# What to look for in a generator to power whole house (what feature to hook it up)



## newtopreppin (Jul 25, 2021)

I saw where you can buy 10,000+ watt portable gas generators at home depot, but to hook it up to a house using a transfeer switch, is there a special outlet that a generator has to have in order to do that? I want to be able to run the clothes dryer and water heater (maybe not together) and so it will need to be able to throw out some power. Is the standard 240 watt outlet what hooks up to the switch on the house?
thanks...








Champion Power Equipment 11,500-Watt/9,200-Watt Electric Start Gas Powered Portable Generator with CO Shield 201110 - The Home Depot


The Champion Power Equipment 201110 9200-Watt Portable Generator with CO Shield. For projects, the 459cc Champion single-cylinder OHV engine has what it takes to handle the multiple power tools and large



www.homedepot.com


----------



## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

You need a 240v INLET.... NOT AN OUTLET.... AN INLET.










You also need a proper transfer switch.

If your dryer and water heater are electric, they're on 30a breakers. That's close to the capacity of that generator. My advice is to forget those unless they're LP/NG and just need 120v. Concentrate on your furnace, sump pump, some lights, fridge, freezer etc.


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

You could eliminate the inlet, and have it hard wired into the main electrical box. But, then it is no longer portable. If you order it, make sure they order the male part (inlet). Not everyone at HD is smart. You also might have a hard time finding flexible electrical cord or cable flexible enough to use in a portable instalation. On a permanent install, it could be done with #8 wire. If portable, I'd go with # 6 COPPER!


----------



## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

You can't 'direct wire to the main electrical box'. You still need a transfer switch.

Most big box home centers (Lowes, Home Depot, Menards etc) stock the inlet, transfer switch and L14-30 cords. All you'd need to complete the install is whatever length of 10-3 NM W/G to run between the transfer switch and inlet.

Using #6 copper for a generator that can, at best, muster 30 amps is like hunting squirrels with an elephant gun....... unless you're using over 100 feet of it.


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I got my input receptacle at my local Ace Hardware.
I got a 10 gauge, four wire, extension cord at Home Depot that has the proper ends to connect to the generator and the receptacle. Unfortunately, they only come in 25 foot lengths, and they cost over $100.

You will need to have a special switch installed to prevent “back flow” of your electricity back up the line and electrocuting any linemen attempting to restore power.

In my case, I had an electrician wire the male input receptacle into my well pump circuit, and I run extension cords into the house for a couple of lights, the freezer containing about $1,000 of meat, the refrigerator, one box fan, and the WiFi modem.
Even then, since my genny is only a 5KW, I can’t run everything at once.
We have gotten thru a number of no power spells after hurricanes using this method.

If you want to power your whole house, I suggest a professionally installed whole house generator. I know several people who have them, they run about $8,000 installed and a maintenance man comes out at least once a year to test it and maintain it.


----------



## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Big warning about whole-house gennies: 95% of the time, they require more gas flow and pressure than the home's existing piping can deliver. So check the specs on any you're considering and perform your due diligence to see if your gas system can even be upgraded to run it if it's not up to the specs. This is true whether you're on a city NG line or a privately-owned or leased LP tank. That 3/8" gas line stubbed out by your patio ain't gonna cut it.

I've had lots of customers who want a pad-mount genny with a full-up automatic transfer switch (with exercise clock) so it's literally hands-off even when the power goes out. The only thing they need to do is let the technician come in once a year for the maintenance. But only they find out the cost of all the gear and labor _beyond_ the 35kW genny they picked out of a catalog, they start to realize that maybe a manual transfer switch hooked up to only critical loads will suffice.

It's your money... spend it any way you like. But DO NOT cut corners and sacrifice safety.


----------



## KellyDude (11 mo ago)

I've just discovered and started buying solar generators. I love how they are quiet power and some are beefier and can be chained.
I'm quite the gypsy so the portability is important because I won't recoup the money invested in to a big solar system.
I recommend evaluating what you really need to be comfortable with that may be lesser than a huge generator.
I've determined I can let my fridge/freezer stuff go for a prolonged outage rather than invest what it takes to keep that stuff running for days or longer.
I can hand wash and line dry clothes, too.
So why build a huge system for all that?
This is assuming you are just concerned with outages and not doing an off-grid home.

I got the Jackery 240, 500 and EcoDelta 1240 (in hindsight, I'd skip the 240 unless you just want to charge phones/laptop while camping. It does not have much capacity)
These are just some example solar generators that can be charged with solar panels, house current, gas generators or vehicles. Portable Power Station, Power Outdoors - Jackery and Collections are just two.

What scenario are you looking to run your whole house in?

During 3-day outage in Maine I ran power cord from gas generator in thru dryer vent door (just disconnect it at dryer and it fishes right in) and ran everything I needed in house with extension cords.


----------

