Gen Set

[BBF]

For you Electrician or at least electrical educated people.
Is it possible( I know it blows hell out of the Codes)  to use a Gen set to run low consumption units in a house during a power outage by plugging into an external outlet with a double male extension cord?I wouldn't be concerned about electrical Codes under those circumstances !!
 
We live in a rural area and have been very lucky with only short power outages in recent years. That luck could run out anytime, especially in winter. 
 
The plan would be to get a small Set( 1500 Watt   or-)
 
First step would be to turn off the main breaker in the panel and any circuits that feed into the baseboard heaters and all 220 volt application.
 
All I would need is power for low wattage lights, freezer and fridge, heat tape and a 100 watt heating coil to keep the water system from freezing.
 
We have a wood stove to keep warm and enough propane camping stoves for minimal cooking.
 
Would it work?
 

[TNBilly]

Your basic idea is how I've done it here with the exception I made my "feeder" circuit a dedicated 30 amp 220v line ala a box outside I plug the generator cord into.  My total cost plus my free install time was just over $100.   The reason for going to a 220 line vs. a 110 line is most likely, and for good reason of balancing the load between legs, the appliances you want to run will be spread between the two 110 legs.  If you want to run 110 from the generator then you're just as well off running an extension cord to the individual unit and switching it around as needed IMHO.

[curteric]

TNBilly is right about balancing the load, if you have a 220 volt gen set, and that is the way I would do it, if I had a 220 volt set. I just have a 1000 watt, 110 volt, set.  It won't do more than one thing at a time,so I do just what you are proposing. I turn on a light in the garage window (separate building, wired from the pole not the house), So I know when the power comes back. I turn off the house main breaker. I then turn off all breakers except the one that goes to the outside outlet. I then turn on one breaker at a time as needed to power what I want. It's easier to flip breakers than to move the fridge and freezer to plug them into an extension cord. The furnace doesn't have a cord end it's wired direct.
Also when we have power outages it's usually in the winter and the temps can be below 0 deg. I don't need an open door or window for a cord. I really should buy a gen set with an automatic transfer switch. I'm just to cheap.
Curt

 

[BBF]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't seen a small Gen Set that had an 220 V outlet.
That would be great since my waterpump needs that voltage. We can do with bottled water, use the bathtub for a pee and we have a camp stool device gizmo for any No. 2 business at hand.
 
I have to rely on the neighbor to tell me when the power is on again since everything electric for me comes into one panel.

[powderman]

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,239223.0.html
 
 
BBF. Theres a lot of info on gennys here, check it out. POWDERMAN. 

[efremtags]

You can do what you are suggesting as long as no 120V appliances are on. You need use a 4-prong plug ans short the 2 hot lines togetehr so you feed both phases in the breaker panel. I did this with a 3000W 120V honda inverter. I used a transfer switch though,

They realy don't make a genset smaller than 5500W in 240V. Someone should.

You could buy a cheap auto transformer for $150 on ebay to convert your 120 to a 240 in case you have a well pump or other load that needs 240.

I highly recomend a transfer switch, prevents bad things from accidentally happening.

[PowPow]

...plugging into an external outlet with a double male extension cord...

The safety concern is someone, who may not have any business around your house, not knowing that male plug going to the house is hot and getting across it. The next concern would be that they have heirs and the heirs have lawyers.
I saw one at a fellow church member's house, where the hot plug and receptacle were locked in a lockable electrical box, (not as safe as doing it per code either, but at least it reduced the opportunity for someone to get into it.)

[BBF]

I'm very aware of the safety issue here. We are only a two person household. I could run the gen set output into a lockable minibarn that has a seperate breaker in the house panel.No decision has been made on the purchase of the gen set at this time.
 
Thanks for all the replies.