Power your house in a power outage the cheapest, easiest way.

[CALM Pythons]

Ive been looking into ways to hook a large Generator directly up to my whole circuit panel. After several inquiries, the cost of a box that had some necessities hooked up that Id want in a power outage, the safety switch to prevent a back feed, the Electrician and Inspector I was looking at $2000 and thats without a 7000-10,000 Watt Generator which id want to run things comfortably.
I found a YOUTUBE video where a older man was talking about hooking up a Generator to his home on a island. He said they loose Power once a month and he found a Cheap way to do it. The Product is called Generlink. At first i figured it was only in the UK or Canada.. Nope they are made in GA!!! So after some Googling I found them with free shipping to Home Depot for $650. You have to call your Power company to pull your meeter, then you put this Generlink where the meeter connects (snaps on) then the Meeter goes back on. So another wards its like a spacer in between your Meeter & Meeter Box with a Plug on it for a Generator. This thing sounds really cool and is 1/3rd the cost I was looking at for someone to wire the basement, Parts ect.... You have to run a Minimum of a 3800 watt Generator to use it. Im looking at 7800-10,000 somi can run what I need pretty easily.. Just thought I would drop a Link incase anyone else has been thinking about Emergency Backups.

http://www.generlink.com

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GenerLin...FYmZyAod5X0FmA

[KMG]

What happens if you don't have enough power to run something? Say you're washing clothes and the AC tries to cut on. What happens if there is not enough juice to run both?

[bcr229]

What happens if you don't have enough power to run something? Say you're washing clothes and the AC tries to cut on. What happens if there is not enough juice to run both?

I think you would have to turn off the breakers in your panel so that only a few circuits were active.

Also I was without power for four days in July a few years back. While I had a 6500W generator, its job was to run the refrigerator and a large chest freezer, the microwave occasionally, plus some smaller appliances like box fans and a cell phone charger. I just got some long heavy-duty extension cords, cost under $100 for four. Dirty clothes got washed and rinsed in the bathtub and dried on a clothesline in the backyard sun.

[CALM Pythons]

What happens if you don't have enough power to run something? Say you're washing clothes and the AC tries to cut on. What happens if there is not enough juice to run both?

Yup if you have a smaller Generator like a 5000 watt then you only run the breakers you need to. You can swap them too of you had to do laundry, turn of the AC for a hour while you do it. I figure my lights, plugs in one room, my furnace is Gas but has a ignition and blower then the fridge/chest freezer.. I could do that easy with 7800 watts. Thats whats so cool is that it sends the power in to your Breaker Box just like regular Power. When the Power comes back on it has a Flashing Light to let you know.
Its a good idea Im surprised it isn't advertised more.

[KMG]

I think you would have to turn off the breakers in your panel so that only a few circuits were active.

Also I was without power for four days in July a few years back. While I had a 6500W generator, its job was to run the refrigerator and a large chest freezer, the microwave occasionally, plus some smaller appliances like box fans and a cell phone charger. I just got some long heavy-duty extension cords, cost under $100 for four. Dirty clothes got washed and rinsed in the bathtub and dried on a clothesline in the backyard sun.

That's what I would figure too. It's still an interesting device.


I thought about doing what the OP was originally looking at but decided I didn't want to leave the wife to deal with it if I'm stuck at work. In the end I went big and got a 22kw Generac whole home natural gas generator. That way if the power goes out and I'm away the wife doesn't have to do a thing. I'm very happy with my choice and for some reason my neighborhood loses power a few times a year and we only know because the oven clock will be wrong. It is a very nice luxury to have.

[CALM Pythons]

That's what I would figure too. It's still an interesting device.


I thought about doing what the OP was originally looking at but decided I didn't want to leave the wife to deal with it if I'm stuck at work. In the end I went big and got a 22kw Generac whole home natural gas generator. That way if the power goes out and I'm away the wife doesn't have to do a thing. I'm very happy with my choice and for some reason my neighborhood loses power a few times a year and we only know because the oven clock will be wrong. It is a very nice luxury to have.

I didnt know they had NG generators.. Thats something id do but im not sure where staying here much after the kids finish High School so its probably wouldn't be a smart financial choice.

[KMG]

For anybody comparing options I can attest that installing a whole home generator cost more than the generator itself.

Whatever the price of the generator you can easily double it to have an idea of the total cost.

This device the OP has find is certainly a much cheaper option.

[KMG]

I didnt know they had NG generators.. Thats something id do but im not sure where staying here much after the kids finish High School so its probably wouldn't be a smart financial choice.

They actual just sit on the ground. Mine is sitting on a concrete pad that they brought out preformed.

It can be taken with you by simply unhooking it and loading it up. That will take four guys, more because of size than weight. You'll just have to get it reinstalled.

If you do decide to leave it with the house it only helps your home's value.

The only time they hard mount it to the ground is in tornado areas.

[CALM Pythons]

They actual just sit on the ground. Mine is sitting on a concrete pad that they brought out preformed.

It can be taken with you by simply unhooking it and loading it up. That will take four guys, more because if size than weight. You'll just have to get it reinstalled.

If you do decide to leave it with the house it only helps your home's value.

The only time they hard mount it to the ground is in tornado areas.

I'll google my area and see who does them. Cant hurt to find out what they'd be talking.

[KMG]

I'll google my area and see who does them. Cant hurt to find out what they'd be talking.

I went through Lowe's. They did everything, permits, plumber, electrian, trench, generator. I bought it in a tax free weekend saving me some money plus I also opened a Lowe's card which gave me another big discount. Still not cheap but I made a good savings.

I was also a tough customer so they gave me the concrete pad, whole home serge protector, and extended five year warranty for free.

I shopped around and they were the best price.