| ▲ | turtlebits a day ago |
| Hacky way is to install a plug on your furnace that you can connect directly to a generator or power station. Takes maybe 5$ in parts and is DIYable. Lots of tutorials on YouTube. |
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| ▲ | caymanjim 18 hours ago | parent | next [-] |
| Don't do this. Install a transfer switch. A simple plug and another power source feeds power back into the grid. It's absolutely against code. If you remember to flip the furnace breaker off before you do this, then it's not going to backfeed, but this isn't something you should rely on remembering to do. It doesn't cost much more to do it right. |
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| ▲ | turtlebits 4 hours ago | parent | next [-] | | It's not against code in all locations. You're essentially adding a power cord to your furnace and turning it's existing panel connection into an outlet. Eg, in North Dakota "If manufacturer instructions allow the use of not more than six feet of flexible appliance cord, it shall be permitted on permanently installed one hundred twenty volt twenty amp or less fuel-fired furnaces in residential dwellings." https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/north-dakota/N-D-A-C... | |
| ▲ | jefftk 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | I think they're proposing switching your furnace from hard wired to plugged, so you have the option to power it either from an outlet (grid) or solar/generator/etc. This can't backfeed the grid, and is very safe. It looks like when it's against code it's "by default": if an appliance is not explicitly listed as acceptable for a plug it has to be hard wired. ND and OK have passed state level amendments allowing it, some places have done this locally, and in many places building inspectors allow it with their discretion. | | |
| ▲ | caymanjim an hour ago | parent [-] | | Yeah, maybe I misread. Switching it manually via a plug such that it could only ever be powered that way is fine (well, "fine" insofar as it alleviates my concern). I thought the suggestion was to add the new plug in addition to the permanently-wired solution. On a beast of a HVAC system, a simple 15A wall plug isn't going to cut it for powering the whole thing, but if the furnace runs off e.g. natural gas and you just want to power the blower off a 15A plug, that solves the problem of switching power sources. |
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| ▲ | jerkstate a day ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| Sounds not-up-to-code and potentially dangerous |
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| ▲ | DenisM a day ago | parent | prev [-] |
| Makes sense. My mind went into a less safe direction, I’m glad I asked before following it. |
