DIY Portable Generator Setup and Operation During Power Outages

Theres nothing worse than a power outage to take away many of your home's amenities - lights, heating, AC, kitchen appliances, etc. To make matters worse, even if you have a portable generator, it can be a little intimidating to set up and operate. Here we will guide you through 4 easy steps to get you going again. We also provide some additional tips, generator load calcularions and troubleshooting that will come in handy, so you don't overload the generator....stay tuned!
Difficulty Level (easy, moderate, difficult): MODERATE
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00:06 - [ Intro]
00:29 - [ Overview - 4 Steps to Generator Setup]
00:43 - [ Home Power Disconnect ]
01:45 - [ Generator Prep & Setup ]
03:01 - [ Generator Startup & Connection ]
04:43 - [ Home Power Reconnection ]
07:27 - [ Generator Tips, Load Calculations & Troubleshooting ]
13:25 - [ Wrap Up ]
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Keywords:
This Old House, Home Improvement, Generator, Portable Generator, Power Outage, no electricity, Home Generator, Whole House Generator, Generator for House, backup generator, DIY, My Old House Fix
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[@TheLandSharks]

You have the plug already wired In to the house, what if someone doesn’t have that and needs power in a emergency?

[@myoldhousefix]

in that case you'd have to use extension cords.

[@GeoffCook1000]

I see that you're plugging a 120v plug into the generator. How does that get distributed over all of the circuit breaker in the switchboard?

[@myoldhousefix]

Hi Geoff, great question! From the looks of how my electrician wired up the new 200A box and generator connect/lockout, it's distributed via the double pole 30A breaker that I flip after 200A lockout and generator startup. Basically turning the 200A panel into a 30A panel for reduced load using the portable generator.

[@codahq]

you have to be careful in situations like this with older or cheaper appliances. sometimes, the average running amperage is very different than the inrush amperage. they may have a huge inrush amp requirement. this means that when they turn on they pull immediately a much higher amount of amps than they would when they are running. for example, when my 1980s refrigerator turns on it is common for it to pull 1800 to 2200 watts. this can create enough back force on an inadequately sized generator to stop it (or worse).
just thought i'd throw that in for when people calculate out what they think they need in amps when purchasing a generator.

[@myoldhousefix]

Good points as everyone situation and power "loads" will vary 👍