The lights are off and there is no power at home. No worries, you’ve got a generator sitting in your garage. How do you power your house with a portable generator?

Introduction

A generator is categorized according to how much wattage it produces and what fuel it uses: gasoline or liquid propane. Of course, a big home standby generator will probably run off a natural gas fuel line.

If you want to power your house with a portable generator, then you can only power a few essential appliances such as a refrigerator/freezer, microwave oven, incandescent lights, television, computer and electric fans. You might not be able to run power-hungry appliances such as the washing machine, clothes dryer, coffee maker, toaster, electric heater or air conditioner. Of course, this also depends on how you manage the power consumption to prevent overloading the portable generator.

You need to take into account both the continuous running watts and the starting surge watts of each appliance. The total starting watts that are required should never exceed the surge wattage of the portable generator. Likewise, do not exceed the rated running wattage, or you will overload and damage the generator and your household appliances.

What features should a portable generator have?

There are a few features that might make a portable generator easier and safer to use. For example, a generator that has a remote starter and a key fob can be started and stopped from up to 75 feet away. A low oil shutdown system will protect the generator’s engine from running without oil. The fuel economy switch is useful for reducing fuel consumption and decreasing noise levels when the current load is low. A wheel kit and handles are essential features for moving a large portable generator around the yard.

A carbon monoxide automatic shutdown system is a fairly new safety feature that is being added to newer generator models. There is always a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when using a generator, so a built-in CO-sensor aims to make portable generators safer to use. For example, the new models of the Honda EU2200i inverter generator now has the CO-MINDER advanced carbon monoxide detection system.

Can you use an inverter generator for home backup power?

Portable inverter generators are commonly used for outdoor activities and recreational vehicles because they are quieter and provide cleaner power. Ordinary portable generators are generally used for running power tools on a work site and for backup power during electricity failures.

A portable inverter generator is more suited to providing power for a camping trip or some other outdoor pursuit because it is both portable and quiet. You might use it during a power outage for running a few essential appliances or a computer, yet it is too small to power a whole house. Nevertheless, very useful for running sensitive gadgets such as a computer, LCD flat screen television, DVD player and game console.

Check the wattage ratings of the inverter generator. There should be two numbers. The peak starting watts is the maximum amount that the generator can produce. This provides extra power for only a few seconds in order to start an appliance that has a compressor motor such as a refrigerator or an air conditioner. The generator cannot sustain this peak watts for long. In contrast, the continuous running watts is a number that shows what the generator can supply for hours at a time (so long as it has enough fuel).

The main drawback of using a recreational inverter generator for home backup power is the limited wattage that it can provide. The largest portable inverter generators usually produce no more than 6000 or 7000 starting watts (such as the Honda EU7000iS or Yamaha EF6300iSDE). They do not provide enough wattage for powering a modern home that has central heating, a large air conditioner, an electric stove and a well pump.

Comparatively, portable generators without an inverter system are larger and provide more wattage for powering a house. Such generators can provide up to 17000 watts (such as the Generac GP17500E).

Think about it and do some calculations. You will not be able to run much with a 2000 or 3000-watt recreational inverter generator. You might be able to connect a refrigerator, a television or a computer but not much else. Likewise, you could also charge your smartphone if the generator has USB ports. In contrast, a large portable generator will give you more power. Of course, a stationary home standby backup generator is a permanent solution, yet the installation costs and maintenance can be quite high.

So, you can run an extension cord from the generator to your refrigerator or freezer in a power pinch, but that is really not the best way to go about it. Recreational generators are limited to a few 110-volt outlets that is not going to power a 220-volt well pump. Moreover, such a generator cannot be connected to a house via a transfer switch.

The safest way is to connect a portable generator to the building’s electrical system with a manual transfer switch. For example, some Westinghouse portable generators, such as the WGen9500 and WGen12000DF, have transfer switch ready outlets.

How do you safely connect a portable generator to your house?

If the power from the national grid goes down for whatever reason, then you might rush to start up your portable generator and plugging in extension cords and appliances. However, what is the safest way to do this?

The worst way to make a connection is to connect the generator directly to the power breaker box. This will cause either electrocution or set your house on fire.

The safest way to connect a portable generator to the electrical system of a house is with a manual transfer switch. Of course, you should always ask your power company or local departments for guidance on what is safe and legal to do. Hire a qualified electrician to make an assessment of your household power needs and wiring system. Pay the electrician to install the necessary wires, an inlet box hookup and the manual transfer switch.

If the installation has been done correctly, then you may use it during a power outage. Carry or push the portable generator to a place where it is not close to the house to reduce the risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Check the fuel and engine oil.

Plug the hookup cable into the inlet box hookup and then into the 240-volt AC outlet on the generator’s control panel.

Use the recoil pull starter, electric key ignition or remote key fob to start the portable generator.

Go inside the house to the electrical breaker box of the house and turn of the main breaker switch. Now, turn to the manual transfer switch and start flipping the switches one by one from the utility line position to the generator power position. Always keep in mind that your house is now getting power from a portable generator, so manage the usage of electrical equipment and gadgets in your house to prevent overloading the generator.

The process of switching power from the generator back to the utility power is done by reversing the process. Flip the switches of the manual transfer switch to the main utility power positions before flipping the main breaker switch back on. Turn off the generator and unplug the power cable hookup.

Conclusion

There is a lot more to learn about how to safely connect a portable generator to your house for backup power. This article was merely a very general overview of the topic. Always get professional advice when working with electricity to avoid electrocution, injury or fire hazards.

Photo by R ARCHITECTURE on Unsplash.