Found a illegal generator back feed! We disconnected it.

[srj]

I believe the whole point is without a proper transfer switch in place, plugging a generator into a house can actually feed electricity back to the street. This creates a hazard to utility workers and the public.

[isaiasgomez]

That’s all a lineman needs is to have electricity flowing from someone’s house and completely unaware

[dallas]

I respect you a lot for pointing this out to the home owner. A+

[imdeplorable]

Do the customer and the next guy who opens that panel a big favor and plug those open knockouts. Anything could crawl or slither into that panel and cause a short cicuit or, worse, a fire.

[fredflintstone]

So true. It's not safe and relies on the knowledge and actions of the user being correct. Make a mistake and BOOM!

[jimhmod]

Breaker interlock = expensive but necessary piece of metal that keeps the main breaker from being turn on if the breaker for the generator breaker is on.

[DreadWingKnight]

happy to see you taking away the ability to backfeed. When we did our panel upgrade, we did something similar, except we had a subpanel set up for the generator circuits, and it has a manual transfer switch with a round blocking plate between the two input breakers on it. The plate only allows one of the input breakers to be on at a time.

[FaithwalkerTodd]

I turn off my main breaker and all of the side breakers and then backfeed from my generator into an outlet. Then I switch on those circuits that connect to that outlet the generator is feeding into and any other circuits that I want to use like the refrigerator or the Internet. To make sure the main stays off I don’t switch it back on until the power returns. no one has access but myself so no one’s gonna make a mistake.

[ejsvegas]

I put one in, it's not that hard to follow the instructions. However those locks are expensive. Mine cost $75. Others can range from $60 to $120 depending on the box you have. If you're a metal working you can make one for $5. LOL

[ACommenterOnYouTube]

interlock is NOT needed ... only because of code and "code" can kma

Next the generator breaker can be anywhere on that panel.

All of it will work and not follow code.
Do you have any idea the MILLIONS of homes in this country that are not up to code but yet they all manage to "work" safetly ????

[matthewholmes]

Keeps people from hooking a generator up with the main breaker on. Always turn the main off then hook the generator up.

[vegetable_oil]

For something like that can't you flip the main breaker off if you was to use that?
Just a question

[gabbertje]

A breaker interlock is better than nothing but a transfer switch is the best solution. In our country a breaker interlock is only allowed if the breakers are physically connected and interlocked as a sole unit.

In industrial settings the rules are a bit different. It's allowed to have 2 feeds to a distribution board to add generator backup but one of them has to be locked and tagged out at all times. Some of our smaller important distribution boards are made that way.

We have our own part of 10kV grid with 4 transformers 10kV>400V. To get emergency power we actually have to backfeed but it's a whole procedure to do it right.
First we lock out, tag out and earth the 10kV from the main feed/ meter. Next we pull the fuses and put caps on at the first transformer, this completely isolates and earths the 10kV cable between the main feed/ meter and the first transformer.

From there we connect a 1000kVa generator on the bus bars of the first (1000kVa) transformer and use this transformer to provide 10kV for our other 3 transformers. This way setting up doesn't cost too much time because 1-2 people can set it up quite quickly in the middle of the night and it's still safe with 3 ways of protecting for backfeed.

[cldvideo-rdbn]

You're just trying to make more money by ripping them off. That's completely fine (as long as it's not on at the same time) other than that, it's perfectly safe.

[joshuacox]

turn the main breaker off top off. Plug generator into the outlet just to feed the house?

[matthewcampbell]

We used this to power our house during storms. We always make sure to disconnect the main feed breaker and then it does not impose risk to anyone but your house. It works but is not for idiots

[HatersHateOn]

Looks like a professional install other than it’s location in the panel.

[netpasya]

I had a 50amp inlet box and interlock kit installed by my licensed electrician friend. I asked him why some people skip the interlock? He said some people with RV want the ability to power the RV from the house. They think by doing it this way, it allows them to power the RV as well as hook up a portable generator.

[dlite]

Our older manufactured home has those generator outlets? I thought it was just an extra power plug we've used to plug orange power cords into for yard work idk If it's safe or not and considering a small generator for emergency a as our power has gone out mid summer in 90 to 100 degree temps just to run fridge?

[JetFire]

He didn’t show the panel cover. It may have one of those long interlocks that goes from the main breaker down to the bottom. This could be a false alarm.