this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2024
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You can run something like a house off a generator with one if the main breaker is off; in an emergency and the operation reasonably well planned out (don’t overload wall lines you plugged into, etc.) it might be a net benefit. On the reg is asking for death cause there’s safe ways to do it that sane people would plan for on the reg
That would surely only power a single circuit (due to isolation) and if you have to be selective, a critical circuit like your fridge isn't really likely to have a wall port on the same circuit near where you'd happily have your fume emitting generator..
I'm no electrician but I've generally installed automatic transfer switches (ATS) for mine site server cabinets that then power UPS racks and the transfer switch automatically or manually can switch from mains to generator if mains power goes out (which at a mine is all the time). I feel like a similar and safe system must exist for homes. Or something no different to switching solar to grid and back.
But again, not an electrician.
In your typical household panel there is no isolation. If you're lucky there's a GFCI for the bathroom and kitchen.
Edit: not to imply GFCI provides isolation either
Which is insane to me. RCDs have been required on all household circuits for decades in Australia. Literally saved my life when I was doing dumb shit as a kid.
Edit: Also, by typical, you mean a typical American household :P
I was thinking British, but my understanding of the technology you mentioned I don't see any clear reasons why it would prevent back feeding?
It didn't. The mains was on, and the plug was in my hand. My dad, in a typical show of his wonderful parenting, told 9-year old me to plug it in while he went outside to the fusebox to turn the main circuit off. The power came back on while I was walking out to the back shed. I still got a pretty big zap, in the eyes of a kid anyway.
Wait so, if your kettle fails, your fridge loses power for example?
In Murica, the kettle tripping a circuit breaker would knock out the fridge if the fridge was on that breaker circuit. Anything not on that circuit breaker is fine.
No isolation here just means that if the breaker doesn’t trip, the kettle’s circuit and fridge’s circuit are connected together in the circuit breaker box by copper bars.
Ah yep that makes sense though I'm following now
Circuits are connected to the circuit breaker, so it would power whatever is on the breaker. (Or more precisely, whatever is on that leg of the hot.)
If you disconnect the mains then the power will be backfed through one of the circuit breakers and back out to others. If the breaker you plugged naughty plug into is off, it’s isolated. Otherwise, it’ll power whatever circuit breakers are on on the breaker panel.
If you don’t disconnect from the mains you’ll kill a person working to fix the electrical lines for your neighborhood.
Yes, safe and automatic things exist to switch automatically - or even hook up a generator in a pinch manually but safely (no naughty plug needed).
Defo don’t backfeed your abode unless you’re gonna die due to some major emergency!
Oh okay, I see.. Or rather, I see I don't understand lol
That’s fine, electricity is weird! I stay away from naughty plug because if you do everything just right you’ll live another day, if you do anything wrong you’ll kill yourself or someone else. Saying no to naughty plug should be sufficient for you too ;)
Wires don't have a direction