I'm not sure what type of relay you're using, but most relays have at least five terminals. two coil terminals, used to power the coil. One common (C) terminal, where the circuit to be controlled will connect. One normally closed (NC) terminal; which is as it sounds, the side of the switch that is closed when no power is supplied to the coil. And one normally open (NO) terminal, the side of the switch that is open when no power is supplied to the coil.
When power is supplied to the coil, the relay is toggled. The NC contact will now be open, and the NO contact will be closed. This is fairly similar to how 3-way switches work, except that with a 3-way you are the coil (sort of) and determine which way the switch is.
Because of this, you could wire up a circuit like this...
However, this setup isn't going to be very smart, since the Raspberry pi is simply going to be switching the current state of the load. So whether the lights go on or off, will depend on the state of the 3-way.
To make this system smarter, you can add in a current transformer (CT), and connect the leads from the CT back to the pi.
With this setup, the pi can use the output of the CT to determine the state of the lights. So the pi could either toggle the relay to turn the lights on/off, or not toggle the relay to leave the lights on/off. In any event, the 3-way switch would still work properly.
I don't know much about the Raspberry pi, so I'm not sure it has the ability to work in this way. I also don't know exactly what equipment you're using. I'm simply suggesting a possible solution.
Most engines don't like to start after extended storage. One cause is a dry cylinder bore which prevents compression.
Solution: pull the spark plug and squirt a generous amount of oil into the cylinder. Like 25% of displacement. Turn the generator so the cylinder is vertical and leave it for a few hours so the oil can flow into the piston grooves. Return it to upright for 30 minutes (so fluids can drain to the proper position).
Very important: Cover the spark plug hole with paper towel and crank for 5-10 seconds. A considerable amount of oil should blow out of the plug hole. Now replace the plug and try starting again.
Best Answer
According to the schematic.
The unit is OFF, when
IGandBare connected. To start the unit, connectSTandBAT. Once it's running, none of the contacts should be connected.You're going to want to find a way to monitor the engine, so you know when it's running and can stop cranking the starter. You'll likely want to crank the starter in shortish intervals, rather than simply cranking until the engine starts. You'll want a way to stop cranking the starter after x number of tries, so you don't keep cranking an engine that won't start. You'll also need a lockout mechanism, so that the device cannot start the generator when somebody is working on it or the system.
As for connecting to the homes electrical system. You're going to want to use properly installed transfer equipment. And you're going to want to make sure the installation is code compliant.
Finally... If you're going to be working on projects like this, you're going to want to learn how to read schematics. It makes me slightly nervous that you're asking this question.