I run a "suicide cord." Basically a short electric cord with two male connectors. You plug into the outlet nearest your panel. They are easy to make with 10 dollars of components from Home Depot. A bunch of guys are probably going to jump on me and say this is not safe. They are correct. Neither is running extension cords all over your house. Neither is 30 degrees in your home. Neither is going on a road trip. Lots of things in life are not safe.

Here's the main thing. You have to make absolutely certain you shut the main breaker off or you run the risk of potentially killing a line worker. If you are a responsible adult who plans to remain sober while operating the generator it's an option. If your house burns down you could be screwed though as insurance would probably have a fit.

If you have time and money, adding a manual transfer switch is by far a better option. In a pinch though, a suicide cord can work.

Where do you get the idea that properly creating a power inlet solution is impractical for less than a 15kw generator? With a power inlet box, proper wiring, and a portable generator, one can have all the advantage of "hard-wiring" without making an extension cord jungle. If a person has an absolute minimum need such that 5000w would do, then so be it. If they wire that into their existing SAFE electrical system, they can power those things - and turn the rest of the electrical items off, unplug them, or turn off breakers. A big percentage of the "jury-rig setups" that the average person cobbles together with extension cords is unsafe, and at risk of causing damage or fire. They just don't know enough to understand what they may be doing is inadequate/dangerous. The constructed wiring of your home is probably adequate/safe (assuming good building practices were followed).

Any of us don't really have many circumstances in which we run everything we could run all simultaneously. That leaves "whole house" solution definitions somewhat vague. My 7500w generator will run all appliances as needed along with some lighting and other miscellaneous loads. The only thing it isn't going to run is a 3 ton air conditioner. But, it will run the natural gas furnaces just fine. My 3500+ sq. ft. home is fully operational other than the 3-ton AC units. I guess I should disconnect because I didn't buy at least a 15kw generator?

Where do you get the idea that "central heat" requires an "extremely powerful generator"? The blower on most gas-fired furnace units is powered by a 110v 15A breaker. Mine has a soft-start controlled motor, so it's surge amps may be as low as 6 Amps! Now, if someone has electric central heat, you are correct that most generators will never cut it.

Actually, there are many advantages even with a less than "whole-house-consuming-power-rated" generator:

1) No need to have a door or window open to bring extension cords into the home, or cords to trip over, or the need to change out what's plugged into each cord.
2) You avoid use of inadequate extension cordage. Most people think an extension cord is an extension cord. How about let's plug several of them together end to end? See the fire risks adding up?
3) You'll need to have all those extension cords available - enough of them, long enough, and of sufficient current rating. Have you priced extension cords lately?
4) It's cold, and you want the power on. But you'll need to untangle those cords and get them in the right place first. How hard is it to get to that fridge plug?
5) On that extension cord most can't size properly - want to risk burning up the compressor in that high dollar fridge from brown-out? Go right ahead. Oh, and you'll probably have to move any fridge or freezer to get behind it to move the plug to the flimsy extension cord.
6) Any hour of the night, walk into any room or closet and be able to turn on any light you need - in order to find something you really need - like more blankets or coats, for instance. Just be sure to keep ALL unnecessary loads turned off - extension cords or not, you should not exceed the rating of the generator.
7) Are you on rolling blackouts? Want to return to the grid while it's on? You can do it with the flip of some breakers. No need to plug things back into the wall (like that fridge) that were never unplugged to begin with.

Yeah; you’re right.

'bout time you came around CC !

I've stayed off this thread as to not get someone hurt that doesn't understand electricity. Being raised around one all my life, my dad, I always ask him when I have a question.

The "Suicide cord" or whatever they are calling it has been used for years with welders. Dad had an old gas powered welder with something like 9000 watts of generating power. When power would go out he would fire it up and reverse power through the house. Being in the electrical business he would not advise this to anyone due to the fact of getting one of his lineman hurt. It must be used with precaution.

It worked for me with only one hiccup, GFCI plugs. I could run most of the house but the GFCI would prevent me from running all the house.

Flippin-out with the Interloc is a solid solution for this problem. His solution to hooking up a generator to your home is the easiest and best.

Be safe out there as a double male plug will bite you if you have your generator ON and the extension cord plugged into the generator.

yep, remember too, 220 will throw you, 120 will hold you.

I hope y'all spend the money to have one done right by an electrician sometime down the road. it is really not worth the risk in this case.

That was one of the first things dad taught me.

Electricity still scares me. Dad would add new switches, outlets and breakers without turning off power. Not me.