an extension cord running out the door overnight in the winter time or possibly longer you might as well bite the bullet and put in a transfer switch pretty easy to do then you can run your furnace or whichever items you decide to turn on great work thanks for the video!
That’s next on my list!! Just thought I’d share what I got so far :)
At my house, I installed an interlock on my service panel. It is made by Siemens and is UL approved. Much cheaper than a full blown transfer switch.
@@tgriebe yeah I really like the interlock system as well unfortunately my panel was completely full opted for the six circuit transfer either way I guess we’ll be ready😄😄
ding ding. this dude stole my thunder. generator-transfer switch-no hula hoops to jump through. couple grand up front with gen purchase(599)50 amp cord(399) 50 amp 10 circuit transfer switch(400)electrician(400) I rotate 20-25 gallons of high octane tru fuel and have (4)30 pound lp tanks ready to let er rip. I rest easy knowing this is ready to go.
If you have natural gas I would check your breaker box. What I thought was a full breaker box turned out to not be true. They wired the house for all electric appliances. I have a gas stove, gas, dryer and a gas hit water heater. So I had 3- 220v breakers that were not being used. My AC unit was in the top right location where the interlock is supposed to be. Right under that was the water heater. So it was as simple as turning off the main breaker and moving the wires. The hardest part was pulling a little extra wire down from the mass coming from the attic. Only needed an inch or so but the slack was there
Good job Dave
Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏻
This is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on HVAc topics. You answered so many of my questions. I’ll definitely use your website when I need items to purchase on Amazon. Kudos. Keep making these instructional videos.
Thanks Dave for another video with lots of useful information!
For those wanting to save some money, here's an alternate generator, an open frame inverter generator with 3,500 running watts; the WEN GN400i, currently selling for $383 on the Wen website. It only weighs about 70 lbs, is more compact, and with no battery start or dual fuel.
The type of generator (the Firman) shown in the video is a basic 2-pole generator. They use a lawn mower engine and run at a constant 3,600 RPM (full throttle) in order to produce the 60 Hertz line frequency. Due to the engine speed, they are produce lots of noise/vibration and eat lots of fuel. That generator will empty that BBQ grill propane cylinder in a few hours.
I prefer the Inverter type generator, as they always produce a perfect AC power signal and throttle the engine back when electrical low is light, saving gas, noise, vibration, and engine wear.
I try to never buy the electric start generators as the battery only seems to last about 1 year. Most of the portable generators have an engine small enough that they can be hand cranked easily.
Takes mine a bit more than a few hours (11+ hours to be precise) to “empty that bbq grill propane cylinder” on the Firman. There’s also ZERO upkeep/maintenance on LP, & NG. It stores f o r e v e r … can’t say the same about the gasoline in your WEN. Also, if it’s reserved for emergency use, I don’t care how much noise it makes… there’s an EMERGENCY. Which of course helps me flex on the other neighborhood dads… when the power is out, and they ALL can hear my generator running. 💅🏻
@@djek8667 I think you are correct on the fuel economy, I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. I think that 200 cc engine consumes about a half gallon an hour.
I have had a lot of trouble in the past with gasoline going bad if left in the engine, fouling the carburetor. I (through trial and error) developed a gas mix that doesn't seem to go bad. I use non-ethanol gas, mixed with Sta-Bil and Marvel Mystery Oil. I have only tested it out to 4 years so far but, it causes zero fouling in fuel tanks and carburetors.
As far as running off propane, LPG, or natural gas; agreed it is the cleanest burning and causes zero gasoline deterioration issues.
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video. So to run a gas furnace only, does it not need to be an inverter type generator?
Good video. Just a suggestion. Where these different fuels are involved it might be clearer to use the word "gasoline" to avoid confusion.
Show us how you set up the natural gas governor.
Great video series on this whole topic! It got me thinking about other gas appliances that sometimes require 110/120V to operate, such as a traditional gas water heater with electric ignition, or an on-demand gas water heater which almost always need 110V, etc...
Great point!
Just buy a water heater that uses a pilot light. No need for electic outlet.
@@4runner4ever83 That's an option. The only downside would be the expense of completely replacing the existing water heater.
@@Jj-gi2uv I agree, but it sounds like they had a faulty gas regulator. The whole purpose for an appliance that uses a pilot light is that if the pilot light goes out, the regulator shuts off the gas flow.
When we lost power a couple years ago, i didnt need heat or a/c but i wanted hot showers. I have a tankless gas heater. I bought one of those UPS backup things they sell at best buy. I plugged the water heater into it and I got 8 five minute showers before the power came back on. I don't know how many more showers it had in it before I would have to take it somewhere to charge it, but it got me several days.
The benefit of the tankless is it takes no more power to run every faucet in the house than it does for one faucet. The power simply opens and closes the gas valve, the amount of water going through it is irrelevant. So we maximized the use, filled the sink with hot water for dishes while using the showers in both bathrooms.
I’ve watched a few videos of guys using a quality 1000w power inverter and their car to run a furnace. Neat idea if the car is full of gas and you park it outside while it’s running. Start the car, let the furnace run up to temp or hotter then shut it off. Pretty cheap and less maintenance than a generator as long as your vehicle/battery are in good condition. A lot less work if your not able to move/store/maintain a generator. You will need to build a box or roof to keep a generator out of the weather too in my experience unless you have a porch or garage you can open. The more heat sources and power options you have the better. We have a LP furnace, wood stove, kerosene heater, wall hung LP heater, a few electric ceramic heaters, and LP tank mounted heaters. We’ve gone 8 days without power before and you learn fast to get buying and get prepared.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
I have been using the cheapest ethanol fuel i can get on these for years with no problems. The secret is that every 3 months drain it all out, dump it in your car and use it up but then immediately replace it with fresh pump gas. Then make sure to start and run generator for 15 minutes to get the new fuel in the carb. Preferably with a load on it. I just plug in a space heater. If you want you can use a fuel stabilizer but i never do because i usually change the fuel out every other month just to be safe. I got it setup so I can open a valve with a hose in a gas can and walk away. Come back a half hour later and the gen is empty.
Funny 40 years ago you could leave an outboard for 20 years put gas in it and go fishing and complain that it doesn't run quite right the gas we burn today is like Mexican gas low quality thx for the video very informative
I really like the detailed way you explain things. Some electrical experience myself, every time I said "but,..." , you would instantly be right on that topic.
Do you have a larger generator connected to the house in case of an extended power outage?
This is the primary gen set I use. I’m going to be installing a interlock kit soon so it will eliminate the need to run a cord into the house. Stay tuned for that video! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy Cool! Looking forward to it. 👍
Does that generator have a 30 amp 240 volt plug?
Really like the pig tail furnace video. I used to hard wire old furnace to generator power when an outage happened. Never liked doing that but it did protect lines workers. I am having trouble finding the switch/outlet you used. I have stopped the video and used a magnifying glass to look for info. but no luck. I have ordered 2 Leviton units, 4 screw not right and 6 screw not right.
any thoughts. DE
We used a generator to get heat for an older couple who lost power in the last blizzard storm where several around us lost power. Using a regular gas generator. Now unless you have a really nice generator that accommodates, you will need to run a jumper between neutral and ground on your male whip you connect to the furnace. Otherwise the board will fault out and no Ignition sequence.
In NJ the inspector did not allow me to do the pigtail to the outlet. I did it anyway after the inspection. I could explain to him but could not understand it for him that there was no live electricity in pigtail plug until it was plugged in. A furnace is just an appliance like a toaster or microwave
"complex" solutions can and do work well, the "engineered in" simplicity of built in wood heat backup that only needs a small wood pile is a comfort.
The newer inverter style generators that have the "On/Off" switch on the fuel cap do not have the same issues with the fuel going bad and wrecking the carburetor. I use E10/E15 in mine, I have one of the A-iPower generators. I leave E10 in it all year long without an issue. You have to turn that switch off though.
Thumbs up and subscribed!🙏
Dope video!!!! I solved this issue by moving to AZ😂🤷🏿♂️
Lol that’s one way of doing it! 👊🏼
A trick to get the power cord into a house without leaving a door open is to use a dryer vent if nearby. But keep generator a bit away from that vent as to not suck in generator exhaust fumes.
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing