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I'm planning on adding a light to a tub/shower combo in our 2nd bathroom. Currently only has a vanity light for the whole room. Not that it's huge, but once you throw in a shower curtain the shower is pretty dark. If I'm reading things correctly, this light fixture need to be GFCI protected, right? And being above the shower, it has to be wet location rated, not just damp, right? Is there any good retro-fit workaround for the GFCI requirement, like some in-line device or a special fixture/switch? Failing that, is anyone going to care if I just pull power from the nearest GFCI receptacle? Planning on a LED puck, probably 4". Wouldn't imagine this is enough load to push past a tipping point, but I dunno... there's a GFCI protected receptacle 1 stud bay over from the switches, so it'd be pretty simple to pull from that. Finally, maybe more of an opinion question, this is for a bone-standard tub/shower combo, 60"x30". Would a single 4" puck be enough? Seems like it would be, but I dunno. More than I have currently, at least.
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Apr 18, 2022 19:22
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DaveSauce posted:I'm planning on adding a light to a tub/shower combo in our 2nd bathroom. Currently only has a vanity light for the whole room. Not that it's huge, but once you throw in a shower curtain the shower is pretty dark. The absolute easiest way to "retrofit" a GFCI is to replace the breaker with a combo one. They are like $50 and do the whole circuit including any mysterious branches, etc. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-Homeline-20-Amp-Single-Pole-Dual-Function-CAFCI-and-GFCI-Circuit-Breaker-HOM120DFC/204844652 for example. Straight over the shower is UL Wet correct. As for the sizing, really it's the lumens you should be reading, and if it's diffused or spot or whatever. The pucks are going to be diffused so that's fine, and I imagine given you're already "close" then almost anything will do. I wouldn't worry about the load on a shared circuit, it's an LED you're looking at like 20w being blindingly bright. It should probably ride whichever circuit does the vanity lighting? Or the fan? I don't know what you have to work with vs what your local code is going to allow.
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Apr 18, 2022 20:09
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That's an interesting approach to just put a GFCI on the whole circuit. Not sure why I didn't think of that... certainly would make life easier and make more sense than having the two lights on potentially different circuits. And that said, I haven't checked yet what circuit everything is on. The nearest receptacle is tied to a GFCI in another bathroom, and I don't know if this is the same or different circuit from the light/fan. (edit: breaker box stickers claim that this bathroom's lights are on the same circuit as the adjacent bedroom, and the master bath lights/outlets are on a separate circuit, which I expect means this bathroom's outlet is on the same circuit as the master bath unless it's on a different GFCI for some reason... so that's actually good in that GFCI on the whole circuit shouldn't end up with cascading GFCIs anywhere). And regarding switching, I was planning on a 3rd switch just for it. Not sure why, but it seems to make sense. Easy enough to throw an old work box in there. Easier to wire if I can just daisy chain off the existing light or fan, certainly, but I have relatively easy attic access so it's not the end of the world if I run it back to a new switch. It's not a huge bathroom, so it's like 6' up and 6' over. Spot checked some LED pucks on 1000bulbs, and we're looking at about 650-700 lumens for a 4". With 8' ceilings, this should be plenty, right? DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Apr 18, 2022 |
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Apr 18, 2022 20:19
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DaveSauce posted:That's an interesting approach to just put a GFCI on the whole circuit. Not sure why I didn't think of that... certainly would make life easier and make more sense than having the two lights on potentially different circuits. Just a reminder that stickers are stickers and empirical testing is what keeps you alive. The stickers are great hints as to where to start your investigation, but remember that the wires don't care what the stickers say so test it out. Get a outlet tester with GFCI button, and a non-contact volt pen, then test your theories. Once you've wired it all up test your GFCI actually kills the light. I would combine the light switches unless it's somehow more of a hassle, I doubt there is ever a time you will regret the shower light being on while the vanity is also on. It makes wiring easier, fitting cables in boxes easier, the list goes on. Save that third switch for your heated towel rack or something. No clue on lumen count I always am just surprised.  Never listen to me. Google tells me 600 lumens is a 40w lightbulb which might be a little light? Two might also help with shadows.
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Apr 19, 2022 00:32
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Ok, so I am going to add a few 20A circuits to my garage. I have a subpanel in the garage. Just wondering what the best route for this is. The subpanel is on the back wall, and my plan is to just run along the top of the concrete (where I can anchor to wood). I can either just buy the armored 12/2 and tack that to the wall, or the are conduit options, where I could probably stuff two circuits down a conduit and have drops every so often. The conduit will presumably be cleaner, but I am guessing the armored cable would go up quicker. Also trying to figure out what I should do for a 50A 2 pole circuit. Armored 6/3 is pretty expensive, but makes it easy. I could probably run non-armored 6/3 through the ceiling since that is going along the joists. I'm not too familiar with running individual conductors.
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Apr 19, 2022 03:12
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carticket posted:Also trying to figure out what I should do for a 50A 2 pole circuit. Armored 6/3 is pretty expensive, but makes it easy. I could probably run non-armored 6/3 through the ceiling since that is going along the joists. I'm not too familiar with running individual conductors. 6/3 NM + this is what I'll likely be doing https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southwire-3-4-in-x-25-ft-Ultratite-Liquidtight-Flexible-Non-Metallic-PVC-Conduit-55094321/202316470 but you could do shorter lengths just to get you into the ceiling opengl fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Apr 19, 2022 |
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Apr 19, 2022 03:58
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DaveSauce posted:I'm planning on adding a light to a tub/shower combo in our 2nd bathroom. Currently only has a vanity light for the whole room. Not that it's huge, but once you throw in a shower curtain the shower is pretty dark. only the receptacles in a bathroom need to be GFCI protected, it's personnel protection, not circuit/equipment protection like AFCI. massachusetts has a code amendment that says GFCIs cannot also turn off all the lights in a given area. the hazard the GFCI is mitigating is where a person interacts with a circuit, most often plugging in damaged or wet equipment. the bigger hazard tying the lights into the GFCI presents here is making a wet room go dark in the event of a trip! if it's a wet-rated puck light, there's not really anything for a GFCI to protect unless the person in the running shower is prying it apart...you can just power the switch for it from the line side of the GFCI receptacle.
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Apr 19, 2022 05:15
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carticket posted:Ok, so I am going to add a few 20A circuits to my garage. I have a subpanel in the garage. Just wondering what the best route for this is. The subpanel is on the back wall, and my plan is to just run along the top of the concrete (where I can anchor to wood). I can either just buy the armored 12/2 and tack that to the wall, or the are conduit options, where I could probably stuff two circuits down a conduit and have drops every so often. The conduit will presumably be cleaner, but I am guessing the armored cable would go up quicker. Conduit is definitely cleaner IMO; EMT looks the cleanest, but I've made FMC look presentable by keeping it pulled tight + adding plenty of straps along the wall + hitting a junction box and converting to EMT as early as possible. Pulling THNN is really easy + you've got some room if you need to pull additional circuits in the future. No sense going smaller than 3/4" IMO. Being up on the ceiling / way out of the way though, damage is super unlikely (I forget if NEC lets this be subjective or not) so it probably comes down to cosmetics for you. Extant Artiodactyl posted:only the receptacles in a bathroom need to be GFCI protected, it's personnel protection, not circuit/equipment protection like AFCI. massachusetts has a code amendment that says GFCIs cannot also turn off all the lights in a given area. Did not know that not having GFCI turn off lights was a thing in some areas! Whoever did the bathroom remodel in my place, the bathroom is daisy chained off some receptacles in the master bedroom as well, lights and receptacles. I found the starting leg of that circuit and replaced that outlet with a GFCI... dunno if its against code in Seattle or not, but I don't really have a choice considering how it was wired up and assumedly passed some kind of inspection. I've got big exterior windows in that bathroom, so not too worried about it.
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Apr 19, 2022 06:37
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:In reverse order of posting, Motronic, Elviscat, kid sinister, H110Hawk, angryrobots, Nerobro... I see you all making good posts in this thread, and I appreciate it. I know a lot of megathread owners abandon their children, but I feel this one is important enough that I've really struggled to keep it alive and relevant. Thank you all for being safe and knowledgeable and experts in your own categories. Let's keep this thread working for another 10 years or so, Forums willing. I.. Think I missed this post of yours. Thank you. I made some real noise here, and I figured you all were owed followup. I did finally get the job done. I bought some direct bury cable, and a RV terminal. I rented a trencher, and we dug a trench, dropped in the wire, and re-buried it. At the main panel, I have a ~sized for the load~ GFCI breaker, and on the 120v circuit down at the cottage, that's ~also~ on it's own GFCI circuit. I also have a ground rod at the RV terminal, so grounding is local, and safe. The cottage will be plugged into the RV panel, so it can be claimed to be portable, and ~legal~ in the eyes of the county. General recommendation, rent 50% more trencher than you need. I did not, and my body paid the price. Also, trenching somewhere that's mostly rocks, with some soil sprinkled on it... just don't.
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Apr 19, 2022 07:11
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I had the same dark tub/shower issue, and I used a single 6" Halo puck, tapped into the vanity light. It's just about the right level of light, especially for use with kids' baths. The Halos are wet rated, and as was said, you don't need to worry about GFCI, since the driver box steps it down to like 20V DC or something for the part actually touchable.
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Apr 19, 2022 19:53
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Extant Artiodactyl posted:only the receptacles in a bathroom need to be GFCI protected, it's personnel protection, not circuit/equipment protection like AFCI. massachusetts has a code amendment that says GFCIs cannot also turn off all the lights in a given area. B-Nasty posted:I had the same dark tub/shower issue, and I used a single 6" Halo puck, tapped into the vanity light. It's just about the right level of light, especially for use with kids' baths. The Halos are wet rated, and as was said, you don't need to worry about GFCI, since the driver box steps it down to like 20V DC or something for the part actually touchable. So I tried to look and see where I got the idea that shower lights HAD to be on a GFCI, and it looks that only applies if the instructions say so. The few I spot checked do not say that, so that makes life way, way easier to just pull off the same light circuit as the vanity. I figure I'll get maybe 2 of the 4" pucks and space them apart for shadows. Still debating that, but better to do it once.
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Apr 19, 2022 21:38
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Not sure where to post this, but I've been thinking about applying for an IBEW apprenticeship program when applications open up near me. Either being inside lineman or residential. I hate my job, but I think I'm young enough to switch careers and take a short-term paycut without it being much of an issue. I also like the idea of honest and useful work I can do with my hands, and being able to tell people "woah, pal, I'm in the union." However, I know very loving little about electrical engineering and wiring. Besides the alegebra and reading comprehension questions on practice aptitude tests, what should I learn now so that I'm ready to apply when applications open up? Any intro books or babby's first electrical projects I should try?
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Apr 20, 2022 00:00
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Head Bee Guy posted:Not sure where to post this, but I've been thinking about applying for an IBEW apprenticeship program Full disclosure I was never in the union but I worked closely with IBEW commerical and industrial inside wireman and utility linemen. Most apprentices would spend years being gophers retrieving tools and parts or operating the material delivery machinery. Getting a grade-all (grate-all?) Or cherry pick lift certification would be a thing you could mention you did to show you were excited to work in the field. Getting a book about like homeowner electrical work, I know black and decker actually has a good book and reading up on it to try and get an idea of terms and such would be another good idea I'd think. You could do some of the projects in there in there my mounting like a lightbulb with multiple bulbs and switches on it to practice working with wires and doing things safely. Doing research into safety stuff would probably also help a ton with the interviews.
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Apr 20, 2022 01:19
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Head Bee Guy posted:
Do you have a copy of or access to the current NFPA 70? They have PDF or printed versions, or you can limp along with free online access. Trying to learn and digest the legalese-like way the code books are written is very valuable. Luckily, there are online resources where you can search out NEC sections and get diagrams or people discussing the concepts. Getting a rough understanding of major concepts and terminology will put you near the top of the class, as far as book-learnin goes.
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Apr 20, 2022 02:05
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Hoping someone here has an intimate knowledge of breakers. My panel takes Square D HOM breakers, and there are currently no open slots. We just had our attic finished and we need to put the LED lights on something, and were looking to do a dedicated breaker for this attic space. Because there's no room, we were looking to use a duplex breaker, but it seems the Square D breakers that are duplex are HOMT and will not fit in my panel. Does anyone know anything about this specific case or are we stuck having to tie it into something existing? Edit: I might also be getting mixed up and it’s a Typo vs tipo issue. The Dave fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Apr 21, 2022 |
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Apr 21, 2022 01:48
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The Dave posted:Hoping someone here has an intimate knowledge of breakers. What's the model of your panel? Should be on a sticker somewhere. Because Google says you're not wrong: https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA111464/ With an exact model we can pull the spec sheet out of Google and see what's going on here.
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Apr 21, 2022 03:27
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The Dave posted:Hoping someone here has an intimate knowledge of breakers. While you have the panel cover off looking for the panel's model number, there should be a sticker in there that lists the maximum number of *circuits* the panel can support. This may be >= the number of breaker spaces, which if greater, implies you can use tandem breakers. You should also see a little diagram that shows where, if anywhere, the tandems can be placed. For my HOM panel that can take tandems everywhere, it looks like this:  If your panel is a circuits=spaces type, you're out of luck for a tandem. You can still probably combine circuits or do some rearranging to get a new circuit run if you want.
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Apr 21, 2022 13:57
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To close the loop on this this article seems to hit all the points: https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA111464/
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Apr 22, 2022 02:26
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Anyone use the shiny Leviton panels? Noodling on replacing my main, and stumbled onto them.... annoying each breaker is Bluetooth / they are $$$ on each, but it seems pretty legit. I like my Emporia Vues, and I have 3 panels total at my place, so if I went Leviton, I'd probably have to change them all out. Tell me that Leviton builds these out of unicorn foreskin or something so I stop thinking about this. I should really just get that 42 space Square D and stop thinking about these, but man, they have some cool hardware: https://www.leviton.com/en/docs/Leviton-Load-Center-Line-Card.pdf movax fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Apr 25, 2022 |
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Apr 25, 2022 22:07
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movax posted:Anyone use the shiny Leviton panels? Noodling on replacing my main, and stumbled onto them.... annoying each breaker is Bluetooth / they are $$$ on each, but it seems pretty legit. I like my Emporia Vues, and I have 3 panels total at my place, so if I went Leviton, I'd probably have to change them all out. Tell me that Leviton builds these out of unicorn foreskin or something so I stop thinking about this. Don't waste money on smart gizmos in you rmain load centers. It will seem really awesome for weeks, months even, but then... who cares. And then the blueteeth will start breaking, the app will stop updating, some jerk will figure out how to hack into it and make a drive by breaker blaster that shuts off your breakers at random or something. Get a Square-D snap on neutral system and be done with it. Forever.
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Apr 25, 2022 22:31
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movax posted:each breaker is Bluetooth 
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Apr 26, 2022 03:24
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H110Hawk posted:Don't waste money on smart gizmos in you rmain load centers. It will seem really awesome for weeks, months even, but then... who cares. And then the blueteeth will start breaking, the app will stop updating, some jerk will figure out how to hack into it and make a drive by breaker blaster that shuts off your breakers at random or something. Get a Square-D snap on neutral system and be done with it. Forever. You know, if it was monitoring-only + used something like powerline communication (PLC) instead of Bluetooth, I'd probably be way more interested in it... Instead, I'll stick with my Emporias for the monitoring part and then go measure my downstairs and see if I want the QO142L225 or QO140L200 (I don't see a reason to not get the bigger one unless I don't have space for it.). Standard breakers that have no smarts, and the only 'smart' part literally can't do anything as its monitoring only / worst-case it breaks some automations if it goes down. e: There is not a minimum height off floor restriction in NEC, is there? I see the 6'7" requirement / 30 in. wide / 36 in. front clearance rules, but I see some places citing four feet off the ground... movax fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Apr 26, 2022 |
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Apr 26, 2022 03:34
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movax posted:Anyone use the shiny Leviton panels? Noodling on replacing my main, and stumbled onto them.... annoying each breaker is Bluetooth / they are $$$ on each, but it seems pretty legit. I like my Emporia Vues, and I have 3 panels total at my place, so if I went Leviton, I'd probably have to change them all out. Tell me that Leviton builds these out of unicorn foreskin or something so I stop thinking about this. Given that Leviton is a much larger and diversified company, what happens to all the expensive breakers and load center in a few years when Leviton shuts the servers down and pulls the app from the app stores? Is the API for talking to the breakers open so that someone can write their own app to support the use of the breakers after a shutdown? https://hackaday.com/2022/04/25/insteon-abruptly-shuts-down-users-left-smart-home-less/
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Apr 26, 2022 15:58
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Speaking of Square D, when are those CAFCI/GFCI plug-on-neutral breakers gonna be in stock again? Menards sold them in stores but they're all gone and you can't order from them. Can't seem to order them from Home Depot, I'm guessing Lowes is the same. Anything to do but wait for whatever supply chain issues work themselves out? Though it's been like this for 9 months.
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Apr 27, 2022 00:05
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FISHMANPET posted:Speaking of Square D, when are those CAFCI/GFCI plug-on-neutral breakers gonna be in stock again? Menards sold them in stores but they're all gone and you can't order from them. Can't seem to order them from Home Depot, I'm guessing Lowes is the same. Anything to do but wait for whatever supply chain issues work themselves out? Though it's been like this for 9 months. I would try to find a local electric supply house and bring cash. Remember they're probably $100 each. Have what you need written on a slip of paper.
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Apr 27, 2022 00:09
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H110Hawk posted:I would try to find a local electric supply house and bring cash. Remember they're probably $100 each. Have what you need written on a slip of paper. Jesus, I know things have gone up but they were $50 a pop last year when I bought a bunch.
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Apr 27, 2022 00:14
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BonerGhost posted:Jesus, I know things have gone up but they were $50 a pop last year when I bought a bunch. I might be thinking about dual pole or something but yeah come with plenty of cash just in case. They will probably take a credit card but you want to be easy to deal with in case the counter person is having a bad day.
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Apr 27, 2022 00:40
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FISHMANPET posted:Speaking of Square D, when are those CAFCI/GFCI plug-on-neutral breakers gonna be in stock again? Menards sold them in stores but they're all gone and you can't order from them. Can't seem to order them from Home Depot, I'm guessing Lowes is the same. Anything to do but wait for whatever supply chain issues work themselves out? Though it's been like this for 9 months. QO or Homeline? My local HDs have the common 15/20A PON QO combi breakers in stock (~$60). This is one of the reasons why I like the Homeline panels: the PON combi breakers for those are everywhere and most regular double-poles have been relatively easy to find during the pandemic. It was only the crazier tandem/quads that started to get scarce.
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Apr 27, 2022 03:29
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QO supremacy. Worst case I can easily find pigtail dual breakers, or plug on neutral CAFCI and put a GFCI outlet in line.
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Apr 27, 2022 03:34
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Accidentally posted this in the electronics thread, posting it here where it belongs now. I've wired 3 Mysa 'smart' line voltage thermostats (for electric baseboard heaters) and I have one left to do and it's boggling my mind. It's 1 heater on the thermostat, it's wired single pole, I believe 240v but the neutrals are white (the old thermostat says 240v on it but that could just mean it's rated for either). Two cables into the gang, each carrying a white neutral and a black hot wire (line and load), and the copper ground wire which is well and firmly affixed to the box with the two ends screwcapped. The analog thermostat works. I cannot get the mysa to turn on, have tried reversing the line/load black cables to no avail. I have tried swapping in the other known-good mysa units and they don't turn on either. This is exactly the setup in my other room where it took a handful of minutes to finish the installation. What could be going on with this? Stolen from the Mysa instructions, this is how the analog thermostat is wired:  This is how I've wired the Mysa in (the second photo but it's basically the same thing as I understand it):  Yes I've been turning the breaker off as I've been doing this. There is another thermostat on this circuit in the other room that's working great. Is it possible this gang is wired such that the two whites aren't actually neutral? Could I have somehow wired the other Mysa into this circuit in such a way as to not allow this one to work (but the analog still works)? I'm super confused. Thanks goons.
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Apr 27, 2022 06:59
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Oh my god I think the issue is that the line wire is only hot when the other one has the thermostat on... No way right? I can't imagine both thermostats are on the same circuit in series.
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Apr 27, 2022 23:37
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movax posted:e: There is not a minimum height off floor restriction in NEC, is there? I see the 6'7" requirement / 30 in. wide / 36 in. front clearance rules, but I see some places citing four feet off the ground... To the best of my knowledge and my inspector, there is no minimum height for a load center or disconnecting means in the NEC. Local codes can and do vary, and it's kinda a dick move to put the load center 3 inches off the ground, even if the top of it comes up to 4 ft.
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Apr 28, 2022 03:42
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I consider myself reasonably competent with basic electrical work, but I'm heading into new water here, and looking for some advice/admonition. I'm looking to install an interlock for a generator, but don't know 100 percent where to start. I've replaced breakers before, run new circuits, etc, so I'm reasonably confident I won't kill myself or a lineman. Panel is outside, so I'm just gonna surface mount the inlet box right next to it. Generator is a 6500 watt generac with a 30amp 120/240 outlet. One potential issue is I've only got one free slot on the panel. I'm hoping to run my central ac, so I'd need a double pole breaker for the feed from the generator, correct? It's a small house with the power pretty well spread out, so I'm guessing I could throw a couple circuits onto a cheater breaker to make space. In terms of power usage, guides I read before purchasing the generator listed various appliances/ac etc power usages in watts, and 6500 watts gave me plenty of wiggle room. It didn't really click until today though that my bottleneck is that 30 amp outlet. Will I be able to get away with powering say, central ac, a fridge, a chest freezer, and a few minor conveniences (lights, a tv, a modem)? Does anyone have a specific interlock kit they recommend? A specific instructional video? Am I asking basic enough questions that this may be a bad idea to diy? I feel like I get the general concept well enough.
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Apr 30, 2022 01:22
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Slugworth posted:Will I be able to get away with powering say, central ac, Lol no. You can't run AC on a portable genset. And if by some miracle of small unit and soft start kits you get the compressor spinning the first time you fridge also wants to turn on you're gonna stall the thing. You can run all the rest. Even a well pump if that's a thing you have to worry about. But "I want to run my AC or heat pump" = a generator big enough that it's typically a fixed install. As to the install: You need a transfer switch. Or an inlet breaker that is connected to your main so that neither of them can ever possibly both be on at the same time (the "interlock kit" you're asking about). No saying what will work without knowing what panel you have and how it's laid out. You also need a proper inlet.
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Apr 30, 2022 15:39
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Motronic posted:As to the install: You need a transfer switch. Or an inlet breaker that is connected to your main so that neither of them can ever possibly both be on at the same time (the "interlock kit" you're asking about). No saying what will work without knowing what panel you have and how it's laid out. You also need a proper inlet. I want to clarify that "proper inlet" means "listed and rated for the intended use" not just "wired safely." Same way with the interlocking breaker system (transfer switch or equivalent). Slugworth posted:Does anyone have a specific interlock kit they recommend? ... Am I asking basic enough questions that this may be a bad idea to diy? ... Ask your power company for their one-sheet of recommended designs. They'll have something (probably with model numbers) for stuff they will just happily sign off on. This will include an inlet, transfer switch, and the grounding/neutral interconnection wiring diagram so you can manage to not accidentally backfeed a neutral even when your interconnect is "off." This is DIYable with the proper permits and inspections. If you don't have an actual electrician do the transfer switch install you might be out of power for a large (12-36) number of hours as the PoCo pulls the meter, you install the switch, and then they come back to reinstall the meter after the inspection. babyeatingpsychopath fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Apr 30, 2022 |
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Apr 30, 2022 16:13
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Motronic posted:Lol no. You can't run AC on a portable genset. And if by some miracle of small unit and soft start kits you get the compressor spinning the first time you fridge also wants to turn on you're gonna stall the thing. Do you think minisplits on a 10kw (peak, 8.5kw continuous) is good enough? They should be relatively soft-start compared to a whole house unit. My two are on 15A and 25A breakers. I'm more concerned about well pump and fridge. I got the generator and inlet before the minisplit install, so they didn't factor in, and they're not necessary as I have FHW oil as backup and that is significantly less power.
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Apr 30, 2022 18:57
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carticket posted:Do you think minisplits on a 10kw (peak, 8.5kw continuous) is good enough? They should be relatively soft-start compared to a whole house unit. My two are on 15A and 25A breakers. I'm more concerned about well pump and fridge. I got the generator and inlet before the minisplit install, so they didn't factor in, and they're not necessary as I have FHW oil as backup and that is significantly less power. I mean, you can certainly try it but that's so on the edge that it likely won't work on a cold start of the genset, absolutely won't work on a cold start + load dump when everything is trying to turn on all at the same time, and may even stall the generator after you have everything up and running if the wrong sequence of things try to restart at the same time. It's sounds like a "I can babysit this and make it work" situation. Not a fire this ting up, let 'er all rip and walk away knowing it's gonna keep working until I need to add fuel situation.
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Apr 30, 2022 19:19
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Inverter driven mini splits should at least be the softest start around, but you want to make sure everything is off when you fire the generator. And you should probably set very generous safety factors when you aren't going to be able to notice if the generator faults. (asleep, away.)
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Apr 30, 2022 20:11
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Motronic posted:Lol no. You can't run AC on a portable genset. And if by some miracle of small unit and soft start kits you get the compressor spinning the first time you fridge also wants to turn on you're gonna stall the thing. babyeatingpsychopath posted:I want to clarify that "proper inlet" means "listed and rated for the intended use" not just "wired safely." Same way with the interlocking breaker system (transfer switch or equivalent).
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May 1, 2022 01:12
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Slugworth posted:Running the numbers, unless I'm misunderstanding something, or not accounting for things like resistance, the generator looks like it would run my ac (it is in fact a small unit, just a 1200 sq ft house). Issue is yeah, that basically stops me from running anything else. Reviews of this generator claim it can handle typical whole house ac and a fridge, but I'm not convinced, and I'd rather not destroy the generator. So, I'm now thinking more along the lines of fridge, freezer, and we just hunker down in one room with a window unit ac. A window AC would probably be worse than your mini-split. You can absolutely try your setup with the mini-split and just plan for the contingency that if the fridge kicks on while the AC is running while you're trying to microwave food that SOMETHING is going to be very unhappy. This could be any of the big loads and/or the generator. The mini-split may undervolt and not come back on for a long while; the generator may stall and you lose all power for a bit; the fridge may trip offline and go into some protective mode for longer than your food is good for.... If you were in a constrained-generation location (off-grid, boat, etc), then there'd be load-shedding set up, but that's overkill for a house. The expectation is that an electrician knows the PoCo and Inspector already and can schedule the job so that the inspector shows up and inspects the job and signs off on it with the presumption that the final connect will be as good as the electrician's other work. Then the PoCo shows up, pulls the meter, the sparky makes his four final connections, does a final sanity check, and the PoCo guy pops the meter back in and job's done.
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May 1, 2022 01:39
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