The power goes out occasionally. Sometimes it’s for an hour or two, and sometimes it’s several hours. During tornado outbreaks, we’ve been a week without power. We decided to invest in a portable generator rather than install a standby generator and its associated automatic or manual transfer switch. Obviously the standby generator is a better option, but realistically the power doesn’t go out that often, maybe once or twice a year. It didn’t seem to justify the cost.
A portable generator is more of an emergency use situation. It’s enough to keep the refrigerator and freezer running so our food doesn’t spoil. It’s as inconvenient as camping though, because we have to plug and unplug the microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and so on.
Another inconvenience is the extension cords that come in from outside, through an open door or window. Not only is that a security issue if the generator must run overnight, but it’s not weatherproof. To solve the problem I installed an inlet box on the outside of the house and wired it to an outlet centrally located in the kitchen. From there we simply run another extension cord between appliances.
These are the steps I took to install a generator inlet box on my house. Your situation will be different, but hopefully you’ll get some useful ideas. Keep in mind this is a simple substitute for running extension cords through open doorways for a small Honda EU2000i portable generator. I don’t address “generator inlet” boxes that are rated for more wattage and therefore have a different blade configuration, and require special extension cords.
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