I am an HVAC and a refrigeration tech. During the Y2K scare I converted furnaces very simply so that a homeowner could unplug his furnace from the grid and plug it into an extension cord that went to a standby generator. It is very easy to do.
What you did is against the NEC. Why do you think they are not wired like that to begin with? You should go back to every single one of those changes and repair them as to their original installation.
@@nicksnyder7344 I believe they’re referring to (on a gas furnace) switching the hot but not mechanically disconnecting the neutral, thereby not preventing back feed from returning to the panel and to the transformer?
@@nicksnyder7344 Heating systems, either gas, propane or oil cannot be fed with a cord attachment from the unit. Otherwise, it would come from the factory with a cord like a refrigerator. Feeding a unit during a power outage must be done thru an approved transfer system with a label. Even a licensed electrician is not allowed to circumvent the code, losing your license and then Insurance companies can really make your life miserable should there be an issue. A prime example was a homeowner back feeding his dryer receptacle for the entire house during an outage, A fire started with in the wall and burnt the house down. Insurance company claimed it was negligence and refused to pay the claim, I don't know the final outcome.
Having a way to power your furnace during a power outage is great. On 2-23-23 we had an ice storm and caused lots of damage, some were without power for 3 nights. I had installed a DPDT switch on the furnace last year and it came in handy last week, slept warm and did not worry about frozen pipes.
The EZ Generator Switch is a much better solution than the home brew in your earlier video. They are well made, come with documentation and you could assemble your own but you would spend more time finding all of the parts etc.
[edit] EZ Switch rep explains elsewhere in these comments that the cheap version elsewhere on Amazon is an illegal imitation that isn't safety tested at all, and wired wrong to boot. Either factor would change everything, much less both. I am buying the real deal EZ Switch when I buy one of these. ******* Original Post ********* Agreed. This is essentially the exact same thing I recommended at the time, except at a higher cost, b/c it includes all the pigtails and has detailed directions. The good news is, if you follow an affiliate link, then buy ANYTHING that Amazon session, the affiliate gets the exact same "finder's fee" percentage.
I bought those wago lever nuts a few months back and I couldn't be more impressed. I used them on a kitchen light install and was thoroughly impressed because I was dealing with solid core strand wire mix to connect. The wago's are agnostic to that and saved me a bunch of time. Ordering the Klein Tools bit driver next.
I installed the EZ Generator Switch a couple of months ago on my boiler as I did not want to risk having the pipes and radiators freeze. Used it for the first time last week when the power was out for a day. Some areas around us had been out for weeks. The EZ Generator Switch is well made in the USA.
I removed the switch added a power cord to my furnace and a single outlet in a 2 x 4 box where the switch was. Plug my furnace in during normal times to the single dedicated circuit outlet same as it was before. Then during a outage I can just unplug it from that outlet and plug it into my generator drop cord. No special boxes or parts needed and serves the same purpose. Works great. I converted mine to this when I lost power for several hours I’m a winter storm years ago.
My EZ Generator switch is installed. Presently the boiler is being powered with my Bluetti AC200P power station. It was necessary to convert the switch for a FLOATING NEUTRAL generator. The conversion was easy to do with the instructions packaged with the unit. As a test, I have been powering the boiler with the Bluetti all afternoon. With 1 heat zone running, the boiler is pulling 227 watts from the Bluetti. With 2 heat zones running, the wattage increases to 311. When the boiler is making on demand hot water, the wattage is 132. I am beyond impressed with the EZ Generator Switch as well as excited to know that in case of a power failure, I will have heat and hot water.
Thank you for that. I ordered the ECO-FLOW Gen and going to do the same thing. Not cheap, but clean energy and stays in the basement. Will use it to run the sump pump too. This transfer switch is the key.
It should be noted that the new metal electrical box he’s attaching is a deep box or what we refer to as an SPD box. Most are around 2 1/2 inches deep and will allow for more room for the switching and wires on new device. We always use them for GFI’s, makes life easier. Should also be noted to use an inverter (although pricy) generator. Circuit boards and electronics hate high distorted harmonics which is the case for regular generators.
Very nice presentation. Great voice. Liked your caution about letting the furnace cool down before switching generator power OFF, although IF line power has been restored, it would seem using the switch on the EZ unit would sufficiently protect the furnace. Still, this was a very excellent safety note. Perhaps including the device electrical diagram would also also provide clarity for many of us. Thank you!
Hi Dave I installed your home designed switch and it works great. My question is on your generator. I saw the one you have at Costco and almost bought it, but was worried about damaging the circuit board controller in the furnace with the output not being a sine wave. So I bought a 2500 watt inverter generator that has pure sine wave output. This works perfect and is very quiet. I had to replace the circuit board once after mice did some chewing on the wires for the AC. That was a $400 repair. I understand some generators have a cleaner output voltage than others. Even my fridge and dishwasher have electronic control circuit boards. Thanks again for the great videos you do. You are such a honest person. Like you said so many trades people try to rip you off in to days world. I have learned so much from you. Take care and keep your videos coming. PS I was to Salt Lake city a few years ago and loved it, even the 3.2 beer.
I have done essentially the same thing. Have a 5500 watt _non inverter generator_ to power things like motors, lights, electric blankets, coffee pot, elec skillet and griddles, etc. The inverter generator (2500 watt duel/fuel) is for the furnace and electonics (TV, computers, routers for internet). Would be a shame if a non inverter generator smoked a sensitive board in the furnace and other sensitive electronics, then when power came back on, you'd have to wait for HVAC folks to replace the board.
Excellent response. Having a QUIET INVERTER generator is the only way to go. A lot of people don't know that the clean power an inverter genny gives you is essential to keep from damaging anything electronic, which is MOST appliances these days
I put a "outlet box" in line between the furnace and the service panel. Male end plug on the furnace wire, plugged into the outlet box. About $3 in parts and a half hour installation. Unplug furnace from outlet box and plug into extension cord to the generator. 👍
Not wanting to gloat or be an arse but....we bought a woodstove to stay warm but also cook. Not a cheap option necessarily but it comes in handy when multiple days of power outages happen. That said, great job. I will ne looking to do thst once my shop gets set up from having bern a garage.
I recently installed a similar Generator Transfer Switch. I installed it inline with the electric utility line before it gets to the furnace. I attached two small switch size boxes. One on both sides using conduit to the generator box. One was to make the connections black & white for power coming from normal position - power from utility company. One was to make connections black & white going to the load (furnace). All boxes were grounded. I mounted on wood & attached to a beam in my basement. I did not have to mess with wires on.or in the furnace at all. I think my method is less intimidating to a DIY person.
Having a car battery + inverter do this job is much more subtle. Does not need a noisy generator. You can charge the battery with a dedicated 50-watt solar panel daily on some lost roof spot somewhere. Best thing would be an old UPS (Using a 12v/24v car battery) in the middle that does everything seemless without the hassle of switching back and forth or the need of a solar panel. Maybe something you could try for us.
Thank you for the home brew video you made; I followed it and doing so I was able to keep my family warm during an ice storm power outage a few days ago. The home brew pig tail version also allowed me to have room for the Aprilaire 700 plug on the 4 gang box ( I added an expansion box to give more wiring room, $4.).
Very nice. On your gas fuel line coming down to the heater with black iron ell. You need a tee there for a drip. That will provent any scale going into your heater, which could block your gas valve on the heater.
I was laid-off from Bethlehem steel forf 1 year. Got a job on Conrail .1976 the winter storm hit! I made a lot of money! 16 hour days! Shovel alot of snow! I went back to Bethlehem office job. Of course!
If I really need heat from my genset I'll just run an mc to it in about 30 minutes and be done. This is a really cool option for people who lose electricity frequently
When I wired my garage, I ran all the wiring underground, in plastic conduit. I ran an unconnected romex from my house to the garage. I then wired a box, in the garage, so I can run an extension cord to the garage box. In the house, the end of the romex is wired into a mounted box. This way I don't have extension cords running through a door and down stairs. I was going disconnect the furnace (from the panel) to temporarily (in the event of power loss) wire a plug on the furnace. This is a better, safer way to power it.
You don't need us fancy gizmo I simply put an extension cord on the internal power of the furnace and then took my switch and made it into a wall plug I plugged the furnace into the wall plug when I'm normal power and then when I loose power I unplug that and plug it in to an extension cord going into my generator is all the power It works great
Install a ventless Gas Fireplace insert instead. Heats my whole house when power goes out.. no messing with generators .. and it's nice to have a working fireplace.
I basically wired in a heavy duty appliance extension cord to the junction box for my boiler. I simply isolated that connection back to my main panel by shutting off that circuit breaker.
If you have a floating neutral generator the switch may need to be reconfigured so that the neutral is not switched. As was posted before without a bonded neutral some furnaces might not work and from my understanding this is the proper way to get the bond. please correct me if I'm wrong. EZ has a good video on their channel on how to reconfigure. My ez switch is at the main panel and I use the ecoflow delta 2
I think the most common generators (either open frame or inverters) are *Unbonded* This may necessitate bonding the neutral to existing panel wiring style. That's been my experience. That way only the black (hot) wire needs to be switched on a SPDT style switch. But EZ Gen shows options for both option - Floating Neutral or Bonded Neutral
I find this box expensive but your other video's show cheaper options :) This stuff is fun & great to do because it gives confidents in being prepared,... At my old house & simply changed a Junction Box where the Boiler was wired to an outlet with plug to run the Hot Water Heat with an inverter,... This house I wire an outdoor Generator Inlet Box directly to a 20 amp double outlet inside the house to make a dedicated Generator outlet to run Fridge, Freezer, TV, Internet & Pellet Stove & this cost me maybe $60 to do :)
Finally got whole home interlock installed and installed soft start on one of the central AC units. I can run the whole house on predator 8750 inverter along with AC on one floor of the house.
Today on a new Gavin's Garage channel in the comments he mentioned that Genmax will soon be putting out a 9000 watt inverter genny that is TRI-FUEL , so with a gas line connection you can have a whole house solution without refilling gas or even propane. YUM!
@@BradiKal61 I may install the motor snorkel kit to go NG. Have to see if the gas line in my garage where the water heater connects can provide enough flow to run it.
I just removed the power going to the furnace by cutting it and turning that power line into a 120V single gang outlet. Then added a power cord with male plug to the furnace. When commercial power is on, the plug goes in the outlet. When power goes out you unplug then your generators extension cord is plugged into the furnace male plug. Basically the same thing you would do if your power goes out in summer and want to run your refrigerator.
I like the idea of having the EZ Generator switch in the boiler closet ready to go in case we lose power. In our case, if we lose power, we not only lose heat, but we also lose hot water (on demand). I would use my Bluetti AC200P to power the boiler. I'm going to order one of these, and feel that peace of mind is worth the the price of $96.00 .
@@diyhvacguy Dave, after opening up the various boxes in the boiler closet, and taking photos of the connections, I ordered an EZ Generator Switch and the box of assorted WAGO connectors from the links in your video description. They should arrive by Tuesday of next week! Needless to say, I am excited about this project which will ensure that we will have heat and hot water during a power failure. Thanks again for all that you to help make peoples' lives easier and safer.
The beauty of a forced air gas furnace is that the electric load is pretty small because it only powers the fan. All the heating energy comes from the gas supply, which is not cut during a power outage . because the electricity requirement is low only a small generator is needed to run the blower and keep your house warm. A few months ago during a heavy snowstorm My neighbor and I lost power for about a day and I ended up rewiring both our furnace blower power so that the leads to the blower had a male extension cord plug and the house supply ended with a female plug. Now , under normal conditions my furnace blower is plugged into the house plug but if we lose power then I pull the plug and use an extension cord from my 4500 watt inverter generator to run the blower. The disconnect rig as shown in this video runs about 90 bucks but is really the best way to go if you want to spend the money. I was in a hurry to get the furnace running so I went the cheap route. Someday I'll do it right but in the meantime it works fine even if its not code. We rarely lose power so its not like Im constantly having to repatch power to the furnace all the time.
How do you find the startup and running amps (load) for your gas furnace and blower? I need to see if my generator has the capacity, or if the solar battery pack I’m eyeing will run the gas furnace and blower. Thank you in advance!
@hollandjones2957 look up the furnace manual for your make and model. Find horse power of motor and convert to watts using formula. Control board is probably negligible.
Same as I suggested in a comment on an earlier video and most building suply big box stores carry the junction box and cover as well as the female plug and double pole double throw switch so it's easy DIY unit depending on the price of the factory built one if it's under 30$ it's easier to just buy the unit anything more it's how comfortable you are with DIY
@@ezgeneratorswitch4u if it makes before it.breaks that means the first power supply is still live when you turn on the second one at that point you have 2 120. circuit's feeding 1; appliance. and not insink a double pole double throw turns off both the hot and the neutral from one circuit before it turns on the second hot and neutral
@@douglaswindsor120 I promise as a Licensed electrician and a teacher for the NEC. A double pole double throw center position off (make before break) switch is what is required for a transfer switch.
So I have done this. My “generator” is a battery with a 2700 W inverter, plenty of power to run the 15 amp circuit. For some reason the oil burner won’t start up. It’s not that it tries and fails, but rather never even tries. Is there some sort of grounding issue that is preventing some circuitry from seeing the “generator?”
I know I'm a little late on comments , but this hookup using a generator with floating neutral should be different right. Neutral from gen should be hooked to load white and feed white . Ignore hooking up the second white wire. Gen will then be bonded to one place and not 2 places.
Ideally, you would want the circuits for the furnace, the refrigerator and whatever else you want on emergency power such as your water heater and a few lights on a sub panel with a "transfer switch" with a run out to an external socket for the generator outside your home so that you can avoid the carbon monoxide risks of running a generator. Now, with the possibility of running emergency power from an inverter plugged into the DC fast charge ports of an EV, you may want the generator port in your garage with an extension to the outside so you have the option of installing the backup power equipment of whatever EV you might buy in the future. You can find kits if the sub panel, transfer switch and external socket from hardware stores such as Home Depot for about $800 but running the wires could vary depending on the location of your main circuit panel. If you have solar panels, you may want to see what could be done there and have the run pass through an area where you would have space for a battery bank, solar charger and inverter.
What you just described is just a transfer switch. Your analogy to solar is not going to work though unless you have a battery bank which easily doubles the cost of a system.... and if you have a battery bank why are you worried about emergency power? Modern solar systems are designed so that if main power is dead so is your solar.
It takes a long cord to get from the generator to the furnace, and some people who don’t know better might be tempted to put the generator in the basement, close to the furnace. DO NOT DO THAT. Generators make carbon monoxide and can kill you if run indoors. Every winter, there’s stories about people who ran generators indoors and died. Always keep the generator outside when it’s running. Also, if you’re not comfortable with doing the wiring or not sure, have a professional do it. I’m a retired HVAC service tech. I’ve seen people botch generator wiring and damage their furnace. Keep warm, but be safe.
For a dust cover buy an inexpensive cord connector; which is what a receptacle is called when it is on the end of a flexible cord; with a cylindrical shell and tighten the cord grip all the way closed. Place in on the fixed pins of your inlet connector and Voila you have your dust cover. If you want it to be more bug and dust tight then take your cord connector over to the plumbing section of an appropriate store and find which pipe cap will fit over the back of the connector. If you find one that is made of rubber or silicon that will just grip the shell of connector then move it down from the cord grip end until it comes into contact with the flanged inlet when the connector is placed on the pins. That will be completely bug tight and still be very easy to use. Tom Horne
Just cut the wire from the power box to the furnace and put a plug on it a male and female plug and it work the same way as you did for under ten bucks
Stock the EZ Generator Switch come set up for a bonded neutral generator. The Firman generator is a bonded neutral so that part is correct. It means it will switch not only the hot but the neutral leads. You will need to have a proper ground rod installed for the generator in the case of a ground fault. I don't see that you did that. If you modified the switch to be set up for a floating neutral generator then you can use the existing grounding rod for your panel as the earth ground for the generator. One more note, if you have not run that Firman generator at all, it is highly recommended that you run it on gasoline for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours before running it on any gaseous fuel and change the oil. This gives the engine a chance to establish its wear patterns on the piston rings and cylinder walls. Changing the engine oil within the first 5-6 hrs makes sure you do not leave those metal contaminants from the wear in process to cause premature damage and failure to that engine. Most people forget this step and they wonder why the generator doesn't last very long. Great video and information, I thought about getting this switch just for the furnace but wound up going with a 10 circuit transfer switch for small appliances and an interlock breaker to handle the heavier loads like the electric hot water heater.
Do they recommend plugging the generator while the switch is in "Generator" position? I would have set it to off, plug it in, then switch it to generator, so that I decrease any chance for arc'ing while plugging in the extension cord.
I havent watched all the way thru yet, but wasnt the problem with connecting a stand-alone battery or generator to the furnace an issue with the furnace ground for the electronics not recognizing a ground connecting to a battery or generator and the furnace doesnt work? If I remember from another video, the furnace had to be grounded to the main panel's ground
Okay followed your link and find it quite costly up here in Canada first they say add over 20 $ for shipping and another charge neither is the GST or over 25 %added for our lower dollar parts at my local building suply store is around 30.$50 at most I'm going to price it out next time I'm in town may have to wait until I'm in the city as our farm suply store has limited products and I doubt either Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire carrys the switch or male plug
Does using a Dual Pole Dual Throw (DPDT) switch accomplish the same thing to isolate the two power sources (house power and generator power) as the device shown? In other words, if I use a DPDT switch with house power coming in, generator extension cord coming in, and the output goes to the gas-fueled heater do I still have the same benefit and safety?
I didn't see where you connected up the original equipment ground inside the furnace. All of them need to be bonded. An argument could be made that the jbox mounting screws provided the bonding but just as strong a case can be had for having both.
Can you plug that EZ Generator Switch to a Solar "generator" like the Bluetti AC200 Max? My house already has a transfer switch for our gas generator. But during the January 2024 arctic blast or whatever snow dump, we found out that we could not use the gas generator because there was like 2 feet of snow in our yard.
I like that propane and gas generator that’s pretty cool I only use propane for my heat that be awesome to have the hook up that way I can still use the gas from the propane that is pretty awesome I like it that was pretty good I like it because I’m trying to get off grid right now because we keep losing power because of storms people hit polls knocking powerline down this time again this year we had us severe thunderstorms not trees down broker power pole now we had no power for five days and I’m sick of it
Oh another question should you have one of those on your panels power panels when the power is off are you going to make sure you shut all the power off to the furnace as Aiko a block that you can’t turn it on because the powers off to run just you I’m talking about what you column you to put on your panel outside because you’re getting a power do you wanna make sure the power somebody don’t come by and turn it on it stops on turn it on by accident
I have a larger, dual-fuel Firman. When connecting to my "whole house" generator panel, it only yields a "click click" noise from my newer gas-furnace. I'm wondering if adding a capacitor to the branch circuit might help, or if only hope = pure sine wave inverter.
With regards to the ominous sounding warning of a cracked heat exchanger: should I contact my electric utility to let them know not to have power outages when my furnace is mid-cycle?
Eh. One, you should probably leave the transfer switch "off" until after you plug in the generator. And you should switch it back (either off or back to line) before stopping it
After watching this video I purchased an EZ Generator switch. There are instructions with it that show modifying it for use with a generator that has a floating neutral. I see that you did not do this. Is there a reason for not using the modification that the manufacturer suggests? Does a floating neutral on the generator affect the installation and operation? Thanks.
My generator has a floating neutral, people with a floating neutral have to do a minor reconfig, basically remove the two long whites and replace the short white with one of the long whites.
Oink to go the time and expense of installing this why not install generator connection? I recently installed a 30 amp receptacle for my generator and an Interlock ,safety switch at the main service panel. I can run all essentials and a few additional circuits with our 9000/7250 generator. Including the 10/3 wire (50' as I installed receptacle in attached garage and panel is in basement) I spent less than $200.
I love this one. Nothing to unplug, and it has a built in fuse and a nice three way switch. It’s more expensive but definitely preferred. It also looks BA 🤣
@diyhvacguy Thanks again for this video. I finally did this install today...piece of cake thanks to your video and the instructions that came with the kit. I did have to modify it for the floating ground but it was straightforward.
Thanks for the video, but this doesn't make sense to me. I understand the concept but if you have a generator at least with the size shown or even smaller that provides 120 volts only, why not just wire it into the transfer switch panel and you will have the furnace and as well as few other critical needs, fridge, lights etc. The EZ switch is over $100, for little extra, you can do so much more with a small transfer switch. Also, the wire remains outside and don't have to run a wire through the door to the basement creating a trip hazard.
I have a small Champion 2500W floating neutral inverter generator. Can I just leave the EZ Generator Switch (as it comes as for bonded) and just plug it a Generator neutral- grounding Plug to make the generator bonded to work? Or do I need change the switch around? Thanks
Here is the issue with 240 volts/ well pumps. First your generator must be able to have a 30-amp outlet, you then need an adapter for that outlet reduced to 20 amps @ 240 volts. Then your extension cord (12 gauge or larger) needs to have 20 amp (Nema 6-20P) installed on it. You will probably never find a cord with those ends. Once you make a cord yourself obviously there will be no label (ETL or =) To make matters worse depending on the size of the pump you may need a soft start for that motor, so you don't kill your generator. Motor start up can be tricky, and more important....where is your protection for that well pump motor? Cook that motor and you are looking at a costly repair. That's my 2 cents.
All you need is 30 amps to run a normal house get a twistlock plug that matches the generator or back feed through your dryer outlet if possible just make a long cord and only turn off your main and only turn on what’s necessary like furnace- refrigerator and some general lights/outlets
Question I just found out which outer I could probably could can’t remember that is that a 15 amp extension cord did they make bigger or shorter you need a 15 amp number eight wire right
It accomplishes the same thing, this one just has a three-way switch, and the built-in fuse which is nice. Plus it’s prettier ha ha. If you’ve already got the $10 set up, I showed him the other video and it works good, then I did just stick with that.
Thank you so much. We have had so many power outages for days on end - people freezing in their own houses for up to a week. I am sharing this with everyone know and will get this done for my 1000 watt electric generator (with solar panels). I feel good about staying warm how much power would I need for ac?
Thanks so much! So to run your ac you definitely need a 220v generator and what’s called a soft start to lower the initial startup amps, I’ll be doing a video on that soon so stay tuned!
@@diyhvacguy I also would like to use only electric generators that recharge with solar. I have been talking my small set ups to neighbors for internet and lights. I have two 1000 watt batteries with 2 100 watt solar panels. They both were surprised how well they are working. The goal is to have back ups for both cold and heat running on affordable solar.
He wouldn't need a 220V generator or soft-start units if he only wants to power 120V window a/c units (not central a/c). We use a couple window a/c units (LG-branded with internal inverters) and can power either of them with a battery unit. Start up power is around 800W with our window a/c's, so one of these in your MBR can allow you to sleep well in sweltering weather. Not a whole home solution, though.
I am an HVAC and a refrigeration tech. During the Y2K scare I converted furnaces very simply so that a homeowner could unplug his furnace from the grid and plug it into an extension cord that went to a standby generator. It is very easy to do.
What you did is against the NEC. Why do you think they are not wired like that to begin with? You should go back to every single one of those changes and repair them as to their original installation.
@@ezgeneratorswitch4u Can you please explain. Thanks
@@nicksnyder7344 I believe they’re referring to (on a gas furnace) switching the hot but not mechanically disconnecting the neutral, thereby not preventing back feed from returning to the panel and to the transformer?
@@kimberHD45 No, Referring to a cord and plug attachement
@@nicksnyder7344 Heating systems, either gas, propane or oil cannot be fed with a cord attachment from the unit. Otherwise, it would come from the factory with a cord like a refrigerator. Feeding a unit during a power outage must be done thru an approved transfer system with a label. Even a licensed electrician is not allowed to circumvent the code, losing your license and then Insurance companies can really make your life miserable should there be an issue. A prime example was a homeowner back feeding his dryer receptacle for the entire house during an outage, A fire started with in the wall and burnt the house down. Insurance company claimed it was negligence and refused to pay the claim, I don't know the final outcome.
Having a way to power your furnace during a power outage is great. On 2-23-23 we had an ice storm and caused lots of damage, some were without power for 3 nights. I had installed a DPDT switch on the furnace last year and it came in handy last week, slept warm and did not worry about frozen pipes.
The EZ Generator Switch is a much better solution than the home brew in your earlier video. They are well made, come with documentation and you could assemble your own but you would spend more time finding all of the parts etc.
[edit] EZ Switch rep explains elsewhere in these comments that the cheap version elsewhere on Amazon is an illegal imitation that isn't safety tested at all, and wired wrong to boot. Either factor would change everything, much less both.
I am buying the real deal EZ Switch when I buy one of these.
******* Original Post *********
Agreed. This is essentially the exact same thing I recommended at the time, except at a higher cost, b/c it includes all the pigtails and has detailed directions.
The good news is, if you follow an affiliate link, then buy ANYTHING that Amazon session, the affiliate gets the exact same "finder's fee" percentage.
I like the full isolation switching for both feeds that saves people by protecting from confused hot/neutral wiring in some DIYer homes.
One thing I noticed. You should shut all the switches off before connecting any live service line (i.e. extension cords). Prevents any arcing
Good tip about finishing the cycle to let the exhanger cool! 👍🏻👍🏻
I bought those wago lever nuts a few months back and I couldn't be more impressed. I used them on a kitchen light install and was thoroughly impressed because I was dealing with solid core strand wire mix to connect. The wago's are agnostic to that and saved me a bunch of time. Ordering the Klein Tools bit driver next.
I installed the EZ Generator Switch a couple of months ago on my boiler as I did not want to risk having the pipes and radiators freeze. Used it for the first time last week when the power was out for a day. Some areas around us had been out for weeks. The EZ Generator Switch is well made in the USA.
Gonna take a long time for the pipes to "freeze" then some more time to split.
@@stancoleshill8925 24 hrs
@@ezgeneratorswitch4u Just ask all those TX guys with frozen busted pipes couple of years ago.
I removed the switch added a power cord to my furnace and a single outlet in a 2 x 4 box where the switch was. Plug my furnace in during normal times to the single dedicated circuit outlet same as it was before. Then during a outage I can just unplug it from that outlet and plug it into my generator drop cord. No special boxes or parts needed and serves the same purpose. Works great. I converted mine to this when I lost power for several hours I’m a winter storm years ago.
Have you tested it? I'm told many furnaces won't work if they're not bonded to Neutral
My EZ Generator switch is installed. Presently the boiler is being powered with my Bluetti AC200P power station. It was necessary to convert the switch for a FLOATING NEUTRAL generator. The conversion was easy to do with the instructions packaged with the unit. As a test, I have been powering the boiler with the Bluetti all afternoon. With 1 heat zone running, the boiler is pulling 227 watts from the Bluetti. With 2 heat zones running, the wattage increases to 311. When the boiler is making on demand hot water, the wattage is 132. I am beyond impressed with the EZ Generator Switch as well as excited to know that in case of a power failure, I will have heat and hot water.
Thank You , he did a great job on the video!
@@ezgeneratorswitch4u Yes, Dave did a fine job on that video. And YOU have a FINE PRODUCT!! Your EZ Generator Switch has bought us peace of mind.
@@lynx93tk Thank you!
Thank you for that. I ordered the ECO-FLOW Gen and going to do the same thing. Not cheap, but clean energy and stays in the basement. Will use it to run the sump pump too. This transfer switch is the key.
It should be noted that the new metal electrical box he’s attaching is a deep box or what we refer to as an SPD box. Most are around 2 1/2 inches deep and will allow for more room for the switching and wires on new device. We always use them for GFI’s, makes life easier. Should also be noted to use an inverter (although pricy) generator. Circuit boards and electronics hate high distorted harmonics which is the case for regular generators.
Local inspector might like that better than my pigtail. Glad you mentioned not a hard power change. Only happens to me when power goes out.
Very nice presentation. Great voice. Liked your caution about letting the furnace cool down before switching generator power OFF, although IF line power has been restored, it would seem using the switch on the EZ unit would sufficiently protect the furnace. Still, this was a very excellent safety note. Perhaps including the device electrical diagram would also also provide clarity for many of us. Thank you!
Hi Dave I installed your home designed switch and it works great. My question is on your generator. I saw the one you have at Costco and almost bought it, but was worried about damaging the circuit board controller in the furnace with the output not being a sine wave. So I bought a 2500 watt inverter generator that has pure sine wave output. This works perfect and is very quiet. I had to replace the circuit board once after mice did some chewing on the wires for the AC. That was a $400 repair. I understand some generators have a cleaner output voltage than others. Even my fridge and dishwasher have electronic control circuit boards. Thanks again for the great videos you do. You are such a honest person. Like you said so many trades people try to rip you off in to days world. I have learned so much from you. Take care and keep your videos coming. PS I was to Salt Lake city a few years ago and loved it, even the 3.2 beer.
Lol the beer situation is getting better pretty quickly :) thanks for the kind words! Cheers
I have done essentially the same thing. Have a 5500 watt _non inverter generator_ to power things like motors, lights, electric blankets, coffee pot, elec skillet and griddles, etc. The inverter generator (2500 watt duel/fuel) is for the furnace and electonics (TV, computers, routers for internet). Would be a shame if a non inverter generator smoked a sensitive board in the furnace and other sensitive electronics, then when power came back on, you'd have to wait for HVAC folks to replace the board.
Excellent response. Having a QUIET INVERTER generator is the only way to go. A lot of people don't know that the clean power an inverter genny gives you is essential to keep from damaging anything electronic, which is MOST appliances these days
I put a "outlet box" in line between the furnace and the service panel.
Male end plug on the furnace wire, plugged into the outlet box. About $3 in parts and a half hour installation.
Unplug furnace from outlet box and plug into extension cord to the generator. 👍
Have you tested it? I'm told many furnaces won't work if they're not bonded to Neutral
@@lloydrmc
Absolutely,
Working perfectly
Not wanting to gloat or be an arse but....we bought a woodstove to stay warm but also cook. Not a cheap option necessarily but it comes in handy when multiple days of power outages happen. That said, great job. I will ne looking to do thst once my shop gets set up from having bern a garage.
I recently installed a similar Generator Transfer Switch.
I installed it inline with the electric utility line before it gets to the furnace.
I attached two small switch size boxes. One on both sides using conduit to the generator box.
One was to make the connections black & white for power coming from normal position - power from utility company.
One was to make connections black & white going to the load (furnace).
All boxes were grounded.
I mounted on wood & attached to a beam in my basement.
I did not have to mess with wires on.or in the furnace at all.
I think my method is less intimidating to a DIY person.
Having a car battery + inverter do this job is much more subtle. Does not need a noisy generator. You can charge the battery with a dedicated 50-watt solar panel daily on some lost roof spot somewhere. Best thing would be an old UPS (Using a 12v/24v car battery) in the middle that does everything seemless without the hassle of switching back and forth or the need of a solar panel. Maybe something you could try for us.
Electric cars have a big enough battery to ride out a multiple day outage.
Thank you for the home brew video you made; I followed it and doing so I was able to keep my family warm during an ice storm power outage a few days ago. The home brew pig tail version also allowed me to have room for the Aprilaire 700 plug on the 4 gang box ( I added an expansion box to give more wiring room, $4.).
Awesome! Glad you found it helpful!
. I really like that you mentioned the transition time when changing away from the generator
Very nice. On your gas fuel line coming down to the heater with black iron ell. You need a tee there for a drip. That will provent any scale going into your heater, which could block your gas valve on the heater.
Sediment trap.
I was laid-off from Bethlehem steel forf 1 year. Got a job on Conrail .1976 the winter storm hit! I made a lot of money! 16 hour days! Shovel alot of snow! I went back to Bethlehem office job. Of course!
If I really need heat from my genset I'll just run an mc to it in about 30 minutes and be done. This is a really cool option for people who lose electricity frequently
When I wired my garage, I ran all the wiring underground, in plastic conduit. I ran an unconnected romex from my house to the garage. I then wired a box, in the garage, so I can run an extension cord to the garage box. In the house, the end of the romex is wired into a mounted box. This way I don't have extension cords running through a door and down stairs. I was going disconnect the furnace (from the panel) to temporarily (in the event of power loss) wire a plug on the furnace. This is a better, safer way to power it.
It is an elegant solution to get emergency power to your furnace. If I didn't already got the parts for your previous D.I.Y. I would be tempted.
Previous DIY solution might back feed, which could injure or kill utility personnel during a power outage. Please check on this.
You don't need us fancy gizmo I simply put an extension cord on the internal power of the furnace and then took my switch and made it into a wall plug I plugged the furnace into the wall plug when I'm normal power and then when I loose power I unplug that and plug it in to an extension cord going into my generator is all the power It works great
I had an electrician install two of these exact switches! One for my furnace, and one for my freezer.
That is nice, I have a generator because we have a sump pump in the basement and need that to run if the electric goes off during a rain storm.
Just a pigtail and a duplex outlet, isiot proof, easy, cheap and guarentees one power source with no backfeed. KISS
Nice! I recommended this in your first video. This is correct way to go about it.
Thanks for the recommendation :) cheers
Install a ventless Gas Fireplace insert instead. Heats my whole house when power goes out.. no messing with generators .. and it's nice to have a working fireplace.
Hey-Hey! Your excellent video ex😊Line this very well. Straight forward, worked great. Thank you so much, we are ready for winter 2024-2025! 👏👏👏
I basically wired in a heavy duty appliance extension cord to the junction box for my boiler. I simply isolated that connection back to my main panel by shutting off that circuit breaker.
If you have a floating neutral generator the switch may need to be reconfigured so that the neutral is not switched. As was posted before without a bonded neutral some furnaces might not work and from my understanding this is the proper way to get the bond. please correct me if I'm wrong. EZ has a good video on their channel on how to reconfigure. My ez switch is at the main panel and I use the ecoflow delta 2
Great point! especially with battery/inverter style generators
Thanks for this, I have the Delta 2 as well and am planning to install the EZ Transfer switch
I think the most common generators (either open frame or inverters) are *Unbonded* This may necessitate bonding the neutral to existing panel wiring style. That's been my experience. That way only the black (hot) wire needs to be switched on a SPDT style switch. But EZ Gen shows options for both option - Floating Neutral or Bonded Neutral
Grillin' and Not Chillin' lol Nice job on the chicken and even better with teaching us this instal. Thanks brother!
I find this box expensive but your other video's show cheaper options :)
This stuff is fun & great to do because it gives confidents in being prepared,... At my old house & simply changed a Junction Box where the Boiler was wired to an outlet with plug to run the Hot Water Heat with an inverter,... This house I wire an outdoor Generator Inlet Box directly to a 20 amp double outlet inside the house to make a dedicated Generator outlet to run Fridge, Freezer, TV, Internet & Pellet Stove & this cost me maybe $60 to do :)
If one is fortunate enough to own a Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, both have 120volt 1800 watt inverters that will run that heater many days!
Finally got whole home interlock installed and installed soft start on one of the central AC units. I can run the whole house on predator 8750 inverter along with AC on one floor of the house.
Nice! I’m hoping to get that setup soon on my place.
Today on a new Gavin's Garage channel in the comments he mentioned that Genmax will soon be putting out a 9000 watt inverter genny that is TRI-FUEL , so with a gas line connection you can have a whole house solution without refilling gas or even propane. YUM!
@@BradiKal61 I may install the motor snorkel kit to go NG. Have to see if the gas line in my garage where the water heater connects can provide enough flow to run it.
I just removed the power going to the furnace by cutting it and turning that power line into a 120V single gang outlet.
Then added a power cord with male plug to the furnace. When commercial power is on, the plug goes in the outlet. When power goes out you unplug then your generators extension cord is plugged into the furnace male plug. Basically the same thing you would do if your power goes out in summer and want to run your refrigerator.
Have you tested it? I'm told many furnaces won't work if they're not bonded to Neutral
I like the idea of having the EZ Generator switch in the boiler closet ready to go in case we lose power. In our case, if we lose power, we not only lose heat, but we also lose hot water (on demand). I would use my Bluetti AC200P to power the boiler. I'm going to order one of these, and feel that peace of mind is worth the the price of $96.00 .
There is a link to them in the video description 👍🏼 cheers
@@diyhvacguy Dave, after opening up the various boxes in the boiler closet, and taking photos of the connections, I ordered an EZ Generator Switch and the box of assorted WAGO connectors from the links in your video description. They should arrive by Tuesday of next week! Needless to say, I am excited about this project which will ensure that we will have heat and hot water during a power failure. Thanks again for all that you to help make peoples' lives easier and safer.
Just installed E-Z switch to my boiler, was always afraid of my pipes freezing if I lost power! Only took me 30 years to install it!
On some of the newer furnaces, with a floating neutral generator, these things need a bonded neutral plug.
The beauty of a forced air gas furnace is that the electric load is pretty small because it only powers the fan. All the heating energy comes from the gas supply, which is not cut during a power outage .
because the electricity requirement is low only a small generator is needed to run the blower and keep your house warm.
A few months ago during a heavy snowstorm My neighbor and I lost power for about a day and I ended up rewiring both our furnace blower power so that the leads to the blower had a male extension cord plug and the house supply ended with a female plug.
Now , under normal conditions my furnace blower is plugged into the house plug but if we lose power then I pull the plug and use an extension cord from my 4500 watt inverter generator to run the blower.
The disconnect rig as shown in this video runs about 90 bucks but is really the best way to go if you want to spend the money. I was in a hurry to get the furnace running so I went the cheap route. Someday I'll do it right but in the meantime it works fine even if its not code. We rarely lose power so its not like Im constantly having to repatch power to the furnace all the time.
How do you find the startup and running amps (load) for your gas furnace and blower? I need to see if my generator has the capacity, or if the solar battery pack I’m eyeing will run the gas furnace and blower. Thank you in advance!
@hollandjones2957 look up the furnace manual for your make and model. Find horse power of motor and convert to watts using formula. Control board is probably negligible.
Same as I suggested in a comment on an earlier video and most building suply big box stores carry the junction box and cover as well as the female plug and double pole double throw switch so it's easy DIY unit depending on the price of the factory built one if it's under 30$ it's easier to just buy the unit anything more it's how comfortable you are with DIY
It is not a just Double throw switch. All transfer switches are required to have make before break switches.
@@ezgeneratorswitch4u if it makes before it.breaks that means the first power supply is still live when you turn on the second one at that point you have 2 120. circuit's feeding 1; appliance. and not insink a double pole double throw turns off both the hot and the neutral from one circuit before it turns on the second hot and neutral
@@douglaswindsor120 I promise as a Licensed electrician and a teacher for the NEC. A double pole double throw center position off (make before break) switch is what is required for a transfer switch.
This is awesome, and thanks for telling us what those labels mean. white to white and black to black seem logical, but then red to black is not.
You should turn the switch to OFF and then plug in the generator cord. Then, flip the switch to Generator.
So I have done this. My “generator” is a battery with a 2700 W inverter, plenty of power to run the 15 amp circuit. For some reason the oil burner won’t start up. It’s not that it tries and fails, but rather never even tries. Is there some sort of grounding issue that is preventing some circuitry from seeing the “generator?”
Nice video. I would use an auto inverter for this application. If a generator is used, might as well connect it to your main panel.
I know I'm a little late on comments , but this hookup using a generator with floating neutral should be different right. Neutral from gen should be hooked to load white and feed white . Ignore hooking up the second white wire. Gen will then be bonded to one place and not 2 places.
Ideally, you would want the circuits for the furnace, the refrigerator and whatever else you want on emergency power such as your water heater and a few lights on a sub panel with a "transfer switch" with a run out to an external socket for the generator outside your home so that you can avoid the carbon monoxide risks of running a generator. Now, with the possibility of running emergency power from an inverter plugged into the DC fast charge ports of an EV, you may want the generator port in your garage with an extension to the outside so you have the option of installing the backup power equipment of whatever EV you might buy in the future. You can find kits if the sub panel, transfer switch and external socket from hardware stores such as Home Depot for about $800 but running the wires could vary depending on the location of your main circuit panel.
If you have solar panels, you may want to see what could be done there and have the run pass through an area where you would have space for a battery bank, solar charger and inverter.
What you just described is just a transfer switch.
Your analogy to solar is not going to work though unless you have a battery bank which easily doubles the cost of a system.... and if you have a battery bank why are you worried about emergency power?
Modern solar systems are designed so that if main power is dead so is your solar.
@@srmofoable Did you even read? My post actually said it is a "transfer switch"...
It takes a long cord to get from the generator to the furnace, and some people who don’t know better might be tempted to put the generator in the basement, close to the furnace. DO NOT DO THAT. Generators make carbon monoxide and can kill you if run indoors. Every winter, there’s stories about people who ran generators indoors and died. Always keep the generator outside when it’s running. Also, if you’re not comfortable with doing the wiring or not sure, have a professional do it. I’m a retired HVAC service tech. I’ve seen people botch generator wiring and damage their furnace. Keep warm, but be safe.
Did you see sir the idea of using tea candles and Cl;ay plant pots?
Should come with a dust cover for that outlet. Dust and spiders will easily get into that. Also, no dirt trap on your gas line? Nice video.
For a dust cover buy an inexpensive cord connector; which is what a receptacle is called when it is on the end of a flexible cord; with a cylindrical shell and tighten the cord grip all the way closed. Place in on the fixed pins of your inlet connector and Voila you have your dust cover. If you want it to be more bug and dust tight then take your cord connector over to the plumbing section of an appropriate store and find which pipe cap will fit over the back of the connector. If you find one that is made of rubber or silicon that will just grip the shell of connector then move it down from the cord grip end until it comes into contact with the flanged inlet when the connector is placed on the pins. That will be completely bug tight and still be very easy to use.
Tom Horne
Just cut the wire from the power box to the furnace and put a plug on it a male and female plug and it work the same way as you did for under ten bucks
Thanks for the video. You always explain things very well.
Thank you! Happy to help
Stock the EZ Generator Switch come set up for a bonded neutral generator. The Firman generator is a bonded neutral so that part is correct. It means it will switch not only the hot but the neutral leads. You will need to have a proper ground rod installed for the generator in the case of a ground fault. I don't see that you did that.
If you modified the switch to be set up for a floating neutral generator then you can use the existing grounding rod for your panel as the earth ground for the generator.
One more note, if you have not run that Firman generator at all, it is highly recommended that you run it on gasoline for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours before running it on any gaseous fuel and change the oil. This gives the engine a chance to establish its wear patterns on the piston rings and cylinder walls. Changing the engine oil within the first 5-6 hrs makes sure you do not leave those metal contaminants from the wear in process to cause premature damage and failure to that engine. Most people forget this step and they wonder why the generator doesn't last very long.
Great video and information, I thought about getting this switch just for the furnace but wound up going with a 10 circuit transfer switch for small appliances and an interlock breaker to handle the heavier loads like the electric hot water heater.
Comnected this the same. But couldnnt get furnace to turn on. Even though there was power on the EZ unit.
Do they recommend plugging the generator while the switch is in "Generator" position? I would have set it to off, plug it in, then switch it to generator, so that I decrease any chance for arc'ing while plugging in the extension cord.
Probably so, yes. Any arching that can be eliminated is always a good thing.
I havent watched all the way thru yet, but wasnt the problem with connecting a stand-alone battery or generator to the furnace an issue with the furnace ground for the electronics not recognizing a ground connecting to a battery or generator and the furnace doesnt work?
If I remember from another video, the furnace had to be grounded to the main panel's ground
Recc’d you put your transfer switch to “off” prior to plugging up the x tension cord then turn switch to “generator”.
Okay followed your link and find it quite costly up here in Canada first they say add over 20 $ for shipping and another charge neither is the GST or over 25 %added for our lower dollar parts at my local building suply store is around 30.$50 at most I'm going to price it out next time I'm in town may have to wait until I'm in the city as our farm suply store has limited products and I doubt either Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire carrys the switch or male plug
Just a FYI > You will have no approved label doing it yourself and Canadian and USA codes only allow installation with an approved label.
Good instructional video , thanks for sharing , God bless !
Very welcome
Much simpler than the way I did it, but I don't think these were around 12 years ago. I also paid 1/10th as much for parts.
Does using a Dual Pole Dual Throw (DPDT) switch accomplish the same thing to isolate the two power sources (house power and generator power) as the device shown? In other words, if I use a DPDT switch with house power coming in, generator extension cord coming in, and the output goes to the gas-fueled heater do I still have the same benefit and safety?
I didn't see where you connected up the original equipment ground inside the furnace. All of them need to be bonded. An argument could be made that the jbox mounting screws provided the bonding but just as strong a case can be had for having both.
He wrapped the ground around the screw, however NEC considers with the proper screws the box is bonded.
Just install a transfer switch. You won't have to worry about extension cords running all over the house.
Can you plug that EZ Generator Switch to a Solar "generator" like the Bluetti AC200 Max? My house already has a transfer switch for our gas generator. But during the January 2024 arctic blast or whatever snow dump, we found out that we could not use the gas generator because there was like 2 feet of snow in our yard.
I like that propane and gas generator that’s pretty cool I only use propane for my heat that be awesome to have the hook up that way I can still use the gas from the propane that is pretty awesome I like it that was pretty good I like it because I’m trying to get off grid right now because we keep losing power because of storms people hit polls knocking powerline down this time again this year we had us severe thunderstorms not trees down broker power pole now we had no power for five days and I’m sick of it
Oh another question should you have one of those on your panels power panels when the power is off are you going to make sure you shut all the power off to the furnace as Aiko a block that you can’t turn it on because the powers off to run just you I’m talking about what you column you to put on your panel outside because you’re getting a power do you wanna make sure the power somebody don’t come by and turn it on it stops on turn it on by accident
I have a larger, dual-fuel Firman.
When connecting to my "whole house" generator panel, it only yields a "click click" noise from my newer gas-furnace. I'm wondering if adding a capacitor to the branch circuit might help, or if only hope = pure sine wave inverter.
I just put an outlet on the wall, have a cord with a plug on the end coming out of the furnace
With regards to the ominous sounding warning of a cracked heat exchanger: should I contact my electric utility to let them know not to have power outages when my furnace is mid-cycle?
🤣 that’s a good point. It happens, but we shouldn’t do it on purpose if it can be avoided
😂😂😂😂 Yes, I’ve done that. I’ve found them to be very accommodating.😊😊😊
I was wondering if it is worth putting a UPS on the FAU to avoid unpowered sudden shutdowns in power outages to prevent this possible damage. ?
A valid concern for many appliances with many power systems surges and outages!!
Eh. One, you should probably leave the transfer switch "off" until after you plug in the generator. And you should switch it back (either off or back to line) before stopping it
After watching this video I purchased an EZ Generator switch. There are instructions with it that show modifying it for use with a generator that has a floating neutral. I see that you did not do this. Is there a reason for not using the modification that the manufacturer suggests? Does a floating neutral on the generator affect the installation and operation? Thanks.
My generator has a floating neutral, people with a floating neutral have to do a minor reconfig, basically remove the two long whites and replace the short white with one of the long whites.
I have oil heat in the Northeast. Would I need to add another to my oil burner?
Oink to go the time and expense of installing this why not install generator connection? I recently installed a 30 amp receptacle for my generator and an Interlock ,safety switch at the main service panel. I can run all essentials and a few additional circuits with our 9000/7250 generator. Including the 10/3 wire (50' as I installed receptacle in attached garage and panel is in basement) I spent less than $200.
What's your preferred emergency furnace power solution, this one or the other switch and outlet you've shown?
I love this one. Nothing to unplug, and it has a built in fuse and a nice three way switch. It’s more expensive but definitely preferred. It also looks BA 🤣
@diyhvacguy Thanks again for this video. I finally did this install today...piece of cake thanks to your video and the instructions that came with the kit. I did have to modify it for the floating ground but it was straightforward.
Thanks for the video, but this doesn't make sense to me. I understand the concept but if you have a generator at least with the size shown or even smaller that provides 120 volts only, why not just wire it into the transfer switch panel and you will have the furnace and as well as few other critical needs, fridge, lights etc. The EZ switch is over $100, for little extra, you can do so much more with a small transfer switch. Also, the wire remains outside and don't have to run a wire through the door to the basement creating a trip hazard.
I would like to find out, what wattage generator i need to run my propane gas furnace.
That thing costs over $150 in Canada. There are far cheaper options on the market.
Any chance you could do a video showing the install/explaining wiring for a floating neutral generator setup?
YES! I would really appreciate that video!!!
Always thanks you more learning from you keeps it up. 😊
My pleasure 😊
Can do the same thing for 1/2 price with a 2 pole double throw switch
I have a small Champion 2500W floating neutral inverter generator. Can I just leave the EZ Generator Switch (as it comes as for bonded) and just plug it a Generator neutral- grounding Plug to make the generator bonded to work? Or do I need change the switch around?
Thanks
Hat if you generator has a floating ground, will the furnace still energize?
Hmm, both my furnaces are run to switches across the attic. I'll have to think about how to do this correctly.
Your videos are great. Will you ever do videos on best ways to power deep well 220v water pumps?
Here is the issue with 240 volts/ well pumps. First your generator must be able to have a 30-amp outlet, you then need an adapter for that outlet reduced to 20 amps @ 240 volts. Then your extension cord (12 gauge or larger) needs to have 20 amp (Nema 6-20P) installed on it. You will probably never find a cord with those ends. Once you make a cord yourself obviously there will be no label (ETL or =) To make matters worse depending on the size of the pump you may need a soft start for that motor, so you don't kill your generator.
Motor start up can be tricky, and more important....where is your protection for that well pump motor? Cook that motor and you are looking at a costly repair. That's my 2 cents.
All you need is 30 amps to run a normal house get a twistlock plug that matches the generator or back feed through your dryer outlet if possible just make a long cord and only turn off your main and only turn on what’s necessary like furnace- refrigerator and some general lights/outlets
Sure....Don't worry about that linesman working on the transformer that you'd be back-feeding current to, that's supposedly "safely" de-energized.🤔
Is there a reason why someone would go with this over just a regular 30 or 50 amp generator plug?
How would I install one of these if my HVAC switch is in the wall like a normal light switch?
Question I just found out which outer I could probably could can’t remember that is that a 15 amp extension cord did they make bigger or shorter you need a 15 amp number eight wire right
So should I do this instead of the other video you did or is it just as good?
It accomplishes the same thing, this one just has a three-way switch, and the built-in fuse which is nice. Plus it’s prettier ha ha. If you’ve already got the $10 set up, I showed him the other video and it works good, then I did just stick with that.
Great video, thank you.
What do you do if you have a condensate pump in the mix where would those wires go ?
Thank you so much. We have had so many power outages for days on end - people freezing in their own houses for up to a week. I am sharing this with everyone know and will get this done for my 1000 watt electric generator (with solar panels).
I feel good about staying warm how much power would I need for ac?
Thanks so much! So to run your ac you definitely need a 220v generator and what’s called a soft start to lower the initial startup amps, I’ll be doing a video on that soon so stay tuned!
@@diyhvacguy I also would like to use only electric generators that recharge with solar. I have been talking my small set ups to neighbors for internet and lights. I have two 1000 watt batteries with 2 100 watt solar panels. They both were surprised how well they are working.
The goal is to have back ups for both cold and heat running on affordable solar.
He wouldn't need a 220V generator or soft-start units if he only wants to power 120V window a/c units (not central a/c). We use a couple window a/c units (LG-branded with internal inverters) and can power either of them with a battery unit. Start up power is around 800W with our window a/c's, so one of these in your MBR can allow you to sleep well in sweltering weather. Not a whole home solution, though.
8:30 "Pretty hard to mess up". yeah, wait to you see my work! You'll never say that again... :)
Lol
Sorry if this was already asked, what size is the plastic snap bushing you use? Thanks!
Thank you
Great video. I will do this exactly as described. Also can I do this for the AC?
No this is for gas/ oil furnaces or boilers only. Nothing 220. For that you can watch my video on my power inlet box 👍🏼