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Message: <blockquote data-quote="securityinfo" data-source="post: 2943568" data-attributes="member: 41243"><p>So, if you want to do this correctly (read not possibly electrocute a power company worker) you can use a portable generator and a breakout box that wires into your main breaker box.  All pole power goes to the new breaker box first,  then from the new box to the to the main breaker box and feeds your house.  When you need the generator, you run a 4 wire line from it (they make them, or you can make one yourself) to the new breaker box, and then fire up the portable and cut over to it.  When the main pole power is restored, you simply cut back to it and kill the portable.  This is the proper way.  I have heard of people hooking up a reverse line into a 220 socket in the house directly from the portable, but this has the unfortunate side effect of energizing the pole line, and the poor schmuck that is working on the pole line that he thinks is dead gets a full hit off your generator.  Or you can go full bore and set up an auto cutover switch and gen plant and you don't have to worry about starting up the generator, switching over, etc.   Here's a link:  <a href="http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/stories/3-How-to-Pick-the-Perfect-Manual-Transfer-Switch.html" target="_blank">http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/stories/3-How-to-Pick-the-Perfect-Manual-Transfer-Switch.html</a></p></blockquote><p></p>