For those of you who do Not have an automatic transfer switch

[Zeke 5,504]

http://www.exitlightco.com/product/EL-MW.html

 

Hook this up by your panel, gunsafe, and egress. They come on when the power fails.

I'm assuming you have a gen setup of some sorts

[maintenanceguy 510]

The lights you show are battery powered but need to be hard wired to a electrical circuit.  The electrical circuit provides charging for the internal battery but also trigger the light to come on when the power goes out.

 

These are the same lights you see mounted in every commercial building.

[Zeke 5,504]

You are correct.

And when the power goes out... they come on.

 

Am I assuming to much of our fellow members?

[Schrödinger's cat 87]

I wonder if there is a way to put that into a normal looking fixture. That's to ugly for my wife or mom to allow in the house, but if I can fit the internals into a cheap home depot fixture it may be an option to put two or three around the house.

[InFamous 311]

I wonder if there is a way to put that into a normal looking fixture. That's to ugly for my wife or mom to allow in the house, but if I can fit the internals into a cheap home depot fixture it may be an option to put two or three around the house.

 

I'm potentially moving soon and I was sort of thinking the same thing. I don't care what they look like compared to the obvious safety of them. My wife on the other hand may not be too keen on the look. Also, I assume you just drill a hole in the wall where you're going to mount it and then run the wires to the nearest electrical socket to hook it up? 

[Zeke 5,504]

I'm potentially moving soon and I was sort of thinking the same thing. I don't care what they look like compared to the obvious safety of them. My wife on the other hand may not be too keen on the look. Also, I assume you just drill a hole in the wall where you're going to mount it and then run the wires to the nearest electrical socket to hook it up?

No this fixture needs to be on a non interrupted part of a circuit.

For instance, from the panel to this fixture to a light switch.

Or on a non switched outlet circuit. ( I'm very much cliff noting here)

 

I agree, I'm trying to find more decore friendly but these are purpose first,i.e. Function over form

[Scorpio64 5,147]

Energizer plug in rechargeable power outage activated flashlight.    Not fancy but they just work.  An automated back up battery powered lighting system is cool and all that but for regular schmoes like me this little $9 doohickey does the trick.  Plus. I can take it off the wall, to get to my genny, without causing a hundred dollars worth of damage.

 

btw, the link goes to a device that uses NiCad batteries.  Man, NiCad is, like, soooo 80's.

[djg0770 481]

btw, the link goes to a device that uses NiCad batteries.  Man, NiCad is, like, soooo 80's.

 

Shh. They still make lead/acid.

[Howard 538]

I've got a few of these around the house, got them in two packs at Costco a while back.  They just sit in an outlet and at night the front LEDs work as a night light, but if you lift them out of the base or if the power goes out the front flashlight part comes on.  Easy to find in the dark and you can grab them and take them with you as needed.

 

 

 

 

Just found them on Amazon if they are not available at Costco anymore  https://www.amazon.com/Capstone-Lighting-561-Eco-i-Lite-16LED/dp/B00B7974IO

[Budasac 13]

It's a good idea but, for your home I think the plug-in emergency lights Scorpio mentioned are the way to go. Get a few and post them in common areas around the house, when the power goes out they serve as emergency lighting but are also portable. I use to have a few and they worked well.

[maintenanceguy 510]

I've got a receptacle in the same electrical box as the wall switch in my bedroom.  I have a similar rechargeable flashlight plugged in to that receptacle.  If the electric goes out, that flashlight comes on and it has woken me up to let me know the power's out.

[Zeke 5,504]

I like the flashlight idea for the bedroom.

I just redid my panel, put in an interlock and am in the process of rewiring the basement. I ll use 2-3 of these down there. Was going to do basement stairwell but that is oldwork and a pita.

[PeteF 1,044]

.

[PeteF 1,044]

I like the flashlight idea for the bedroom.

I just redid my panel, put in an interlock and am in the process of rewiring the basement. I ll use 2-3 of these down there. Was going to do basement stairwell but that is oldwork and a pita.

Thanks for the light idea. Gonna install one near my panel.

What interlock did you use?

[Zeke 5,504]

You need to get the one specific for your panel.

[Zeke 5,504]

http://www.interlockkit.com/

I used the square d panel and interlock. But this soursce was given to me by electrical sub.

[brucin 923]

I keep flashlight staged in every room in my house plus one at the top of the basement stairs. When power goes out a light is no more than three steps away

[CMJeepster 2,777]

I've got a receptacle in the same electrical box as the wall switch in my bedroom.  I have a similar rechargeable flashlight plugged in to that receptacle.  If the electric goes out, that flashlight comes on and it has woken me up to let me know the power's out.

Mine has not only a nightlight / flashlight, but an audible alarm since I sleep like a rock.

[Zeke 5,504]

Mine has not only a nightlight / flashlight, but an audible alarm since I sleep like a rock.

link?

[CMJeepster 2,777]

link?

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=35218676

[Zeke 5,504]

Ace is the place

[Zeke 5,504]

We lost power 2 weeks ago and ran the generator.

When I switched the panel there were only a few circuits that I knew what they did( I put them in).

 

So last Saturday was "what does this breaker do" game.

Cool, reset all clocks. Labels all printed. Have map. Give cover to my Mrs Zeke to label.

 

Test fire. Still can't get fridge on,stove etc.

Have heat( I put that circuit in)

 

My generator currently is my campers Honda 3000. It's only 110 I knew it would only work half the panel. The cord and outside plug I configured to the the top of my double pole breaker for the interlock. For some reason I mis understood my electrical sub.

 

Panel I thought went

B. A

A. B

B. A

 

Etc

 

Right hand side was working as predicted

Left was nuffin

After a quick call, and a stern talking to by my sub.

 

Panels go

A. A

B. B

A. A

Etc

 

Flip every breaker on left side. Get another stern talking too from Mrs Zeke ( who had to remake and re label). Rocking with the Honda now.

 

Obviously can't run any 220. But my heat, my fridge, my stove and lights are fine.

 

I'm looking for an 8000 220 portable generator in the future. But for any of you that only have a small 110 this will still work.

 

All my heating, drying and cooking needs are NG.

All my lighting is led. So for now the little 3000 is sufficient.

[Howard 538]

Be very careful with this setup and make sure you turn off any 220VAC breakers otherwise if someone turns something on it is only getting one leg of power to it.

[Zeke 5,504]

Be very careful with this setup and make sure you turn off any 220VAC breakers otherwise if someone turns something on it is only getting one leg of power to it.

I know. I know.i know

[capt14k 2,052]

Be very careful with this setup and make sure you turn off any 220VAC breakers otherwise if someone turns something on it is only getting one leg of power to it.

His setup is far from ideal. Get right the size generator properly wired up.

 

I used my Honda 6500 during Sandy at my house direct wired to a 220 breaker and setup one of the Honda 4000 generators at my parents plugged into the electric dryer outlet. Neither was the smartest idea. For one a simple mistake like flipping on the main breaker while the generator is running could kill a lineman. However both ran everything without an issue.

 

Eventually I got my electrician to properly wire everything so now I can plug the generator in outside when needed and it is all automatic. It's the next best thing to having a Kohler natural gas generator installed.

 

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Zeke 5,504]

Ha ha! If all you see are roadblocks, you'll never get anywhere....

[Budasac 13]

His setup is far from ideal. Get right the size generator properly wired up.

 

I used my Honda 6500 during Sandy at my house direct wired to a 220 breaker and setup one of the Honda 4000 generators at my parents plugged into the electric dryer outlet. Neither was the smartest idea. For one a simple mistake like flipping on the main breaker while the generator is running could kill a lineman. However both ran everything without an issue.

 

Eventually I got my electrician to properly wire everything so now I can plug the generator in outside when needed and it is all automatic. It's the next best thing to having a Kohler natural gas generator installed.

 

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I did a the same thing as Zeke for my neighbor with an interlock on the main and gen breaker. He didn't want to buy a new gen so I did a normal setup and changed the cord end for him. I put all the important circuits on the same phase and he's good to go in an emergency. He doesn't have any electric appliances but even if he did you simply turn those breakers off. Worse that could happen is you back feed the other buss and possibly burn the windings on a 220v motor.

 

It's better then a cord brought the window hotwired to the furnace.

[Zeke 5,504]

How many heads will explode here if I parallel 2 gens and run different feed legs.

 

Poof.....

[AVB-AMG 530]

On 11/14/2016 at 0:47 PM, howard said:

I've got a few of these around the house, got them in two packs at Costco a while back.  They just sit in an outlet and at night the front LEDs work as a night light, but if you lift them out of the base or if the power goes out the front flashlight part comes on.  Easy to find in the dark and you can grab them and take them with you as needed.

 

Just found them on Amazon if they are not available at Costco anymore  https://www.amazon.com/Capstone-Lighting-561-Eco-i-Lite-16LED/dp/B00B7974IO

howard:

I appreciate your reference to this simple and inexpensive device.  Based on your comments here and those of others, I recently purchased through Amazon,the similar LED flashlight/nightlight by Avalon and have them strategically situated in bathrooms around the house.  They seem to work fine and are inexpensive insurance for the times when we temporarily lose electricity.  Thank you...

AVB-AMG

Here is the link to what I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Flashlight-Emergency-Preparedness-Rechargeable/dp/B01C589K1Y/ref=pd_bxgy_60_img_2/154-5125918-6959507?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01C589K1Y&pd_rd_r=B6H2QYVYWYGJRJQG3HWQ&pd_rd_w=9GiAY&pd_rd_wg=tvKRn&psc=1&refRID=B6H2QYVYWYGJRJQG3HWQ

[Sota 1,191]

On 1/4/2017 at 6:50 PM, Zeke said:

How many heads will explode here if I parallel 2 gens and run different feed legs.

 

Poof.....

if you figure out how to synchronize them let me know.

I've long had the idea of having 2 generators, a small one that's efficient, and a big one that only kicks on when Big Loads hit.  The issue has always been getting them synced with each other.