winter furnace prep

[.356luger]

im sure most of you have been going natural climate control in these mild September days but cold weather is getting ever closer. So i thought it might be a good idea to remind everyone to change the filter, change the batteries in your thermostat, brush off any debrie from your fan , with power off, and fire off the furnace before snow flies.

Another trick you can do if you dont have money for an expensive transfer switch on the generator is to install a simple plug system on your furnace if its gas. I don't necessarily recommend this for electric furnaces or heat pumps unless you have a strong working knowledge of electricity.

This project takes limited knowledge of electricity, 20 minutes, and about 15$ in parts

Kill all power to your furnace via the breaker ensure everyone knows you have purposefully killed the power.

Find the main power routed to your furnace and cut through all 3 wires and strip the insulation back after you have confirmed no electricity is present.

Install a female plug on the power side coming from your breaker panel and a male plug on the furnace side. Follow the diagram on the plugs. Also make sure your plug is rated in amps and max voltage the same as the breaker.

Plug them back into each other.

In the event of an outage you can now run your furnace via extension cord again rated for the work it will be doing. By unplugging the incoming power to the furnace you insure no back feeding and harming lineman or other workers while you keep you home toasty.

If you are not competent with electrical work do not attempt this!!!!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

im sure most of you have been going natural climate control in these mild September days but cold weather is getting ever closer. So i thought it might be a good idea to remind everyone to change the filter, change the batteries in your thermostat, brush off any debrie from your fan , with power off, and fire off the furnace before snow flies.

Another trick you can do if you dont have money for an expensive transfer switch on the generator is to install a simple plug system on your furnace if its gas. I don't necessarily recommend this for electric furnaces or heat pumps unless you have a strong working knowledge of electricity.

This project takes limited knowledge of electricity, 20 minutes, and about 15$ in parts

Kill all power to your furnace via the breaker ensure everyone knows you have purposefully killed the power.

Find the main power routed to your furnace and cut through all 3 wires and strip the insulation back after you have confirmed no electricity is present.

Install a female plug on the power side coming from your breaker panel and a male plug on the furnace side. Follow the diagram on the plugs. Also make sure your plug is rated in amps and max voltage the same as the breaker.

Plug them back into each other.

In the event of an outage you can now run your furnace via extension cord again rated for the work it will be doing. By unplugging the incoming power to the furnace you insure no back feeding and harming lineman or other workers while you keep you home toasty.

If you are not competent with electrical work do not attempt this!!!!

Or, you can make a short double-ended cord with male plugs on both ends and connect your generator into any of your outlets (after you flip off the main breaker) and "route" the power where you need it. That way you can more easily run more things without having cords laying all over the place. The key is to flip off the main breaker to prevent back-feeding, and to know the limits of your generator (and the cord you use to connect it to your house) and the wattage required to run your appliances.

 

[Hoosierman]

Or, you can make a short double-ended cord with male plugs on both ends and connect your generator into any of your outlets (after you flip off the main breaker) and "route" the power where you need it. That way you can more easily run more things without having cords laying all over the place. The key is to flip off the main breaker to prevent back-feeding, and to know the limits of your generator (and the cord you use to connect it to your house) and the wattage required to run your appliances.

What you have described is referred to as a suicide cable. It's not only dangerous, but illegal. In a power out situation, it's all too easy to forget to flip the main breaker, and you just killed a lineman. Please don't recommend this.

 

[10-32]

In the event of an outage you can now run your furnace via extension cord again rated for the work it will be doing. By unplugging the incoming power to the furnace you insure no back feeding and harming lineman or other workers while you keep you home toasty.

I would recommend first verifying that your gas furnace runs on 110/120 volts. If you use if method, use a 12 gauge extension cord that as SHORT as possible.

 

[Cameramonkey]

What you have described is referred to as a suicide cable. It's not only dangerous, but illegal. In a power out situation, it's all too easy to forget to flip the main breaker, and you just killed a lineman. Please don't recommend this.

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!^^^^^^^^^^^^ Power should ALWAYS (except for the 8th thursday in February) be delivered via female plugs.

If you think your male/male plug is a good idea, walk away and hire an electrician. Seriously. Before you kill somebody.

 

[Trigger Time]

im sure most of you have been going natural climate control in these mild September days but cold weather is getting ever closer. So i thought it might be a good idea to remind everyone to change the filter, change the batteries in your thermostat, brush off any debrie from your fan , with power off, and fire off the furnace before snow flies.

Another trick you can do if you dont have money for an expensive transfer switch on the generator is to install a simple plug system on your furnace if its gas. I don't necessarily recommend this for electric furnaces or heat pumps unless you have a strong working knowledge of electricity.

This project takes limited knowledge of electricity, 20 minutes, and about 15$ in parts

Kill all power to your furnace via the breaker ensure everyone knows you have purposefully killed the power.

Find the main power routed to your furnace and cut through all 3 wires and strip the insulation back after you have confirmed no electricity is present.

Install a female plug on the power side coming from your breaker panel and a male plug on the furnace side. Follow the diagram on the plugs. Also make sure your plug is rated in amps and max voltage the same as the breaker.

Plug them back into each other.

In the event of an outage you can now run your furnace via extension cord again rated for the work it will be doing. By unplugging the incoming power to the furnace you insure no back feeding and harming lineman or other workers while you keep you home toasty.

If you are not competent with electrical work do not attempt this!!!!

This is what we did with ours. A very good idea.

 

[churchmouse]

I installed a standard receptacle down stream of the SSU fused switch on the furnace. I have a cord built just for the purpose of running the furnace. It has male plugs on both ends. Plug into the receptacle after putting the SSU in the off position preventing back feed. Run off the genny as needed.
We always shut off the main when power drops out. 1st thing we do. I do not want any spikes or brown out power hitting my houses. When we see the lights come on in the area we give it a few minutes and then go back on grid.
Use your head when doing any of the switching and power up on a genny.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!^^^^^^^^^^^^ Power should ALWAYS (except for the 8th thursday in February) be delivered via female plugs.

If you think your male/male plug is a good idea, walk away and hire an electrician. Seriously. Before you kill somebody.

The male/male plug is like a gun; It can't hurt you or anyone else unless it is used carelessly.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Here is a link to an add for a male/male generator power cord.

Amazon.com : 50 Foot Generator Power Cord - L14-30P to L14-30P (Plug to Plug), 30A, 125/250V, 10/4 Stranded Wire, Rated for Outdoor Use on Generators up to 7500W : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[Hoosierman]

Justify it all you want, it's still illegal. Guns are not.

 

[Cameramonkey]

This is the proper connector for the house. Note its designed to be used with a transfer switch AND the exposed pins are recessed to make it difficult to contact if the transfer switch were somehow defective. Using one of these you avoid the suicide plug and can use an extension cord as designed.

Electricity is like a firearm; There is a right way and a wrong way. Doing it the wrong way CAN kill you. It may not kill you immediately, but eventually your number will come up...

Amazon.com : Reliance Controls PB30 L14-30 30 Amp Generator Power Cord Inlet Box For Up To 7, 500 Watt Generators : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[jbrooks19]

Justify it all you want, it's still illegal. Guns are not.

I'm not arguing, but can you state where it says this is "Illegal"?? Just curious, again, not disagreeing....

 

[Cameramonkey]

In the National Electical Code...

Article 406.6 (B) Connection of Attachment Plugs:
Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or pins are not
energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle or cord connectors. No
receptacle shall be installed so as to require the insertion of an energized attachment
plug as its source of supply.

 

[churchmouse]

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!^^^^^^^^^^^^ Power should ALWAYS (except for the 8th thursday in February) be delivered via female plugs.

If you think your male/male plug is a good idea, walk away and hire an electrician. Seriously. Before you kill somebody.

To the common or average Joe what you state is in fact the truth. If you have no knowledge....leave it alone.

I/we have been using "Widow makers" and suicide cords for more years than I wish to say. When you are in the center of a huge mall or commercial facility and no convenience power available to run your tools then it becomes a necessity to get juice by whatever means are at hand. If you follow proper procedure, use your head and do not power anything up before all the switches are in the right position there will be no issues.
Get in a hurry or act the fool and then you are correct, people get popped.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

In the National Electical Code...

Article 406.6 (B) Connection of Attachment Plugs:
Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or pins are not
energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle or cord connectors. No
receptacle shall be installed so as to require the insertion of an energized attachment
plug as its source of supply.

You are, of course, correct with everything that you've said about electrical safety. Saying that Male/Male plugs are "illegal" is a bit of a stretch, though. I'm sure it's some kind of infraction for a licensed electrician to install anything that is contrary to a code, but I don't think that I'm in danger of arrest if a cop was to notice my Male/Male cord that hangs on the pegboard in my garage.

I think that the real point to be made, to second what ChurchMouse said, is that nobody should mess with this kind of stuff unless they know what they are doing. And, that includes the instructions given by the OP. Some times I wonder how many of you youngsters could have even functioned in the world us older guys grew up in without losing all your fingers or worse.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Things like code violations can be illegal and you won't get arrested. You can still be fined, building occupancy permit denied, etc

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Things like code violations can be illegal and you won't get arrested. You can still be fined, building occupancy permit denied, etc

Another thing I should have said is that you are right in saying I shouldn't give out that kind of "advice" on a forum like this one. That point is well taken and I'll think twice before typing in the future.

 

[caverjamie]

I've used the double male cord before as well as my father during power outages. Always turn the main breaker off first before doing anything else, and it's the last thing to ever turn back on. People have done a lot worse, like play with Tannerite, hah! A transfer switch is certainly the long term solution as circumstances and finances allow. I borrow someone else's extra generator when I need it, so I guess my own generator would be first on my list to buy....

 

[Cameramonkey]

Another thing I should have said is that you are right in saying I shouldn't give out that kind of "advice" on a forum like this one. That point is well taken and I'll think twice before typing in the future.

honestly, I had heard of it before as well and didn't give it much thought until a buddy who used to work for IPL mentioned how dangerous it can be to do it the redneck way (suicide cord into an outlet, no transfer switch, etc)

 

[churchmouse]

I see the point Cmonkey. We do not do the random receptacle in the house. The only one we use is directly on the furnace downstream of the furnace power switch. We have a procedure and it is followed.
1st the mains get dumped. Then the furnace if it is cold will be powered up along with other select equipment with good cords from the genny. We have battery/inverter back up for lighting and electronics.
We have wood burner and a gas fireplace.

Never...ever...do stupid **** with the power in the home. If you are not trained/experienced put in a proper switch gear. Use a properly sized genny as well.