Labeled Breaker Panel

[csheath]

Finally did a cheat sheet for the wife to start up the generator and labeled the breaker panel to be easier to use.

 

[strycnine]

Looks good

 

[Chainbreaker]

I did something similar but also took a green sharpie and put a small green dot by the panel's breaker #'s that always get turned on while on generator power. Looks like you may have done this by highlighting the appropriate brkr #'s in black. Also, I made a priority breaker activation list showing the order in which to turn on...largest most likely to require higher current start up loads first - well pump, freezer, fridge, etc. (our water heater and furnace are gas). So its pretty foolproof for wife or in the event I've had a few glasses of wine/beer before an outage...lol.

 

[Guyfang]

At 00:dark thirty, standing in a 150 MPH hurricane, no lights but a flashlight held in your teeth, rain, and who knows what else, a simple list can't be beat! I don't care who you are. Never under estimate how hard, something so simple, can become.

That's why the military has SOP's. Standard Operating Procedures. Huge books, broken down into bite sized bits of info, needed to make things go right. For everyday stuff, to Significant Emotional Experience situations. No, you cant use them ALL the time, but that is were reading and PRACTICE come in. Having a list is good. Knowing how to execute it is even better.

 

[csheath]

This is my condensed check list. May need a few additions or revisions but she went through it as is and would have passed the test IMO.

Go outside and make sure power cable is connected at both ends, to the generator and the house. Never start the generator with the cable unplugged at the house end if it’s connected to the generator.

Open the lid on the generator, turn the switch to Prime and run for a few seconds, then turn to start. Hold in the start position until it registers oil pressure on the oil pressure gauge. After generator starts toggle the AC Circuit Interrupter switch up to the closed position then release it. The two rectangular volt/amp meters should light up. (I have installed digital meters in place of the old load gauge)

Open the door on the circuit breaker panel in the garage, turn off the main breaker at top, turn off the double breakers for the air conditioner/heat pump, dryer, well, emergency heat strips (usually left off), stove/oven, and water heater. Lift the plate that prevents the generator breaker from turning on and turn the generator breaker on. Turn power back alarm on.

You may now turn on any two of the double Breakers. The air conditioner and well would be the most common. If you want to cook or heat water you should turn the well or air conditioner off to do one of the other double breaker functions. Do not run water with the well turned off.

When power comes back on put hearing protection on to go in the garage and turn the power back alarm off.

Turn the generator breaker off. Turn main breaker back on. Turn all double breakers back on. I usually leave the emergency heat strip breaker off so you don't have to worry about that.

 

[Chainbreaker]

I'll also share my non-condensed list for MEP-002a (hooked up via inlet box) that fits on an 8x11 sheet of paper for my wife who has been trained to follow it via a few practice runs. I have it posted by breaker panel and on the generator itself:
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*** House Generator Activation Sequence ***

Before leaving house, temporarily switch off the 2kW Espresso Machine

Step A. Garage Breaker Panel Box:

1. Switch Main Disconnect 200 Amp Breaker to “OFF” position
2. Switch “OFF” ALL BREAKERS in Breaker Panel (flip to outside edges),
3. Arm the Power Back alarm by turning on

Generator on Trailer:

1. If not connected, Connect generator cable to house inlet box; twist to lock
2. Turn off power strip button for the 2 “Battery Minders”
3. Turn on Batteries by tightening disconnect switch (black knob between batteries)
4. Verify fuel in tank for anticipated run time and MAKE SURE vent cap is set OPEN as well as Aux Tank
5. Verify rear trailer stabilizer leg down locked & parking brakes set
6. Put on ear muffs!
7. Use “Start Procedure” on side panel (use Aux/Run pos) warm up ~5 min
8. Turn on (Flip Up) Generator AC Circuit Breaker
9. If necessary: Adjust Voltage to 120 V /adj throttle to 61.5 Hz (no load) use Kill-A-Watt to verify

Step B. Garage Breaker Panel Box:

4. Slide Interlock plate up towards Main Breaker (which should already be OFF)
5. Switch 50 amp Breaker labeled “Generator Breaker” to ON
6. Switch ON desired circuit breakers (green dot markings with largest loads first)
Generator is running in 120/240 1 phase; output is ~26 Amp output per 120 V circuit leg. Be careful when running heavy loads (dryer). Turn off Espresso Machine, etc. if dryer on.

*** Return to Normal Utility Power ***

Step A. Garage Breaker Panel Box:

1. Disarm Power Back alarm
2. Switch OFF 50 Amp Breaker labeled “Generator” in Garage
3. Slide Interlock plate down and away from Main Breaker
4. Temporarily Turn off all breakers

Generator on Trailer:

1. Switch OFF Generator 50 Amp AC Circuit Breaker and let genset cool for ~5 min
2. Then turn Generator to “OFF” on its control panel, leave throttle alone!

Step B. Garage Breaker Panel Box:

5. At garage breaker panel Switch ON Utility Main 200 Amp Breaker
6. At garage breaker panel Switch ON all Breakers in Breaker Box one-by-one


*** Static Storage ***

• Leave cable to inlet box connected unless moving trailer
• Refill fuel tank with diesel and fuel additives, log run Hrs. Check oil level, inspect for leaks!
• Disconnect batteries using battery disconnect switch and turn on Batt Chgr power strip

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Anyway, hope my list in addition to "CSHeath's", might help others not having a "anyone can do it" list yet.

 

[uniquify]

Quick Instruction Sheet

Here's a quick instruction sheet I put together for the 802/803's at my parent's and in-law's. Those setups include an aux tank and a variety of receptacles, but the essentials should be the same. Feel free to use/edit/share.
View attachment GeneratorInstructions.pdf

 

[Chainbreaker]

Whoa, color coded with pictures! Now that is very nice and simple!!! I like the simplistic terminology...starting the generator...starting the electricity. Tones down the scariness factor for the non-technical operators.

 

[Guyfang]

Last but not least, do a live fire, several times, to make someone feel good about doing it.

 

[lonesouth]

do you allow for 5 minute warm up/cool down per the TM?

I took Uniquify's layout/picture and tailored it to my own procedure.

 

[boxer4luvr]

Agreed with Guyfang... In the immortal words of Mike Tyson... "Everyone's got a plan 'til they get punched in the face."

 

[Light in the Dark]

I really need to get around to installing that Reliance Power Back! device (been sitting on the water heater near my panel for almost a year...).

 

[Guyfang]

I don't care too much for Big Mike, but have to admit, THAT was good!!

 

[csheath]

do you allow for 5 minute warm up/cool down per the TM?

I took Uniquify's layout/picture and tailored it to my own procedure.

I do when I test. Forgot to add to my startup list.

 

[uniquify]

Whoa, color coded with pictures! Now that is very nice and simple!!! I like the simplistic terminology...starting the generator...starting the electricity. Tones down the scariness factor for the non-technical operators.

Thanks for the kind words! I wrote those instructions with the assumption that my father-in-law (late 70's) or my mother (not overly mechanical) would be the ones venturing out in lousy weather to restore power. They are good at following directions, but in that situation they'd likely already be frazzled before they got out of the house and made their way over to the generator. I thought it best to keep it short and sweet. Sure, it glosses over the PMCS, but I take care of that for them whenever we go for a visit.

There's a copy of that instruction sheet in a gallon zip-lock bag under the control panel lid (so it falls out in a can't-miss-it way when you unlatch and raise the lid), and there's another copy in each one's kitchen near the refrigerator. At each household, I walked them through how to operate the generator, and had them run through the start/stop procedures while I watched from a distance. They both know that there are longer, more detailed instructions on the backside of the control panel lid, which is in plain view when standing at the control panel.

I was slightly disappointed but not totally surprised when they didn't hold the master switch to start long enough for the oil pressure to come up. Even though I'd told them, and they'd read it in the instructions, the habit to let off the started once the engine is running is hard to quit. Also, the concept of the A/C circuit interrupter seemed overly complicated to them at first, but once they learned it was a safety feature, they seemed to accept it.

I guess my main takeaways from those exercises are: practice, see what goes wrong, adapt, practice some more, then repeat.

 

[csheath]

I tried to make my list as short as possible and one page. I do monthly maintenance and load tests so I didn't want to bother her with checking fluids and such. As far as warm up time it will have a couple of minutes to warm up before she gets back to the breaker panel. The first time she didn't read ahead and hold in start. Same as I did and probably 90% of everyone here on their first start. Details like how many amps a breaker is would be lost on my wife and are totally irrelevant to getting power restored. I felt like narrowing it down to how many 240 breakers you can have on at one time was the easiest to understand. I thought about doing a photo layout of the panel but to be honest all you have to locate is clearly labeled on the panel itself. We'll have to see how she does next time the power goes out at night so she has to do it in the dark with a flashlight. I think I will just stand by and monitor instead of holding the light or anything. Practice will be the best teacher.

She has gone out with me on half of our outages and been verbally instructed on how to do it but that doesn't stick as well as having an instruction sheet.

 

[boxer4luvr]

You guys freakin' rock.... color coded instructions... with pics... and even sarcasm tossed in for giggles.

 

[boxer4luvr]

I don't care too much for Big Mike, but have to admit, THAT was good!!

I was a huge fan of Iron Mike in his early days, before he went off the deep end. But to your point... make dry runs... walk through the process and SOP... then do it with someone smacking you with a fly swatter or something. I'm on the path to attain one of these units in the next few weeks... ish... and appreciate you guys sharing your wealth of knowledge.