Working Pro Power using Generator Lockout Kit to Feed the Whole Panel

[Danface]

Hi, Following your post. Curious on what the inspector said. any update?

Not yet, I reached out to the electrician last week but still haven't heard back. Will keep pushing

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[Tweeker]

Not yet, I reached out to the electrician last week but still haven't heard back. Will keep pushing

Got it. Thx for the reply. I’ll keep an eye on this thread.

 

[evowner]

I can go a couple of weeks before I need to recharge with with the manner in which I use my truck. I try to let the battery get to 20%. My question is, to use the truck as a backup source it would have to be fully or near fully charged. So do those of you that are going this route charge your trucks every day or just keep a full charge when storms approach. What is the strategy?

 

[Danface]

If it was an impending event that could prevent "easy-ish" access to charging I would charge to 100 otherwise it would be on a case by case basis.

 

[EVpower]

I normally charge at home to 70%. When a major winter storm was forecast, I considered doing a cell equalization charge to 100%, "just in case" the Lightning was needed for utility back up. Since it takes time to the cell equalization to complete, and I couldn't schedule when an outage would occur, I decided to just charge as usual during the weather event.

Living in the Sierra foothills, we have had multiday power outages. Typically, outages are not widespread enough that I couldn't use the Lightning to haul electrons from a nearby DCFC for utility back up. Thank you, Ford for the Tesla adapter.

Steve

 

[Danface]

I normally charge at home to 70%. When a major winter storm was forecast, I considered doing a cell equalization charge to 100%, "just in case" the Lightning was needed for utility back up. Since it takes time to the cell equalization to complete, and I couldn't schedule when an outage would occur, I decided to just charge as usual during the weather event.

Living in the Sierra foothills, we have had multiday power outages. Typically, outages are not widespread enough that I couldn't use the Lightning to haul electrons from a nearby DCFC for utility back up. Thank you, Ford for the Tesla adapter.

Steve

Hauling Electrons:

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Not yet, I reached out to the electrician last week but still haven't heard back. Will keep pushing

I'm kind of curious about this as well.
I'm getting my panel upgraded and kind of doing what your setup is, with the outlet to backfeed the panel one the outside of the house, but having a generator circuit where it's blocked off with the metal thing as to not have the main breaker on. The electrician said it would work, but it seems that you have to disconnect the ground at the outlet coming in? So I'm wondering if my setup won't work the way he thinks it will

 

[v2h8484]

I'm kind of curious about this as well.
I'm getting my panel upgraded and kind of doing what your setup is, with the outlet to backfeed the panel one the outside of the house, but having a generator circuit where it's blocked off with the metal thing as to not have the main breaker on. The electrician said it would work, but it seems that you have to disconnect the ground at the outlet coming in? So I'm wondering if my setup won't work the way he thinks it will

That's called a mechanical interlock. It does not switch the neutral so you will need to disconnect the ground to use with Pro Power.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

That's called a mechanical interlock. It does not switch the neutral so you will need to disconnect the ground to use with Pro Power.

Yup, we just tested this and did have to disconnect the ground. We did it at the panel and not at the inlet. I’ll probably start another thread because I can’t really figure out how it could be a safety issue if the house circuits will be able to ground just fine at the panel. So I’m trying to figure out how an issue could come up, especially since regular generators don’t seem to care about this.

 

[v2h8484]

Yup, we just tested this and did have to disconnect the ground. We did it at the panel and not at the inlet. I’ll probably start another thread because I can’t really figure out how it could be a safety issue if the house circuits will be able to ground just fine at the panel. So I’m trying to figure out how an issue could come up, especially since regular generators don’t seem to care about this.

There is some small risk of shock because the truck is not earthed. It's also not code compliant. However, anecdotally, some people seem have been able to pass inspection. Many generators have (or can be configured to have) floating neutral so they work with interlock switches without the need to disconnect ground. Pro Power has a bonded neutral that cannot be modified.

 

[Maquis]

There is some small risk of shock because the truck is not earthed. It's also not code compliant. However, anecdotally, some people seem have been able to pass inspection. Many generators have (or can be configured to have) floating neutral so they work with interlock switches without the need to disconnect ground. Pro Power has a bonded neutral that cannot be modified.

The risk of shock is mitigated by the fact that the truck has GFCI. Your shock won’t last long and it won’t be lethal!

 

[FloridaMan655321]

There is some small risk of shock because the truck is not earthed.

How exactly could you shock yourself? By Touching the panel somehow? You would think it would trip the GFCI right away.

 

[v2h8484]

How exactly could you shock yourself? By Touching the panel somehow? You would think it would trip the GFCI right away.

Just imagine any scenario where Pro Power is running and someone becoming a low impedance path between the truck body and earth somehow. GFCI trips when current is > 5mA and humans can feel shock with current as low as 1mA.

 

[Maquis]

How exactly could you shock yourself? By Touching the panel somehow? You would think it would trip the GFCI right away.

Just imagine any scenario where Pro Power is running and someone becoming a low impedance path between the truck body and earth somehow. GFCI trips when current is > 5mA and humans can feel shock with current as low as 1mA.

To add…the reason that the truck chassis could be at some voltage potential relative to ground is due to voltage drop on the neutral wire between the truck and your panel. So you could feel a shock if you touched the truck and your home’s ground point. It’s not going to be much, but you could feel it, and yes, it will trip the GFCI. Everything from your panel, downstream into your home is no different than running on utility power.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

To add…the reason that the truck chassis could be at some voltage potential relative to ground is due to voltage drop on the neutral wire between the truck and your panel. So you could feel a shock if you touched the truck and your home’s ground point. It’s not going to be much, but you could feel it, and yes, it will trip the GFCI. Everything from your panel, downstream into your home is no different than running on utility power.

Interesting, but you would have to touch both, which doesn't seem to be easy if you have a cable connecting and providing power. Not to say you couldn't do it, but it would be kind of difficult if you were parked on your driveway and the ground for the panel was on the side of the house driven into the ground. Am I correct in this thinking? My background is not electricity, so I have no issues sounding dumb.

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