Electrical Power; that lovely stuff we take for granted. Life’s great when we have it and extremely uncomfortable when we don’t. In Texas we get those twirly things called hurricanes. Folks up north get ice and snow storms. Throw in an earthquake or rolling blackout and POOF, those little electrons aren’t flowing anymore.

What are the consequences? Let’s see. Either you get to sweat a lot or you could freeze. I guess that depends what line of latitude you’re close to. Then there’s the question of just how long the electricity is gone. Two or more days and that expensive food in the fridge is history. Sure, those steaks are going to taste good, but twice a day for three days in a row? Down here in our summertime oven, we like ICE. It helps cool us down. Well guess what? Not gonna happen. Ever walked into a room and thrown the light switch on? Millions of times, I know, but what happens when the light doesn’t come on?

Now let’s talk about what almost anybody can do to protect themselves from these situations. I’ll put the sarcasm away for awhile. Hold it, no I won't, there’s just too much more I need to say. First, I used the word “almost” back there a couple lines. Common sense is a great thing. If you ain’t got it, click on out of here to Fox news, I’m sure you’ll be happy there. Electricity hurts, I figured that out a long time ago. Electricity can kill. Fortunately, I haven’t had that happen yet. If you’re not sure of your skills with generators, wiring, and plugs, find someone who is, to help you out.

So I guess the first place to start is a discussion about generators. You’ve got to have one to make all this backup power stuff work. How big? Generators usually start about 1000 watts (1K) and go up from there. More power means more money. A generator that outputs about 5000 watts will keep a typical household going quite nicely through an extended power outage. 5K watts can easily power a fridge, freezer, and a small window A/C unit. Along with those three compressors, several lights, TV, maybe a computer or two, fans, and the kid’s game system. Not to shabby. Food stays good, ice is available, lights come on, and the kids aren’t whining because they’re bored. The small A/C unit is important for the lucky ones like me who live in Texas. It’s very nice to have at least one room that you and the family can sleep in that is cool.

What brand of generator is a good choice? NOT ONE MADE IN CHINA. Check it out before buying. The ones coming out of China are pure junk; cheap, but junk. Spend the money on one with a Briggs/Stratton or Honda engine. With proper care it will last many years and be available when you need it. I have a 4K Generac and a 10.5K NorthStar. Both units have been great. OK, what am I doing with a 10.5K generator? I just said that 5K will do fine. I’m a wimp when it comes to heat. I don’t want to cower in one room. 10.5K will power my outside 5 ton A/C unit. I hook that baby up, hit the start switch and AHHHHHH, that’s nice.

The easiest way to figure out engine size vs. wattage is the 50% figure. A 10hp engine has a 5K generator attached. There is a built in fudge factor for start up surge that allows for about 6.5K bursts when needed.

OK, you’ve bought a generator. What’s the best way to power the house? You could (like most folks) run extension cords everywhere; functional, but messy. There IS a better way. How about powering the whole house with ONE cord? Not a bad idea. Let’s see how it’s done.

Let me get this straight right from the get-go. My method would not be considered safe by most electricians, but hey, with a little common sense, it’s a piece of cake. So let’s talk about it. All homes have 240VAC coming in from the power company. This is on two (hot) heavy gauge wires along with a neutral wire. These wires go into the breaker box, the 240 is split down the middle with the neutral to give you 2 sets of 115VAC. Hold it, 115 + 115 equals 230, what gives? Don’t dig into it, that’s just the way it is. Some appliances such as electric stoves, ovens, dryers, and A/C units use 240VAC directly. These are considered high draw units that work better with both hot legs present.

Generators that are 4K and larger usually have a 240VAC output along with two or four regular 115VAC plugs. So, the power company puts out 240 and the generator puts out 240. Hmmm, it sure would be nice to use that 240VAC output to feed the house. So without calling an electrician (which can be done fairly cheaply BTW) to wire in a separate outside plug, how about maybe using the dryer plug? Uh? Think about it. The dryer plug is a 240VAC plug wired straight from the breaker box. Couldn’t we BACKFEED the breaker box from that plug? Hell yes we can.

So being the safe little puppies that we are. The first thing we do is throw the main (big) breaker in the box. This separates us from our neighbors and the power company. We then open ALL the smaller breakers in the box (that will be explained in a minute). We walk into the laundry room and pull the dryer out so we can sneak around back. We disconnect the dryer vent hose and shimmy our way outa there. We go outside and get that nice little cord we made up earlier, because like the Boy Scouts “We’re Prepared.” We lift up the outside vent flap and shove the three pronged plug (newer plugs are four) into the house. Back inside we connect it to the house dryer receptacle. Heading back outside, we hook up the four pronged generator 240VAC plug, and pull the starter cord. Got any hearing protection? Ah, forget that, get back inside. Walk straight back to the breaker box. Do you know which breaker pair is the dryer’s? You should. Now, close that set. The box is now hot. Slowly start to throw the smaller breakers on, one at a time. Leave those big 240VAC breakers for the A/C, stove, and oven off. Sorry you can’t use them, too much draw, even with a 5K generator. The reason behind throwing the smaller breakers on one at a time is this; the generator cannot take the whole house in a wham-bam-thank you-mam. Doing one breaker after another, slowly loads the generator.

Now let’s go over some serious stuff. The loads in the house must not be excessive. Depending on what is required, the total draw must not exceed the generator’s rating. If there is a concern about loads, alternate users. Fridges and freezers can be unplugged for a few hours and still stay cold. Just don’t be wasteful and everything will be fine.

Dryer circuit breakers are usually rated at 40 amps. The wiring from the dryer area to the box can handle 40, but NO more. Generators up to about 7.5K can power a house this way. Larger generators should have a separate plug installed outside capable of larger loads.

Back to the safety thing; when the neighbor's lights come on you know your power is back.

THERE IS POWER AT THE MAIN BREAKER. DO NOT CLOSE IT UNTIL THE JUMPER CORD HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GENERATOR AND THE HOUSE DRYER PLUG.

Open the dryer breaker, oops it got dark again, got a flashlight? Go outside and either stop the generator or pull the plug. Remember now, you’re dealing with a cord that has open male pins on both sides. If they are powered and you brush up against them; did I mention the death thing? DISCONNECT THE DRYER PLUG. NOW YOU CAN SAFELY CLOSE THE MAIN BREAKER.

One final note; the jumper cord should be 8 to 10 gauge wire. A possible 40 amps is a lot of juice. The wire has to be able to handle it.

This site is shown as an example of WHAT NOT TO DO! Please do not use it as your installation example.

A printable instruction sheet can be found here. (try landscape mode)