Good Morning

[lolotsung]

@Ontario Chick try calling Randal Youngberg 437 886 5275 and pick his mind a bit. He can give you a few suggestions I'm sure. Looks like he does all types of electrical installations from his web page. Link in my email above. My mom had an electrician wire one up after the Montreal Ice Storm and I remember that it was not that costly but if you are handy you can do electrical yourself.

[Happy]

With spring around the corner, mind turns to hydro outages and sump pump / freezer , the basics at this place come to mind,
finally seriously considering installing a "Generator transfer switch" to connect the generator outside the house directly in to the house circuit.
Before we take the plunge and call the electrician, anybody has any experience with that system?
Until now we have just run a cord from the generator to whatever appliance was in the most dire need, but starting to think there has got to be an easier way ?

My husband is an electrician. He's happy to chat with you and give you advice. He installs generacs. I will pm you his #. He LOVES talking shop

[Ontario Chick]

With spring around the corner, mind turns to hydro outages and sump pump / freezer , the basics at this place come to mind,
finally seriously considering installing a "Generator transfer switch" to connect the generator outside the house directly in to the house circuit.
Before we take the plunge and call the electrician, anybody has any experience with that system?
Until now we have just run a cord from the generator to whatever appliance was in the most dire need, but starting to think there has got to be an easier way ?

My husband is an electrician. He's happy to chat with you and give you advice. He installs generacs. I will pm you his #. He LOVES talking shop

Darn wish you were closer, we will be needing few other things done at the same time, so it will have to be one of the local "boys"

[TomK]

With spring around the corner, mind turns to hydro outages and sump pump / freezer , the basics at this place come to mind,
finally seriously considering installing a "Generator transfer switch" to connect the generator outside the house directly in to the house circuit.
Before we take the plunge and call the electrician, anybody has any experience with that system?
Until now we have just run a cord from the generator to whatever appliance was in the most dire need, but starting to think there has got to be an easier way ?

yup...I heard thats the safe way yo go...back in the '98 ice storm I just got a length of 8 ga wire and the right locking connector for the 250 V outlet on the genny and hooked the other end to the dryer breaker on the panel after turning the main switch off...ran everything in the house except the range and the dryer...

edit:...MJ just reminded me that the range worked but not all 4 elements at once and not the oven at all..shows ya who was cooking back then huh?..

[Ontario Chick]

With spring around the corner, mind turns to hydro outages and sump pump / freezer , the basics at this place come to mind,
finally seriously considering installing a "Generator transfer switch" to connect the generator outside the house directly in to the house circuit.
Before we take the plunge and call the electrician, anybody has any experience with that system?
Until now we have just run a cord from the generator to whatever appliance was in the most dire need, but starting to think there has got to be an easier way ?

yup...I heard thats the safe way yo go...back in the '98 ice storm I just got a length of 8 ga wire and the right locking connector for the 250 V outlet on the genny and hooked the other end to the dryer breaker on the panel after turning the main switch off...ran everything in the house except the range and the dryer...

edit:...MJ just reminded me that the range worked but not all 4 elements at once and not the oven at all..shows ya who was cooking back then hub?..

Thanks @TomK , we have been mulling it for a while, but also need couple of new outside plugs, so it seems like the right time to bite the bullet and do all of it at the same time.
We were still heating with wood during the Ice storm so not a problem, now at our dotage we must find a way to make life easier and safer.
Hoping to "age in place", OK I guess we already did that... so As Long As possible under the circumstances :)

I have put us on a "three Year Plan" i.e. if it will last 3 years, don't touch it

[ross]

Lead acid batteries give off explosive gas as they charge/discharge lithium don’t .
Friend of mine & his wife got killed by this type of gas . Venting can be tricky

[TomK]

Lead acid batteries give off explosive gas as they charge/discharge lithium don’t .
Friend of mine & his wife got killed by this type of gas . Venting can be tricky

yes @ross ..thats very true...the batteries are in a case that is vented automatically...not really sure if its a timer or a sensor in my system, I didnt ask about that in particular but I will find out now for sure...the gas has a very distinctive smell and pungency so its not like odourless CO which most of us sensible people have detectors for in our homes...I am sure that the bureaucracy does the 'so it will never happen again" rules...but of course, no matter what, it will always happen again. The idea to safety isn't always rules but common sense and not cheaping out...if you can't afford to do it right, don't do it...just my opinion, but as we all know, lead acid batteries don't fare well in cold conditions so having them outdoors somewhere is highly problematic.

[ross]

The gas didn’t kill them , it’s not like CO it’s explosive , turning a light switch on shorted & the place blew up & they were burnt alive

[Farrier1987]

The gas didn’t kill them , it’s not like CO it’s explosive , turning a light switch on shorted & the place blew up & they were burnt alive

The gas it gives off is Hydrogen, because the way that battery works is that it is breaking the H2O molecule with input energy (electrolysis) to be released later. So both 02 and H are given off, very explosive mix. So best to have the batteries outside, not in the house.

I guess its not practical, but I have been wondering why the wind turbines don't have a Hydrogen producing facility that can produce H2 as a fuel when the wind blows and then use as required.

[Killerbunny]

Got a new chainsaw and tried it out today. Makita double battery one. Great for taking small limbs off (trees) and quiet. SO much easier to pic up and go, surprisingly powerful. DH has Makita power tools so lots of spare batteries and we'd been impressed by the battery weed strimmer thingy.