Electrical – use a 30 amp generator to power some parts of a 60 amp subpanel

electricalgarage

My main panel is in my basement and it has a 60 amp breaker that goes to a sub panel in my pole barn. The pole barn sub panel provides power for the pumps and blower motor of my outdoor woodstove. Last winter I lost power for a week and had to run two extension cords from my 30 amp generator; one to the main panel in my basement to power the furnace and the other to the sub panel in the pole barn to power the woodstove.

I want to get a hookup for my generator so that I don't need all that sassafras if I ever lose power in the winter again.

While it would be easier to run the generator by the pole barn and backfeed the main panel, reading other questions makes me believe that is neither safe nor legal. So, I think I need to get a transfer switch or interlock kit setup on my main panel for the generator. However, I still need to power the woodstove from the pole barn sub panel.

My question is, can I use a 30 amp generator connected to my main panel to power the 60 amp sub panel in my pole barn? The only thing I want to power in the pole barn is the woodstove, which is on a 20 amp breaker in that sub panel.

References:

Is it reasonable to create a 30amp branch circuit for the purpose of feeding the panel from a generator?

Can I connect a portable generator to a subpanel to backfeed my house?

Best Answer

Having a panel that's rated for more amps than you're going to put through it isn't a problem. (Trying put power through something that's rated for fewer amps is a big problem.)

For the rest, that's outside my expertise.