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Is this a dumb idea? Natural gas line and generator
Posted on 5/21/24 at 9:49 am
Posted on 5/21/24 at 9:49 am
I am considering purchasing a Firman 7500W tri fuel generator and running it off natural gas. This is where the issue comes in and I am trying to decide if it is a bad idea. My natural gas line is about 50ft from my electrical panel and there is no easy way to bury a line and install it properly due to brick patio, trees, sewer. Would it be a bad idea to run a flexible NG line from the house back behind my garage where my panel is located? My thought is that it would only be used during a major loss of power like the storm we had Thursday so if I have a gas line running through my backyard for a couple of days it will be fine.
6
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:04 am to thadcastle
It will have to be a large flexible line, for that distance and size of generator that's about a 1" diameter iron pipe connection. I would be a bit nervous running a flexible line that far too just as a safety concern.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:05 am to thadcastle
backfeeding your panel is generally always a bad idea.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:09 am to thadcastle
If it’s a dumb idea then I’m dumb because this exactly what I’m doing with the same scenario. Same generator and same distance from NG bib on the patio to electrical panel - concrete patio doesn’t allow me to bury a NG line. Just store the NG hose and take it out when needed.
If you go this route be sure to size your gas hose appropriately using this as a guide.
If you go this route be sure to size your gas hose appropriately using this as a guide.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:16 am to Chad504boy
quote:
backfeeding your panel is generally always a bad idea.
Why is that? Isn't that what all whole home generators do? I was going to have a certified electrician come in and install the electrical portion correctly because I have no clue what I am doing when it comes to that.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:17 am to CrawDude
quote:
CrawDude
No issues yet? And I am assuming even at the natural gas output it should be enough to run a whole house. 3BR/2B
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:20 am to thadcastle
I’m run mine on natural gas and trying to find someone to do the interlock install here in Baton Rouge.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 10:55 am to thadcastle
quote:
No issues yet? And I am assuming even at the natural gas output it should be enough to run a whole house. 3BR/2B
No issues though it really hasn’t had a good real world test since setting it up a year ago. The generator should run everything in the house (my dryer, range & oven, water heaters are NG) except the HVAC (4-ton unit), and even with a soft start kit on the HVAC, it would be dicey. So I just planned to use a portable double hose AC for the master bedroom, maybe which I’ve yet to purchase. I’d have size up the generator to feel comfortable running the HVAC on a portable genset.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 11:03 am to CrawDude
quote:
The generator should run everything in the house (my dryer, range & oven, water heaters are NG) except the HVAC (4-ton unit), and even with a soft start kit on the HVAC, it would be dicey.
Dang you don't think that thing could power the AC along with everything else?
Posted on 5/21/24 at 11:04 am to thadcastle
Nothing wrong with this set up so long as your NG hose is sized properly. I'd rather have a properly sized long NG line than a long power cord.
Be sure to have an interlock installed on your breaker box.
Be sure to have an interlock installed on your breaker box.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 11:58 am to thadcastle
Why not run the electrical? I ran electric up and through attic to generator, put it through a conduit.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 12:09 pm to thadcastle
quote:
Why is that?
quote:
because I have no clue what I am doing
you have many that try to backfeed without interlock kits which makes it severely dangerous of backfeeding power lines.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 1:23 pm to thadcastle
quote:
Dang you don't think that thing could power the AC along with everything else?
It’s possible - I have a relatively new HVAC -single stage - I’d have to install a soft start kit, which I’ve planned to do, and give it a try.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 1:33 pm to thadcastle
This is what I do. I bought the linked gas line and had a plumber install a quick connect to my gas meter. Then I run a 50 amp cord to my box with an interlock.
LINK
Just ran it for a over a day in Houston last week. Worked great.
LINK
Just ran it for a over a day in Houston last week. Worked great.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 1:40 pm to Hermit Crab
duromax sells a bigger trifuel
firman is 6900/5500
firman is 6900/5500
Posted on 5/21/24 at 1:52 pm to thadcastle
quote:
I was going to have a certified electrician come in and install the electrical portion correctly because I have no clue what I am doing when it comes to that.
They are just going to put in a transfer switch.
Is there a reason you chose to run the gas line and not just get a long 30a extension cord to run from the generator to the transfer switch?
Posted on 5/21/24 at 3:26 pm to Chad504boy
quote:
backfeeding your panel is generally always a bad idea
Have dine it for years with no negative issues.
Just be sure you turn off the main so you don't backfeed to the powerlines
Posted on 5/21/24 at 5:35 pm to CrawDude
That’s exactly what I did. Bought the hose on Amazon. Put a tee in downstream of my meter with a valve the quick connect. 3/4” hose and i ran my genny for 4 days with typical house shite and 2 window units with zero issues.
Posted on 5/21/24 at 9:22 pm to Chad504boy
quote:
backfeeding your panel is generally always a bad idea.
Some people can be so wrong with such strong conviction.
Posted on 5/23/24 at 7:44 am to thadcastle
quote:
Why is that? Isn't that what all whole home generators do?
Backfeeding implies that you are powering the panel through one of the branch circuit breakers. So the risk is back feeding the utility, as someone posted above me. The way to meet code and avoid that is to install an interlock that prevents you from turning on the main breaker in the panel if the backfed breaker is also turned on. This means only one of them can be in the “on” position at a time.
A generator utilizes an automatic or manual transfer switch that is upstream of the panel. So it isn’t “backfeeding” the panel, it is simply feeding the panel from the same direction as the utility would. The difference is that the transfer switch allows the power source to change safely. The panel will either be fed from its “normal” source (the utility) or the “emergency/secondary” source (the generator).
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