So, who is in Irene's path?

I need to get around to setting something up so I can disconnect the house from the grid and backfeed the house from a generator in the garage...
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Maybe an ee can tell you how much you can backfeed; ie a 12awg from an outlet in the garage into the panel will not allow a person to 'run the whole house' as I'm sure you know. In fact one refrigerator and a few lights may put you over the limit. And I am wondering if the breaker will protect that wire when backfeeding? Scary stuff to me; hate to cause a fire.
And generator in the garage? Can you duct the exhaust safely outside?
 
Not sure if I'm going to try to ride it out in NYC or head inland, where the infrastructure isn't so crummy.
 
Ron Levy said:
I have no idea what a genset or gentran panel are. However, based on Bill's post, they installed a switching panel in the garage by the main c/b panel and a cable with a big plug on the outside. We fire up the generator, plug the cable into the generator, and then select what we want powered on the switching panel. Whether or not it isolates us from the grid, I have no idea -- I just know what I'm supposed to do to make generator power happen in the house after the outside power fails.
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If you have a professionally installed generator, you will have an isolation panel.
 
Kansas is starting to look a little bit better to me these days.
Tie everything down, it should still be there in the morning.

Kevin
 
highest wind I see is 66kt gusts.
the eye seems to be ashore, from the wind indicators
 

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cool and foggy this morning but..
 

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Not often you see this:

Data Current as of: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:32:00 UTC
LGA LA GUARDIA
!LGA 08/079 (KLGA A1440/11) LGA AD CLSD TO ALL ARRIVING SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL AIR CARRIERS. ARRIVING GA ACFT ARE EXCLUDED WEF 1108271600
EWR NEWARK LIBERTY INTL
!EWR 08/178 (KEWR A2191/11) EWR AD CLSD TO ALL ARRIVING SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL AIR CARRIERS CARGO ACFT ARE EXCLUDED WEF 1108271600
JFK JOHN F KENNEDY INTL
!JFK 08/272 (KJFK A4266/11) JFK AD CLSD EXC TKOF WEF 1108271600
 
Yeah, I'm thinking that having the generator in the garage would be good for noise/smell isolation. There's a pretty heavy gauge 240V line that connects the house to the garage, so hopefully the I*R losses won't be too bad. It would be pretty easy to duct the exhaust out. Flipping the main breaker to isolate from the grid would be a useful hack in an emergency, but I'd prefer to get a real disconnect panel; yet another project...

The goal would not be to run the whole house, just the hvac and fridge and some lights would do the job.

Let'sgoflying! said:
Maybe an ee can tell you how much you can backfeed; ie a 12awg from an outlet in the garage into the panel will not allow a person to 'run the whole house' as I'm sure you know. In fact one refrigerator and a few lights may put you over the limit. And I am wondering if the breaker will protect that wire when backfeeding? Scary stuff to me; hate to cause a fire.
And generator in the garage? Can you duct the exhaust safely outside?
Click to expand...
 
Latest TAF for here:

KSBY 271403Z 2714/2812 07014G22KT 5SM -RA SCT010 OVC020
TEMPO 2714/2716 06020G32KT 1SM +RA BR BKN007 OVC020
FM271700 07022G32KT 3SM RA BR SCT007 OVC015
FM272000 08025G38KT 1SM +RA BR OVC008
FM272300 07032G45KT 1/2SM +RA FG OVC006
FM280200 05035G50KT 1SM SQ BR OVC007
FM280700 02035G50KT 2SM RA BR OVC005
FM281000 32025G38KT 4SM -RA BR OVC015

Max 35G50? :yawn:
 
Now she's out raiding the gorcery shelves. How idiotic is this? I could have pulled all of them outta dere two hours from now....
 
GeorgeC said:
Yeah, I'm thinking that having the generator in the garage would be good for noise/smell isolation. There's a pretty heavy gauge 240V line that connects the house to the garage, so hopefully the I*R losses won't be too bad. It would be pretty easy to duct the exhaust out. Flipping the main breaker to isolate from the grid would be a useful hack in an emergency, but I'd prefer to get a real disconnect panel; yet another project...

The goal would not be to run the whole house, just the hvac and fridge and some lights would do the job.
Click to expand...

I got a Gentran 6 circuit transfer switch off Ebay for around $200. Each circuit has a 15 amp pop-up circuit breaker, and you can strap the center two switches together to run a well pump or other 240v/30amp draw and balance the load.
I run the tv, oil furnace, a lighting circuit, fridge, microwave, coffee maker and well pump with it. Food, heat, lights and entertainment. Comes in right handy.
The biggest irritation is the constant drone of the 5 hp B&S.
 
Moved the plane to a vacant T-Hangar on thursday just across the field. Mary and I picked up our 5500/8250 generator that came in late last night and it's set up, fueled and ready to go. Gave my Brother my small 900W generator to keep his sump pump going just in case his battery back up goes TU.

Extra bottled water on hand, tub filled with water in case we need to flush and an extra propane tank is stored in the garage if we have to cook during an extended power outage and 10 gallons of fuel for the gen. The generator will handle sump pumps, fridge, TV, microwave....we're good to go.

Stay safe and stay dry!!!!!
 

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wsuffa said:
Not often you see this:

Data Current as of: Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:32:00 UTC
LGA LA GUARDIA
!LGA 08/079 (KLGA A1440/11) LGA AD CLSD TO ALL ARRIVING SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL AIR CARRIERS. ARRIVING GA ACFT ARE EXCLUDED WEF 1108271600
EWR NEWARK LIBERTY INTL
!EWR 08/178 (KEWR A2191/11) EWR AD CLSD TO ALL ARRIVING SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL AIR CARRIERS CARGO ACFT ARE EXCLUDED WEF 1108271600
JFK JOHN F KENNEDY INTL
!JFK 08/272 (KJFK A4266/11) JFK AD CLSD EXC TKOF WEF 1108271600
Click to expand...

Wait - does that say that GA aircraft can land at LGA, EWK, and JFK?

Might be a good time to get those in your logbook (and on Operation: Fly) :D
 
The comments about running generators in garages, I hope there's adequate ventilation?

Stay safe all.
 
SkyHog said:
Wait - does that say that GA aircraft can land at LGA, EWK, and JFK?

Might be a good time to get those in your logbook (and on Operation: Fly) :D
Click to expand...

JFK's closed to everyone - if you've been in there you'll know why. EWR seems to have a exception for cargo.
 
GeorgeC said:
Yeah, I'm thinking that having the generator in the garage would be good for noise/smell isolation.
Click to expand...
Mine is so loud that even out in the garage it sucks. But it is better than cold / thawing freezer / etc.
There's a pretty heavy gauge 240V line that connects the house to the garage, so hopefully the I*R losses won't be too bad.
Click to expand...

How many amps does yours kick out? 20 amps going into a 20 amp circuit is just fine.

Flipping the main breaker to isolate from the grid would be a useful hack in an emergency, but I'd prefer to get a real disconnect panel; yet another project...

The goal would not be to run the whole house, just the hvac and fridge and some lights would do the job.
Click to expand...

AC would require a pretty hefty generator and some big wire comeing into the house.

My 2000 watt generator does just fine for the fridge, furnace, and some lights. Or, for my fridge, and all the neighbors refrigerators that are within extension cord range.

My flight in to BWI for tomorrow just got canceled (hardly a surprise). Hopefully things will have blown by enough for me to get into Arlington VA late Sunday night by car.
 
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Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
My flight in to BWI for tomorrow just got canceled (hardly a surprise). Hopefully things will have blown by enough for me to get into Arlington VA late Sunday night by car.
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Should be no trouble. From 60 miles west of DC, less than 1/2 inch of rain is expected. About 2-3 inches in Arlington between now and tomorrow.

All the hype for naught.
 
wsuffa said:
All the hype for naught.
Click to expand...

I've seen that happen three times already, just since moving to the Gulf 18 months ago. It's maddening.

Worse, every time the breathless weather dudes go on about a "tropical storm approaching", our phones stop ringing -- even if the danged storm is 400 miles South of us in Mexico.

They used to do the same thing in Iowa. "Life-threatening wind chills" and "Major winter storm" were constantly on the telly. That sort of thing sells lots and lots of product.

That said, I hope everyone "back East" gets missed!
 
Jay Honeck said:
I've seen that happen three times already, just since moving to the Gulf 18 months ago. It's maddening.

Worse, every time the breathless weather dudes go on about a "tropical storm approaching", our phones stop ringing -- even if the danged storm is 400 miles South of us in Mexico.

They used to do the same thing in Iowa. "Life-threatening wind chills" and "Major winter storm" were constantly on the telly. That sort of thing sells lots and lots of product.

That said, I hope everyone "back East" gets missed!
Click to expand...


They don't care about you, they care about the people who pay to advertise on their network/station.... Hurricane wouldn't make me not call, hurricanes are warm. Them -40 temps though, unless you have a big dome over some hot springs...I ain't comin...
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Maybe an ee can tell you how much you can backfeed; ie a 12awg from an outlet in the garage into the panel will not allow a person to 'run the whole house' as I'm sure you know. In fact one refrigerator and a few lights may put you over the limit. And I am wondering if the breaker will protect that wire when backfeeding? Scary stuff to me; hate to cause a fire.
And generator in the garage? Can you duct the exhaust safely outside?
Click to expand...

3 10AWG wires, black, red, white and one green of at least 14AWG for the ground. That will do for up to 30 amps @ 240V, from a 7500-8000 watt generator, and that could handle a fridge and a typical central air unit.

You can get a L14-30 plug if you want to make it pretty but when the Ace where you bought the 25 foot wires and alligator clips doesn't have it, and neither does the electric supply, you stick the wires in the socket.

Not that I know anything about that....or we would have warned every occupant of the house to not touch the main breaker. (He needed power to get hot water.)

Once again, overnight shipping is $3.99 with Amazon Prime. As long as the UPS guy can get to you.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HRWGGW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

We powered three full size fridges from a 6000 watt Chinese generator that sells for as little as $499. I wouldn't bet my life on that one but it worked fine.

Mine is only a 3500/4000 watter but I'll get a bigger one anon. BTW, I used it for another 2 hour power failure. I had it cooking in 15 minutes with my good extension cords. I have lights, neighbors!
 
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Waters up just a bit here on the chesapeake. I was out earlier standing in about 40g 60 conditions. Bout knocked me off my feet. An 80mph gust was recorded about 10mi south of me on gwynn's island.

Going to be a long night. The eye is just getting past norfolk and high tide is at 11
 
denverpilot said:
The comments about running generators in garages, I hope there's adequate ventilation?

Stay safe all.
Click to expand...

Leave the garage door open and even then you want the generator exhaust pointing to the outside. You have to be wary of funny air circulation that can bring the exhaust inside. Code says you have to have 10(?) feet of spacing between exhausts and any window.

I had mine on my open back deck and even then I moved it ten feet from the house.
 
Each leg of the 240V feed to the (detached) garage is fused at 60A. It looks like it was used as a commercial shop of some sort, several decades and owners ago...
 
Looks like Richmond got hammered. Power company reports 3/4 of the customers in Richmond area are dark.

Looks like we're on the leeward side of the storm now in DC area.
 
Just got back from walking the dog. Eye of the storm is 50nm due south of here, moving north. Lot of rain, good bit of wind, but nothing to knock you off your feet. Power and DirecTV still both fine. Stay tuned...
 
By some miracle i still have power. Its flickered at least 100 times and has gone off for short periods. Water is 2 feet over the dock and so much wind / rain it sounds like a dishwasher outside
 
I thought this was a cool and different depiction of things
Proves Hurricane Irene sucks.
 

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Wind here peaked at 40G53 at 5:16 pm yesterday. Power stayed on with an occasional flicker but not enough to reset the clocks. And now to other news...
 
Yeah, if you're not in the direct path of the core of the storm, it's not a big deal. As with everything, the news always overhypes to sell ad space.
 
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