re: Running a generator through a dryer outlet

Gotta have a lockout procedure in place. Includes AFCI breakers and understand load calcs. Sounds difficult but it ain’t.

Could’ve been a crappy job on the homemade cord.

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one were to get a transfer switch installed, would that eliminate all risk?

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No, but it is dramatically safer.

I'm still noodling on the comment earlier about backfeeding the transformer through the neutral on an unbalanced load. Some transfer switches are just a lock bar to prevent having both the main breaker and generator breaker closed at the same time, which as far as I known is code approved. The neutral in the house is tied to ground, the generator neutral and case is grounded, I don't see how in normal use you would end up with volts on the neutral tap of the transformer. Seems any neutral current would go back to the generator or to ground.

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If one were to get a transfer switch installed, would that eliminate all risk?

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About as much as it would eliminate your risk of loss if you are properly insured.

Imagine waiting on an adjuster anfter an storm and burning your house down trying to run a gennie through a dryer outlet that had a pigtail in the wall from the prior homeowner. Dumb.

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I guess what I'm asking is how would one do this the right way. And, how much would that cost to do it safely and in a manner that would prevent the insurance liability you reference?

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Sorry, to be more direct, the transfer switch is the legal one and pay a licensed electrician to put in. It can be a simple manual switch into a 240v, just like the concept of the dryer outlet. But it’s also outside your house, where your portable generator is. It’s obviously much safer and much more defendable when the preponderance of liability is being weighed.

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My grandfather was a linesman his whole life.

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For the County???????

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I'm still noodling on the comment earlier about backfeeding the transformer through the neutral on an unbalanced load. Some transfer switches are just a lock bar to prevent having both the main breaker and generator breaker closed at the same time, which as far as I known is code approved. The neutral in the house is tied to ground, the generator neutral and case is grounded, I don't see how in normal use you would end up with volts on the neutral tap of the transformer. Seems any neutral current would go back to the generator or to ground.

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I’ve been mulling over the same thing since reading that. The neutral current ultimately has to flow back to the generator.

My understanding is that under normal operation of your electrical service (e.g. without a generator) you should only have current going to ground at your panel in the case that the “ground path” back to the transformer (from the panel ground to the transformer ground) becomes relevant compared to the neutral path. For example, during a surge or lightning strike. I might not have that 100% right so I’m open to anyone correcting me. (An alternative would be a ground fault somewhere in the system causing current flow up the panel ground to get back to neutral, but that’s kind of a separate discussion.)

If so, I would think the same applies to your generator - you should only have current flowing on the panel ground or the transformer ground if the impedance of those paths back to the generator ground become relevant compared to the impedance of the direct path back to the generator neutral.

The thing is, though, that it seems in the vast majority of cases the closest ground to the generator would be the panel ground anyway. Which should make current on the transformer neutral tap even less likely.

None of that means the power company has to be OK with it though, and there may be some additional issues I’m missing if/when the transformer is re-energized with its neutral connected to the generator neutral.

I back feed ask the time. You flip the main off and your fine. When you're meter turns back on. Isolate the generator and flip the main back on.
The issue is so many people are freaking idiots they don't turn off the main.

How are you going to get a fire? Your breakers still so their job.


What I do is I have a dedicated 50amp breaker and outlet by my box. I flip my main off. Power on generator and then I turn my AC breaker off then power everything else up.
Then I put a window unit in the living room and my bedroom and I'm good. We went well over a week like that after Ida.
.I even modded both my generators with dual fuel carburetor so I can use gas or Natural gas or propane.
I start with gas then switch to Natural by running a gas hose to the water heater.
Issue is the generators put out less output on Natural gas than gasoline. So I start with gasoline.

Yea one of them sure does.