Powering your home during power outages

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

It's called an Interlock.

Look at me I'm a time traveler! I have traveled to the future where I can reply to my post from the past.

 

[Bantou]

Just got this in a FB add, almost like someone is listening.

Code may, may be different, but the attached picture shows how a simple safety device can prevent backfeed.

That's one of those things that make you go: "Now why didn't I think of that". Super simple design, easy to produce, and in a specialized field... Somebody is making a killing off of that patent.

 

[Crazyboat]

Does your generator have a 4-prong 240V plug, or 3 prong? You shouldn't have to twist wires together if you make sure the house outlet and the generator have the same number of prongs. If not, then so be it, if you know what you are doing.

I don't currently have a generator. Not sure what makes you think I twisted generator and house wires together. When it comes to the old wires in my house I really have no idea. Next house will be newer.

 

[thill]

Was that comment #91? If you take a look at it again, you will see that it was a reply to Fuzzy Grub. It just happened to land under your post. Stand down, soldier!

 

[Crazyboat]

Was that comment #91? If you take a look at it again, you will see that it was a reply to Fuzzy Grub. It just happened to land under your post. Stand down, soldier!

Sorry about that, not sure how I saw it as a reply to my post.

 

[LDUBS]

At least I have enough common sense not to touch things I don't understand.

Me too. I know what I know. I know only some of the things I don't know.

 

[lightflyer1]

I am having to have the outside panel replaced. Stepping up to 200 amp panel and they will install a generator connection and interlock while doing the job. It isn't cheap. $6600 or so.

 

[airshot]

I am having to have the outside panel replaced. Stepping up to 200 amp panel and they will install a generator connection and interlock while doing the job. It isn't cheap. $6600 or so.

Everything became much more expensive after the covid crap, in many cases double the cost. Just had a new roof installed on my barn, quoted 5500 back in 2021, today was 9600 !!

 

[lightflyer1]

My house was decimated by a hail storm. 130,000 worth of damage. New roof was $14,000. They're still not done fixing that from a year ago. Still need a door replaced in some outside work and then water damage to the inside and replace all the carpeting.

 

[Bantou]

Everything became much more expensive after the covid crap, in many cases double the cost. Just had a new roof installed on my barn, quoted 5500 back in 2021, today was 9600 !!

Roofing material costs nearly doubled during Covid and haven't come back down much since (at least on the commercial side). We saw a bit of a reduction in the first quarter of this year but about half of that went away as of August/September.

During Covid, prices were going up nearly monthly. It was so bad that we were bidding an insane rate per square foot because we had no idea what prices were going to be by the time the builder got ready for us to order materials. We had a couple of builders that paid us for materials before they even started dirt work so that they could lock in a lower price. We sat on a couple of those sets of materials for over a year because of other trades' lead times and delays on inspections...

As things currently sit, we are at about 1.75x the price we were pre-covid and making about the same gross profit that we were before. My boss primarily handles the production side of the business and freaks out every time he happens to look at a bill for materials (his wife mostly handles that side of things). He just can't wrap his head around how much materials have gone up over the last 3-4 years.

 

[kleenax]

I am having to have the outside panel replaced. Stepping up to 200 amp panel and they will install a generator connection and interlock while doing the job. It isn't cheap. $6600 or so.

Holy crap! What part of the country do you live in? Just had the exact same thing done here in northern Michigan, and we paid $1,950. Guess I got a deal??

 

[thill]

My house was decimated by a hail storm. 130,000 worth of damage. New roof was $14,000. They're still not done fixing that from a year ago. Still need a door replaced in some outside work and then water damage to the inside and replace all the carpeting.

WOW! I'm so sorry. I hope the insurance company is taking care of you.

 

[lightflyer1]

It was a year ago now. Most everything's getting taken care of and the insurance company has taken care of everything. For the most part. Just a hassle taking care of everything and coordinating everything.