I'd like to be able to have temporary power hooked into my gas furnace in case of a prolonged power outage. Been digging through the electrical code. Not at all clear what's likely to pass muster. Don't want to talk to local inspectors until I have something likely to work.
Power outages are rare. I just don't want the plumbing to freeze in the unlikely event of a prolonged winter storm.
I can run a few lights off an extension cord. But the furnace is permanently connected. What are the ramifications of that? I have a mostly empty box on the wall. Wire comes in the bottom and goes out the front through conduit to the furnace. Wire nuts inside the furnace box connect it up.
It's interesting that the box is insulating with a metal cover plate and no ground connection except from the furnace ground back thru the conduit. Sounds like it's already in violation of code??? House was built in 1972.
Is there any code passing way to get a connector in that wire? Either inside the wall box or inside the furnace box? A connector would let me get it completely disconnected from the main power and wired up to the temporary generator. What UL markings would I need on the connector assembly? I'm in Oregon, USA.
I'd like to avoid having to pull the wire nuts out of the metal cage inside the furnace to disconnect it. Connector would remove the error terms.