tomO Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Just curious if you can use a power converter in your vehicle to act like a generator for your home in case of power loss and could you do this for any amount of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douG Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) That's Snag's business, selling monster diesels that power electric generators. I don't see why you could not drive a 12v - 115v converter for as long as you have gas in your tank. Edited February 1, 2009 by douG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walshskie Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I don't think you could enought power to do more than run a laptop or a radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddler Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Yup, in a pinch you could use that setup to power a small appliance. Having said that, I would use it in an emergency. Most car/truck converters will only allow up to 200 watts or so. That's not a lot. My TV draws 385 watts. My desktop computer draws just over 600watts. So I could not power my TV nor computer with it. I bought a 1000watt gas powered generator on sale for $149 for this winter just incase. That's considered small up here in Northern Ontario. Most of my neighbours have generators of 3500 watts and up. Muddler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomO Posted February 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I was wondering how much you could powr with one. I saw on tv a guy used his hybred car as a generator but didnt catch if it powered the whole house or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 It can be done, however, when factoring in the cost of a 1500-2000watt inverter, at least 2 good deep cycle batteries and having to run the vehicle for a long period to replendish the batteries, it makes much more sense to acquire a 2K genset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 It can be done, however, when factoring in the cost of a 1500-2000watt inverter, at least 2 good deep cycle batteries and having to run the vehicle for a long period to replendish the batteries, it makes much more sense to acquire a 2K genset. Even with a 1500-2000 watt inverter it will not power all that much in your home. Probably a sump pump but I doubt it would be enough for the pump, a frig, freezer and furnace not to mention lights. I have a 6500 watt generator that hooks up with a LARGE DIAMATOR extension cord that hooks into my main fuse box in the basement. With that I can power up the whole house including the A/C if need be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jace Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 It is very possible. If you have the money, you can buy 50+ amp (6000w+) power inverters which provide more than enough to run the average house including everything in it except maybe kitchen stoves and elecric dryers. The only thing you need to watch for when buying one is getting a high quality one that has proper sine wave power output. Cheap inverters are okay for general power needs but they're hard on electronic devices because the power is not conditioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomO Posted February 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've got a 220 line coming out of the box in the basement for a garage i've never built. Could a guy put a plug on that and plug it into a bigger generator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) NO, Not without a transfer switch. Without that transfer switch you end up feeding power into the grid and if anyone is working on power lines, you can cause a fatality. If it comes to the point of being off line for more than 12 hours, a couple of extension cords to run the main items such as fridge, freezer and a couple lights if needed. If it's in winter, I'll undo the furnace wires from the circuit and hook directly to the genny. Edited February 2, 2009 by Fisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomO Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 how bout if i threw the main breaker that would keep it from goin out on the line wouldnt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) There are lots of cabins and off grid homes running green power systems. Most of the cabins I have seen run a couple of deep cyc;e batteries that feed an inverter. The batteries are recharged using solar power for the most part. Off grid homes that are lived in year round run systems similar but have bigger inverters, batteries and solar panels. They may also add a wind turbine. They will also have a large gennerator when they need to run high demand appliences. Most off grid homes and cabins will have propane powered appliances such as stoves and fridges. I have been squirrling away supplies to build my own cabin. I managed to get great deals on a small propane/12 volt fridge and a 1750 watt inverter. I got the fridge from a co-worker for $50 and got the inverter at a garage sale for $100. Now all I need is a cabin to put it in. Edited February 2, 2009 by DRIFTER_016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douG Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Coming along nicely there, Drifter. I have a buddy on Ahmic Lake that lives there year round off the grid. It sounds like you know your stuff and have done your homework. I can have him give you a call if you like. Misery / company, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jace Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 There are lots of cabins and off grid homes running green power systems. Most of the cabins I have seen run a couple of deep cyc;e batteries that feed an inverter. The batteries are recharged using solar power for the most part. Off grid homes that are lived in year round run systems similar but have bigger inverters, batteries and solar panels. They may also add a wind turbine. They will also have a large gennerator when they need to run high demand appliences. Most off grid homes and cabins will have propane powered appliances such as stoves and fridges. I have been squirrling away supplies to build my own cabin. I managed to get great deals on a small propane/12 volt fridge and a 1750 watt inverter. I got the fridge from a co-worker for $50 and got the inverter at a garage sale for $100. Now all I need is a cabin to put it in. I know a few people west of you who are doing just that. 2 of them have setups that can lived in all year. One built a cabin with loft out of beatle kill, he's off the grid and water table is too deep so that's hauled in. For power, he's got a battery bank in a shed with solar panels and generators. Lighting inside is all propane, heats and cooks on a huge wood cookstove with a water tank brought in from Pennsylvania somewhere. Most electrical things are low voltage but there's also an inverter for power tools and small kitchen appliances. It's a beautiful cabin with a huge garden, green house, and a sauna. ..and in the summers, he walks around with no shirt, shorts and a big magnum revolver at his side. interesting sight to say the least. Another person with a similar setup that used to be off the grid, and had a similar setup but has paid to run a line down to the cabin. too much work. ahah. They use on-demand water heaters. ...and one couple has satellite tv for those long winter days They live in their cabin/homestead all year. It's definitely not an easy project. I've known these for over 10-15 years and it took a good part of that for them to get the cabins to where they are now. obviously working at it only on weekends, but I'm sure it's a rewarding endeavor if that's the life you choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 how bout if i threw the main breaker that would keep it from goin out on the line wouldnt it. NO, I have a feeling you are completely unaware, so I won't rant, but, the breakers are only shutting down the hot side. If by some remote chance you run a generator(and they are out there) that run a 60V leg on each side to make the 120V, you are still feeding "1/2 power" back into the system. That also goes for the 240V side. There are quite a number of gennys that use the neutral for power on one side, hard to explain, but they do. I have a Honda and it will show 60V from Hot to Gnd and 60V from Neutral to Gnd, thats why they MUST be run through a transfer switch. If you go without the transfer switch and you injure or kill someone, well nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 But what if I pull my neutral 3/0 out of the panel lug as well ! lol That's what I do when I have to hook into the panel for the well pump etc. so there's no chance of feedback. Around here that 60V = 1200v in the "dead" line they're working on since those transformers step up just as well as they step down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douG Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I can see that running your own power source for your house can seriously injure a worker. It seems that you must provide power from your generator directly to the appliance, not using any existing household wiring, unless you have a means to isolate your home power from the utility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Exactly what Fisherman was getting at Doug... the "Isolate/transfer" switch in a permanent generator installation does exactly that. Drops not only the live 240 lines but the neutral as well.... so nothing can feed back thru the outside lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomO Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 ok thx for all the info guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeXXington Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 This is great info guys.. I am hoping to put my trailer "off grid" ... time to book mark this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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