using onboard generator to power the entire home?

[stlgrym3]

has anyone done it? what should the setup be? do i have to run a cable from our main breaker box to the truck so the generator gets feed into the breaker box? i'm newbie to electrical works, any suggestion would help. we just had a 10 hour power outage yesterday (electricity company upgrade cables around our area), next time this happens maybe i can make use of the truck's generator.

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[madsend81]

There are already some threads about this. You'll need a transfer switch installed that switches the neutral as well as the two hot leads from your service feed to the generator/truck. If you're not familiar with electrical work, I would get an electrician to get you a quote to do the work.

It's not hard if you know what you're doing, but if you don't, you could create a very unsafe situation.

 

[RickBullotta]

Have an electrician who is experienced in generator installations handle this for you. It is important to have an automatic transfer switch/disconnect in the middle for your safety and for the safety of utility workers when restoring your electrical service. The electrician can also account for neutral/ground considerations between your truck and your home.

 

[stlgrym3]

thanks guys for the feedback, so transfer switch is what i need. my other question is does the 7.2kw generator have enough juice to power the entire house? mine is about 2700 sqft.

 

[Mladen5375]

search this forum, the powerboost has been out since 2021, of course it has been done!!

 

[Mszczewski]

No one here can tell you that. It will all depend on what you are running at the time. Do you have an electric or gas dryer? What about your water heater? Are you on city or well water? How many tons is your air conditioner?

All that factors into whether this has "enough juice to power the entire house."...

 

[stlgrym3]

No one here can tell you that. It will all depend on what you are running at the time. Do you have an electric or gas dryer? What about your water heater? Are you on city or well water? How many tons is your air conditioner?

All that factors into whether this has "enough juice to power the entire house."...

my home is supported by a 120amp circuit. we have run all major appliances including a level 2 EV charger at the same time without any problem.

 

[Mszczewski]

120 amps * 240 volts = 28800-watts

So, no, your 7200-watt truck will not power everything in your house simultaneously if you are using all 120 amps.*

*Most people's home breaker panel is higher rated than the usage; otherwise, you would always be dealing with nuisance trips.

Based on your comments here, please hire an exceedingly competent electrician before you hurt yourself or kill someone by trying to figure this out on your own.

 

[UGADawg96]

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/installed-transfer-switch-in-house.1267/

 

[RickBullotta]

Short answer is no, it won't power the entire house. Heavy loads like A/C and your EV charger could be problematic. Lighting, refrigeration no problem. You might be able to run the A/C in some scenarios, but make sure it's off when you switch over so that the surge current doesn't trip things. Add that load after a couple minutes.

 

[Buddy]

thanks guys for the feedback, so transfer switch is what i need. my other question is does the 7.2kw generator have enough juice to power the entire house? mine is about 2700 sqft.

I had a transfer switch installed into a box at my cabin in Alabama but I agree with the others here, hire an electrician to do the installation. Otherwise, it could get ugly. It works great but for a bigger house than a cabin, you would need to cut off a few breakers so that you don't overload the generator.

 

[Gros Ventre]

You likely have three or four big loads in the house that cannot be run simultaneously: Hot water heater, dryer, Air Conditioning, oven. These are all likely around 4 KW with the A/C well above that at full load. The rest of your home is probably less than 1 kw although some microwaves can be 1.5 kw. You'll have to time share these big loads, but the PowerBoost generator can handle these and the rest of the house. If you have a well pump, it'll briefly draw about 1 kw starting.

 

[PaulGrun]

Yes, you can use your truck as an emergency backup.
Please, whatever you do, have a competent electrician set it up for you.
DO NOT rely on what you read here on the forum about how to do it.
There is loads of advice on this forum, roughly half of which is flat out wrong.
This is not something to fool around with. Learning by doing carries a severe risk of bodily injury or death to you, or worse, an unsuspecting lineman.

 

[Beaux]

I had an electrician install a transfer switch. We were both surprised and impressed when we tested it out. I left everything on like normal and the truck performed flawlessly. It even ran with both AC units going. Although I did not start them at the same time. I staggered them starting and it ran both. So far I haven’t had a long term power outage to use it but I feel confident knowing I have it.

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