Converting RV generator to Home use

I have a Yamaha 6600DE generator I had thought about using to hook up to our electrical panel for power. Currently I have it on wheels and it is a great generator for use around the house during construction and projects - it has never let me down. I also have a 7.5 KW Kohler RV generator I could pull out and hook up to the house and leave the Yamaha free for moving around and outside projects.

I was curious if any Nomads had installed an RV generator for home use and would be willing to share their experiences / advice / ideas?

Thanks...






[Edited on 12-14-2009 by BajaGringo]

My experience with generators for my off-grid Baja home has been somewhat varied. Hope some of the following helps to fill your request.

1971-1987 Onan diesel 8KW

Great unit. Quiet, fuel efficient, remote start. Handled a million light bulbs, a very popular waffle maker, micro-wave, tvs, clothes dryer...plus hair dryers, curling iron, clothes iron, gadgets. Hint: always screen female visitors luggage for anything with an electrical cord.

1988-2000 Generac 4KW RV model.

That Generac worked great....Then I made a mistake in buying a...

2000 10KW Coleman Home Power Station.

I hauled this monster down from San Diego when the Baja Road was a pothole-minefield. After this bad choice, I now avoid anything Coleman/Costco/Etc. with a Briggs&Stratton engine. The unit's engine overheated the first day in operation. The factory said t was not designed to operate in high air temps. Guess Baja's 70-75 degree January temps were just too much for the poor thing. I quickly returned it before the San Deigo supplier went out of business.


Then I bought a good one from Northern Tool Supply. Acme Tool, among other suppliers, also handles them.

2000-2009 Honda EX 5.5KW

Best of the best This super-quiet genset has performed very economically and with no problems..(except for my operator errors.) Runs literally everything electrical in the house, which is considerable. It can also be used as a RV genset, which I have done many times by simply hoisting it into the pickup box where it sits safely under the 5th Wheel forward overhang. Mucho power for those blended margaritas at remote Baja campsites.

My problem is that I have added so many solar panels and batteries to my power system that I no longer use the generator at all. I do start it now and then so I can stand next to it and marvel at it's quiet operation. Very fuel efficient with a cooling radiator. I believe this model is the most used on remote movie sets where size and noise levels are considerations.



It also has attachable wheels and handle to make it mobile for those home projects you mentioned.

Added to the above main gensets over the years, I have always had on hand a couple of portable Honda or Yamaha 2000's. Can be hooked parallel for many uses. Also my tiny Honda 1000 is very handy to have anywhere..I use it boat camping, desert trips, you name it. All Baja home owners & campers swear by them.



Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

And don't try too much do-it-yourself electrical work. Can be costly and dangerous. I used Martin Miranda of Mulege and his work equalled that of some of my US electric contractors.

[Edited on 12-14-2009 by Pompano]

I'm no expert by any means but...

I think you can just connect the hot and neutral from your generator to the main breaker's hot and neutral input lugs, then branch off from the individual breakers to your outlets and lights. I believe a transfer switch is only for homes that are connected to city power. It keeps the generator from back feeding power into the grid. Since you don't have power, it's probably unnecessary

You will need to provide a good ground though. Inside the main breaker there will be a neutral buss bar and a ground buss bar. The neutral buss will have white wires that go to your individual circuits connected to it. The ground buss will have all the (sometimes green) or bare copper ground wires to all your individual circuits connected to it. Now of course this is Mexico and the wires could be any color, mine were all black, with some stereo wire thrown in

The wires leaving the bottom or side (depending on how they're mounted) of the individual breakers (should be black) are the hot wires that branch off to the individual circuits.

The two busses (neutral and ground) must be bonded together in the main breaker panel. Most breaker boxes have a screw you tighten that bonds the two busses together. If not, jumper them together with a piece of #6 wire. Neutral and Ground must only be tied together at one place

From where the ground and neutral busses are tied together you will then run a (at least #6) wire to a 4' copper ground rod. Use a bonding clamp to secure the wire to the ground rod. You should also ground the frame of the generator to the ground rod with #6 wire. If the generator is located some distance from the house, it should have the frame tied to it's own ground rod, then the two ground rods should be tied together (bonded) with a run of #6 wire.

Check the generator specs and make sure the ground and neutral are not tied together in the generator somewhere. If they are, figure out how to separate them.

The wire from the generator to the panel should probably be something more substantial than just #12 romex. Your power use and distance of the generator from the panel will determine wire size, but you should use at least #6 wire or larger to be safe (especially with the sound system of yours )

I'm pretty sure this is the safest way to hook up a generator. Someone please jump in if this is wrong!

Thanks to all for the replies.

I have installed a grounding rod to the panel ground buss. My generator has a ground connection - can I connect that directly to the panel ground buss or must it be wired to the ground bar? Seems to me it shouldn't matter.

They (CFE) have been out to survey in the last month and the latest gossip is that we should be seeing the grid reaching us before the end of 2010. That is why I am not too inclined to go out and spend a lot on another generator / solar panels. This is Mexico however and that can all change - I will keep an open mind to other options.

I have a friend who soundproofed his generator at his cabin in Sequoia and it did a very good job of keeping it quiet. He is coming down in January and I am going to put him to work to help my system out.

And Wooo is correct - 2-3000 watts just won't cut it in the BajaGringo house once the sound gets turned on...





[Edited on 12-14-2009 by BajaGringo]

'Gringo-

Geomike has the best and safest way to hook up a generator to your house panel. A transfer gear or at least some kind of lock-out device is critical if you ever get hooked up to CFE.

Regardless of the CFE, (notice I didn't say IRREGARDLESS! ) the next best thing to full on transfer gear is a power inlet receptacle. This receptacle is permanently installed, usually near the panel or where the generator will be located.

It's a small weatherproof box that is permanently connected to breakers, neutral and ground in your panel. Here's a pic-
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/produc...

This or a transfer gear are the safest to use as they are permanently installed to the panel and the receptacle prongs are recessed and are connected to the generator by a cord of whatever length is needed. (remember, the longer the cord, the more voltage drop, the less watts available for curling irons....or BLENDERS! Short Cord=More Power))

If you look at your Yamaha generator, the single plug on the right is probably the "power out". You would plug in a (big honkin' specifically for generators) extension cord into that power out and then plug the other end into the power inlet. This same power inlet receptacle could be used in conjunction with the transfer gear if you had that designed and installed at rough in. (I'm guessing NOT).

Usually the transger gear is used to separate certain circuits that will work with the generator. In the absence of the transfer gear, it is up to the homeowner to monitor their power usage and not overload the generator.


And remember that when a generator backfeeds into a panel it need 2 breakers, for A-phase and B-phase. If you look at the power inlet, the transfer gear from GeoMike and the power out on the Yamaha, they all have 4 terminals- hot hot neutral ground.

If you use a system with a proper cord and power inlet receptacle, you don't need to ground the generator to the panel, as that is accomplished with the 4-wire cord....assuming the power inlet is properly wired into the panel to a 2-pole (whatever)amp breaker, neutral and ground.

It's probably too late to work a full on transfer gear into your system, but you should be able to at least get a power inlet box installed. Not sure where your panel is in the house, but perhaps you could punch out the back of the panel and mount the box on the outside of the house. ???


CutlerHammer makes a generator panel cover which allows a generator to be permanently wired to the bottom left 2 breakers and it has a lock out lever so you cannot use generator power unless the main breaker is turned off. WAY COOL! Super easy, probably won't help BajaGringo ......

hope this helps~let me know if you have specific questions we might be abl to help with.


ps- we have installed MANY back-up power systems using transfer gears and power inlets. All the way up to a 36kW, Ford V6 propane powered back up generator with automatic start in case of power outage, programmed monthly maintenance running, capable of 150 amps continuous load, and this is for a house! Actually, the generator only took care of half the house as it had 2 panels, a 400amp service......

NOT for the average homeowner, for sure! But the power inlet /transfer gear systems are really user friendly as long as the homeowners have a little common sense, or at least a generator lockout system!!!



[Edited on 12-15-2009 by BajaNuts]

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGringo Thanks to all for the replies. I have installed a grounding rod to the panel ground buss. My generator has a ground connection - can I connect that directly to the panel ground buss or must it be wired to the ground bar? Seems to me it shouldn't matter. They (CFE) have been out to survey in the last month and the latest gossip is that we should be seeing the grid reaching us before the end of 2010. That is why I am not too inclined to go out and spend a lot on another generator / solar panels. This is Mexico however and that can all change - I will keep an open mind to other options. I have a friend who soundproofed his generator at his cabin in Sequoia and it did a very good job of keeping it quiet. He is coming down in January and I am going to put him to work to help my system out. And Wooo is correct - 2-3000 watts just won't cut it in the BajaGringo house once the sound gets turned on... [Edited on 12-14-2009 by BajaGringo]

Hey BG.
Ya a good solar system is like 15-20Gs US.
1 of the guys at Pedregal has a nice big generator and a solar system too. It's very cool!
I think there is a guy in town that can set it up.
But see if you can get the power run out there. That's way easier.
I'm hoping by the time I build my Casita de Pesca that the wires will get there.
But just incase not.
Does anyone know how to wire an RV generator to a really cool beach house?!!!

[Edited on 12-15-2009 by fishbuck]