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Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

July 17, 2021, 10:21:18 am

Given the Feb Texas storm of the century, I have been looking at larger generators for a home backup. I need a 10KW to power the house and well pump. Guess what has a 10KW generator? Has anyone modified their Powertech to have an external plug for a house/well backup? It is more for the well but it would be easier to just do the entire house.

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Re: Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

Reply #1 – July 17, 2021, 10:27:25 am

No problem doing that, but you absolutely will need a disconnect (basically a manual transfer switch) for incoming line power.

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Re: Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

Reply #2 – July 17, 2021, 10:59:46 am

If you have a 220V well pump, you will have to wire the generator for that or get a transformer like I did. There are a lot of 110V deep water well pumps out now so that might be a choice. Our 220V pump went out last month so I just replaced it with another 220V pump. It's down 160 feet so I had to hire a kid to help me pull the pump and plastic tubing out of the hole. That was a hard job in the heat.

Another possibility is buying a big water tank for a reserve. We purchased a 3000 tank from a supplier down in the Sac Valley for $1000.

Our U300 generator has powered the house many times has any time the wind comes up, the power is turned off. Even with the threat of wind, the power goes off, sometimes for days. Paradise is just a few miles away where they lost 19,000 buildings including 11,000 being because of a power line failure.

The first time, the Powertech had a few glitches with a three day run but I pulled it out on the slides and changed everything including doing a HD cooling system cleaning.

If it's not going to be a long outage, you can power the house including the fridge, TVs, internet, etc with the Foretravel inverter(s) if you have solar.

Pierce

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Re: Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

Reply #3 – July 17, 2021, 11:22:09 am

You might also search the forum for details on how to do this safely - there have been several discussions in the past year or so (particularly after the Texas grid failure).  Here are a couple to get you started.  Topics with "buddy plug" in them often contain info as well 

220v PT10 Generator

Powering house with RV generator

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Re: Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

Reply #4 – July 17, 2021, 12:22:04 pm

Great info!  I figured it could be done.  I do know a transfer switch is mandatory and will do that. Thanks for the links Michelle.

Pierce- if you have any links or photos of your setup, I'd be interested in seeing how you did yours.

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Re: Modifying Generator to be a Home Backup

Reply #5 – July 17, 2021, 07:00:18 pm

You might give Jeff at Powertech a call with the serial number from your generator. I just had a conversation with him on changing mine to 220v. It can be done, but it was speced out to be a 110v output. Per our conversation with a 20+ year old generator he suggested leaving well enough alone. In the long run by the time you burn up the power head you could buy a 7500 watt backup generator.

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