New England Ice Storm 2008

[masstech]

It's amazing what homeowners will do to there heating systems trying to hook up to a generator when the power goes out. I'd like to hear some stories if anyone has any.

[rcamner]

This leads to an interesting question...given that modern HVAC systems have a lot of electronics, is it unwise to hook up a modern gas furnace to a generator when the power is out? How 'bout if one uses a "Monster" (or similar) power conditioner between the generator and the furnace?

[heaterman]

I don't think it's all that bad an idea, I make a fair profit when I go out to fix all of the fried controls.

Now for the truth...... If you have regular problems with your power grid AND YOU ARE NOT AN ELECTRICIAN OR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER (and I'm not too sure about including engineer ;) ), hire one to put in the necessary load management system to use a generator. DON"T connect your furnace or any other high draw appliance to some DIY Bargain Store generator. Your insurance company will tell you to go pound salt if and when they find out "you" fried the stuff all by your lonesome, and I won't lie to them and tell them any different.

[rcamner]

I don't have regular power grid issues. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have occasional winter storms that knock out power....not nearly has easy to weather than power outages in the midwest that knock the A/C out in the summer but don't seem to happen in the winter when things are cold.

For my 20 year old furnace without the fancy modern controls, I COULD hook the furnace up to my DYI generator from Ace Hardware (I did it twice) and had heat with no problems.

I guess I won't try this with my nice new system! I'll just freeze!

[cmajerus]

We install the whole house automatic generators, they run everything with no issues(SO FAR)
We sell the Generac Guardians.

[heaterman]

Had a customer "hook" up his 3500 Honda "gee, it makes 220" generator to his house panel and then proceed to turn on the furnace, refrigerator, elec dryer, elec HW and lights and then wonder what happened to the controls in his oil furnace............and he's a professor of what ever and a "hobby farmer"!

[rcamner]

Had a customer "hook" up his 3500 Honda "gee, it makes 220" generator to his house panel and then proceed to turn on the furnace, refrigerator, elec dryer, elec HW and lights and then wonder what happened to the controls in his oil furnace............and he's a professor of what ever and a "hobby farmer"!

Well, I know better than THAT, I think. What I did last time was to take my Honda 2300W generator, disconnected the furnace from the grid, attached a 110v plug, and via a heavy duty (14 amp) extension cord plugged the furnace into the generator. Actually, I did more....I used a power strip between the extension cord and the generator so I could fire up the generator and let it stabilize before putting the load on. In my old setup, the only electronic control was a 15 year old thermostat. Of course, like most of the older electronic thermostats, it was partly mechanical, with real hand operated switches!

So, I guess my question is whether this approach would work with modern HVAC equipment, or if the power from a generator is too "dirty" and erratic. I have for my stereo a Monster A/C power conditioner that I could hook between the generator and the furnace. Or am still tempting fate?