very simple generator cord question....

We are having an interlock panel being installed on monday. We have a 7500 watt portable gas generator ( normal loud for a generator) this is ins for electrical loss for hte house/ neighborhood which hasn't had a fullday electrical loss in about 10 years (per neighbor)

Either way. ideally we'd like to get a 100'cord 30 amp 4 prong. but we dont have the cash for it right now.
Could we buy a 50 foot cord, then add another 25' or 50' cord further down the line and connect them to make a longer cord?
If so how do we connect them to ensure a watertight/ proper seal between cords? ( my use of duct tape to connect xmas light strings i'm sure won't hold water.... ( pun intended)


Seems most cords we find are 10 gauge.Woul 8 gauge be better for voltage loss over the distance? i cant seem to find any cords that are 8 gauge.

Thank you for any info

 

Extension cords are not the way to go for a generator, especially connecting 2 or 3 of them together, with duct tape. If there is a fire, you can forget about an insurance claim.

 

yes agree that duct tape is not the way at all that was a definite joke on my part

to ensure i am clear when I speak of extension cords I am not referring to the generic cords to plug in a lamp
I am referring to is there a way that is safe to connect 1- 50' generator cord to a another 50' generator cord to make a 100' gennie cord.


thanks

 

This is an electric question. Moved to Electrical Forum.

 

Never had more then a one day lost of power in 10 years, why even go to all that expense?
Makes no since, if your locating the generator 100 feet away, what goods it going to do if there's no way to connect it to the panel untill you can afford to wire it correctly.
Locate it closer to the panel.

 

Thirty amp cord caps are not cheap. It may not be much more just to buy the longer cord.

 

transfer panel is being wired on monday.
we have a new born in the house so money is "being watched" costs being challenged why spend 80$-100$ more when we dont need that extra 50' and we find that the generator sound is fine at 50"


either way.. It looks like connecting generator cords is not a common scenario, and thus we'll make the determination based on gettinga 50' now m and basing that we might have to buy a 100' cord later if we finding it is too loud at 50 when we test in the spring and spend more $$ on a 100' cord and lose $$ on the 50' cord puirchase

yes we might only lose power once every 10 years but when you have a newborn kid in the house I think its cheap insurance to not have to move them to friends houses and me having to go to trouble of draining hot water heating lines , etc etc... then refilling them etc...

People might ask why not try the generator at 50' right now ... see the sound out put. well we're outside of boston I have 3-4 feet of snow right now... basically everywhere. Testing a generator at different distance is not really feasible lol

thanks guys..

 

So how would the generator be positioned to keep it clear with three feet of snow? I think you probably need some kind of raised shelter to protect it and that could reduce your noise level with a minimum cord length. I'm sure there are those here who could advise you on that and the cost would still be less then another 50 feet of cord.

 

good point , something i made to the wife already , within a 100' feet i have a shed , it could house the generator or I can create a small lean to hinged to the side to protect the generator. i can always create small lean to for the genertor as well out of mdf for emergency purposes

 

Better a lean to. In the shed you would have to extend the exhaust and provide adequate ventilation. No cord needed in if you come from the shed. Just an inlet next to the generator and short short cord to generator. For now install an overhead UF cable that will be buried in the spring. MDF shouldn't be used outside.

 

Is there a silencer for the muffler available for that generator ?
Just a thought.
Geo

 

Do you have any idea what a 100 ft 30 amp generator cord costs? $250 should cover it.

 

What sort of generator are you talking about? If the small amount of noise even a cheap Chinese generator makes if it's just 25 or so feet away is a bother, you need to rethink things. A few LED lanterns and a couple of propane heaters should do you just fine. If you have some form of electric heat (like a heat pump), your genny isn't going to power it anyway. Same for hot water.

 

I agree with md2lgyk. It might be time to re-think things. If I were going to buy a generator, my first choice would be one that runs on natural gas or propane as a second choice. It's too hard to get & store gasoline, especially during a blackout.

Protecting the new born is #1 & preventing a fire is part of #1. Gasoline & extension cords don't do either.

 

so jus tto answer some of the follow up questions....
We are going with a 75 foot cord here( not an extension cord from generator tot he actual appliances , the cord from the 10 gauge 4 frong 30 amp cord from genny to interlock panel.
The gas genny is the short term plan , long range plan is to purchase one of teh dual fuel devices to allow the genny to run on on LP or gas.

The genny isnt that loud right outside the house.( 10 feet away, but another 6 feet away its even better( away from neighbor too) its will be when used to be set against a 3.5 foot retaining wal with a large oak next to it. I'll be fashioning some sort of "shelter" for it when in use. Wors case I'll be buying a on the generator shelter for about 170$ i see online and friend used during HUrrican sandy that she was very happy with

Genny is powering out oil boiler, frig, washer/ dryer etc... its 7000 watt Surge genny and less than that for steady power

 

When there is a power failure my generator is out in front of the garage. I couldn't care less about the noise. It's comfort over noise. If it's too noisy put in earplugs. The little ones don't even hear it.

 

What I do on construction sites is just lean a piece of plywood (3x3 or so) against the generator between it and where I am working. It works great at deflecting the noise. Just don't put it on the side of the exhaust. If its raining or snowing, I throw a peice of plywoiod on top of it. It works fine. Dont let anyone tell you that it will restrict the airflow too much, becasue it doesnt. You still have three fully open side exposed to the air. No need to make a shelter or buy an expensive cord for such limited use.