Single Phase Backup Generator to Three Phase Mains Supply?

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:27:11 -0800 (PST) someone who may be snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote this:-

I doubt it, especially in the UK. If you are not in the UK perhaps you could say where this house is.

There are ways. However, the confused nature of your description implies to me that you don't have the necessary knowledge of electrical systems to do this safely. There are a number of things which might trap the unwary, for example earthing arrangements.

Something like this

Sparks...

Note that you will need to pay careful attention to the earthing arrangement here. If you normally have an earth connection provided by your electricity supplier (i.e. TN-S or TN-C-S), then you will not be able to rely on this when using the generator. This can make switching more complex since you may require alternative circuit protection arrangements.

Firstly you must have a TT system or at least have it converted to a TT system in order for the protection systems (RCD s etc) to function properly.

Sencondly, depending on how your house / office is distrubuted from the mains 3 phase, it may not be as easy "as that" to supply just the offce from a 1ph generator, inwhich case you will HAVE to have a 3ph machine.

Thirdly, nearly all domestic (i.e under about 15kva 3000rpm) generators are wired with either a single or more likely dual stator (230v or 115v x2) and are unable to be re configured for 3ph output.

Have a spark come out and examine your existing layout and circuit distrubution and advise you from there. Whichever, it will not be a cheap operation.

Tim..

In article , Tim.. scribeth thus

You could run a lead from it to some sockets and simply plug what you need to supply of them?. Where they would normally need plugging into the mains.

Otherwise its a changeover switch. A MUST NOT be able to feed the output of the genny back into the mains., Hence these units are break before make changeover but that may well need doing in a rather serious fashion!...