I'm thinking about buying an 8000W, 240V, portable, backup generator to connect to my house when the power goes out. This type of generator, obviously, is designed to be used with extension cords that would be routed through an open window or door, for example. However, I would like to connect it directly to the service entrance on the back of my house. I am aware that this type of connection requires a "transfer switch".
My question is, do I have to worry about how much of a load I have on each phase of the generator's output? Or, do I only have to worry about total wattage?
To clarify, let's take an extreme (and unrealistic) example. Let's say I have a house that draws 6000W on one phase and 1000W on the other phase and I connect to the service entrance via the generator's 240V,
30A receptacle. So, in this situation I would be drawing about 50 Amps on phase 1 and 8 Amps on phase 2, for a total of 7000W.Just as an example, there is an 8000 W generator at:
So, it's back to the drawing board and here's where I'm definitely getting in over my head. Is it possible to parallel the windings somehow so that the two legs are in phase?
If you could do that then the total output could be connected to both bus bars in the circuit breaker box. Now in the (hypothetical) situation where one bus bar draws 6000W and the other draws 1000W, there wouldn't be a problem.
The disadvantage would be that you couldn't operate any 240V appliances. However, with these relatively small generators, you probably wouldn't want to do that anyway. A clothes dryer probably draws 5000-6000 watts all by itself. You would lose the option to operate one or two burners on your electric range, but you could use your microwave oven or your toaster oven instead.