Generator - Basics question.

[supersparky]

how will pulling the fuse or switching off the MCB break the ring

 

[SparkyMarky]

how will pulling the fuse or switching off the MCB break the ring

Hmmm. Good point well made. Of course it wouldn't. Obviously in my rush to post and get a new beer out of the fridge I didn't think that one through properly

 

[RF Lighting]

But the highly deadly, widow making, two plugs on one lead would have a 13A fuse (at both ends!) so this would be the most the generator could supply to the ring circuit. Also removing the fuse or turning off the MCB would not break the ring, but merely isolate it from the rest of the supply, well the live at least but the neutral would still be connected which is another problem. The safest thing to do would be switch off the main switch and leave the rest alone. There is no problem if a few lights run off the genny supply and if someone turns on the cooker or shower the fuse in the plugtop(s) will blow (unless the plugtops are fitted with M8 fuses! in which case you deserve to have your house go up in flames!)

DO NOT DO THIS

This is an answer to a hypothetical question.

 

[supersparky]

knew it sparkymarky, knew it was the beer

and i agree RF no point debating really its about as dangerous as you are going to get

plus, to get a generator that will have any decent power for back to normality running will be a beast and need to be run to the Consumer unit with changeover switch anyway, be it manual or automatic

 

[plugwash]

i'm not convinced on that though it depends on the house.

if you have gas central heating/hot water and gas cooking then all you'll have to lose to run on a 2KW is the washing machine and dishwasher. If i was in a place with regular power cuts i'd really preffer this to no power at all.

 

[RF Lighting]

If i was in a place with regular power cuts i'd really preffer this to no power at all.

I'm all in favour of a backup generator, it is the way the op intended to conect it to the fixed wiring that I have the problem with.

 

[SparkyMarky]

I still remember when my cousin moved into an old farm in Cornwall about ten years ago. It had been owned by one of the old estates as long as I can remember, and the previous tenant had been there his whole life. The farmhouse had never been connected to mains electricity. Everything was fed from a relic of a diesel generator which lived in a barn on the other side of the farmyard. Until he got mains power connected he used to do without electricity all day, and then in the evening, rain or shine he'd tramp across the yard to start the generator (it was a hand crank). A bit of a chore in the winter, but he never had a problem with power cuts....

 

[Job_n_knock]

Interesting thread.
I would have thought that to isolate via the DP switch on the CU would isolate the house...unless the dreaded well meaning neighbour has his "widow maker" still plugged in.
Yes it does depend on the Loop impedance and also it must be said the position of the cycle but......in the case of that poor woman, she obviously plugged a meter key in and suffered the consequences of many thousands of Amps and the resultant flash.
When dealing with mains, in my opinion the biggest risks come from people not understanding the dangers of shared neutrals. Its not to be taken lightly and for a non electrician to start working with main supplies beyong the CU is not advised.