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Here in Richmond schools and universities are closing starting Friday. Earlier this week we watched some of the Fleet sailing and flying our of Hampton Roads and Norfolk and yesterday noon I64 (Hampton to Richmond) was near gridlock getting out of the peninsula (Colonial parkway was empty as usual on a weekday). I think they're preparing to make at least 3 lanes northbound if necessary.
Got some surge tides Tuesday in Hampton. A foot or more seawater over the road to Dandy Haven when we hauled a 45 footer out. Glad to have the Expedition, not the S2000! Clear road into the marina yesterday. Truck is mine. Buddy owns the boat (two transatlantic passages). Getting the boat ashore gets the her above expected surge tides. We hope.
BUT... Since I wired in the generator interface to the house power and filled all the fuel tanks (like Red) the storm ain't gonna hit Richmond. Murphy's Law of Available Emergency Supplies will be in effect.
I need to wire in a generator interface! Actually need a new SUB PANEL AND GENERATOR INTERFACE to be realistic. People built my house with ZERO extra space in the panel. Never mind adding something would be 220V.
Wait.........27 GALLONS? What the heck do you have for storing that much fuel.
I need to wire in a generator interface! Actually need a new SUB PANEL AND GENERATOR INTERFACE to be realistic. People built my house with ZERO extra space in the panel. Never mind adding something would be 220V.
Wait.........27 GALLONS? What the heck do you have for storing that much fuel.
Yeah had an electrician come out on Monday and install a 240V 30A outlet. He didn't put an interlock in though...hmmmmmm.
all in my race cans and a spare 5 gallon can I had for the lawn mower. The generator holds 7.5
Ya need a generator interface panel for both legal and safety considerations. You must disconnect your house from the grid to avoid trying to power the neighborhood and electrocuting the guys working on the lines.
I have a Honda (of course) EU3000is pure sine wave generator. 3000 watts of clean 120vAC. Got this for powering my travel trailer on remote campgrounds. This is basically a 30-amp genset to power a 30-amp application. Anyway since I had the genset just sitting here I wired it into my house in Cleveland via a panel and she got me thru several days of no power both winter and summer. With a gas furnace the winter use was paramount along with the refrigerator requirements in the summer. Generator ran for nearly a week one winter. House was so well insulated I could turn if off most nights for preventive maintenance and cut the noise.
Since it's 120vAC and only 3000 watts I had to be selective on what to power. In addition, here in Virginia the maximum physical size I found that would fit next to the panel was limited to six (6) circuits. Basically powering the first floor and the rest of the house will be dark.
Here's my MacGyvered (if that's a verb) setup in prep for Florence. The "force" of the installation has already steered the storm away Richmond. Certified electrician coming in the next week or two to clean up the install (and check my work!) and hide all the wiring.
The panel is manual. Start the genset, connect to the panel, flip the circuits from LINE to GEN. Note they go thru OFF between the other choices.
The "Fios" circuits use 33% of my breakers but are required for my wife to work at home where internet access is required. Other circuits power the guest bed and bath where we can live until power comes back on. Panel itself is well under $200. The generator is the big ticket item.
Pure sine wave generators produce 12vDV and then invert it to 120vAC and 60Hz. Expensive but protect sensitive electronics which are hiding in all our appliances these days. Non inverter generators are less expensive but only produce square wave (binary) AC and only if run at exactly 3600 rpm so they burn fuel all the time. This Honda always produces 120vAC and 60Hz and varies the engine speed based on load. Will spin up when the furnace blower or microwave kick in.
09-11-2018, 12:40 PM
Y'all ready for Florence?!
Clear road into the marina yesterday. Truck is mine. Buddy owns the boat (two transatlantic passages). Getting the boat ashore gets the her above expected surge tides. We hope. 
Never mind adding something would be 220V.
