In 2024 we had a big hurricane come through and we lost power for multiple days. Eventually I managed to borrow a generator but after the storm I bought one of my own. I have not had to use it, until now. Well, not necessarily used it in a big way, but leading up to this “2026 Snowmaggedon” I decided it is time to properly hook it up to my house.
One of the most important thing about connecting a generator to a home main power panel is to make sure the breaker for the generator and the main breaker are never on at the same time. There are fancy transfer switches and such and there are more mechanical ways to make sure this never happens. Of course one can always hope to just remember to manually do this, but when it is dark and you are in a hurry, it could be possible to forget to turn off the main before flipping on the generator breaker and turning on the generator. Not only will this make a big boom when the power comes back on but the electrical crew working up the line to fix could get shocked. So, this isn’t something to play around with or risk.
I had to make my own interlocking plate as the power panel I have is a bit old and nobody makes these specific ones anymore. I bought one for what I thought was the closest match and worked from it. First I made a paper template.
I installed the interlocking plate so that it is physically impossible to flip the generator switch on without first flipping the main off. And the other way around.
The 50Amp power cord is the thickest power cord I have ever seen. And the most expensive I have ever purchased.
There are lots of different connectors to work through. This is the one I had to rely on to plug into the inlet box I installed under my power panel.
Two cardboard boxes with tools and an extension cord on a concrete floor near shelving.
Not that I look forward to not having power but I do kind of want to see this thing working at full capacity. I had a few tests and it was doing well, but no real world usage yet. As expected, as soon as I have it hooked up and ready, the power is not likely going to go out. You are all welcome!
A gray electrical panel with labeled breakers, including a 200-amp main switch and warning labels.
| Make | Westinghouse |
| Model | WGen10500TFc |
| Fuel Type | Tri Fuel - Gasoline, Propane or Natural Gas |
50Amp Connection