Electrical – What size wire do I need to connect a portable generator inlet to the main panel

electricalgeneratorwiring

I am planning on installing an interlock kit and backfeeding my panel with my portable generator. The backfeed will be to a 30 amp breaker, coming from the 240/30A outlet on my Generac 5500. The question is about the distance the generator can be from the panel.

I can install the outdoor inlet right outside wall with the panel, resulting in around a 6 foot run of 10-3 romex with ground. However, while the generator fine there, it would be little harder to get to in that location for refueling and maint.

Alternatively, the most convenient spot for the generator would result in about a 80 foot run of 10/3 romex. Will that length of run affect the performance or reliability of the power?

Best Answer

As has been discussed many times in this forum, back feeding a generator into a double or even a single pole breaker without a transfer switch is risky business. If the main breaker is not disabled while generator is online, you will be back feeding power to the grid and pose a safety hazard to utility workers.

With that said, look at the following link, http://www.southwire.com/support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm The wire size for an 80 run at 30 amps/120vac is 8 AWG. Use this calculator to determine wire size or determine voltage drop. 3% drop is usually considered max for 120/240 runs. Once you start to draw amperage, the drop can become greater as you tax the voltage source with a fixed or max amp output.