# A2z Backfeeding



## GaReops (Aug 7, 2012)

does anyone actually do this on inital services? I do not have electricians coverage on my insurance and have never actually done this for any other company..? :wallbash::wallbash:


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## brm1109 (Sep 17, 2012)

Very easy.

DO NOT DO IT.
Just not worth it.


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## GaReops (Aug 7, 2012)

can nationals/regionals force this on a contractor? I read it was illegal in a lot of areas to do. I am no electrician and never will be. I told them I refuse to backfeed a house unless they wanted to pay for a licensed electrician.


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## hammerhead (Apr 26, 2012)

NEVER NEVER. them to to screw off.


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## GaReops (Aug 7, 2012)

that is basically what I told them in a nice way. I will check appliances all day long with a generator if they want that. I took on A2z for some fill in work I don't know how it is going to turn out, this is the first company to ever ask me to backfeed an electrical system


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## ontimepres (Jan 4, 2013)

You don't actually need to backfeed to get the results they're looking for ... you should be able to test the individual items with your generator. 
Take a closer look at the form they want you to fill out and their example notes etc. I think you'll find you can complete these forms just fine without backfeeding.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

No, they cannot force you to do anything, but they may try. If it is for an HPIR, their sample notes are not indicative of what they want; what they want is for you to confirm the mechanicals are bad and bid to repair or replace, or to confirm they are good and then assume the liability. They cannot modify or bend exisiting codes, regs or laws unless you are willing to do so for them.


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## JFMURFY (Sep 16, 2012)

Just saw Forclosurpedia's video on Powering up a house with their 5/k generator... Don't know the purpose of it... Seems that stuff should be left to Licensed Electricians & the Utility's.
Get many requests from CooperCitwest (HUD FSM) for electrical power-ups, at their conveyed properties. 
Before CT Light & Power will activate the electric, it must be inspected by a Licensed Electrical Contractor, who then sends them a letter on company letter stating they have inspected the property and it is or isn't ready for the power to be activated
Don't know the requirements in other States, but for some Federal HUD contracted Company to expect a General P&P Contractor to Power up a house with a generator is strange at best.


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## Cleanupman (Nov 23, 2012)

We contacted our local energy provider here on this issue...we sent the following;

Here are the steps that we are being asked to compplete. I sincerely aperciate your assistance with this. Thank you... Steps required to do a normal electrical systems and appliance test: 1. If power is already ON at the property, test the systems normally - DO NOT PROCEED WITH THE FOLLOWING STEPS! 2. Complete safety checklist 3. Turn generator ON 4. Plug appropriate extension cord (male-female, NOT male-male) into generator 5. Test each individual component using a suitable extension cord. Each component should be tested individually. For example, first test the refrigerator, then the microwave, then the washer, etc. 6. Turn generator OFF and make sure that all breakers and the main switches are OFF. Lock out or duct tape the main breaker to ensure that it is not turned back on prematurely. 7. Attach back feed cable to an appropriate 240V receptacle using the adapter. Duct tape the plug in place once it is in the receptacle to prevent it coming loose and falling out of receptacle 8. Connect the extension cord to the adapter. Any jumper adapter connected must also be duct-taped in place. 9. At this point the generator should be off with no cables connected to it and there should be a cable running from the receptacle block to the general location of the generator 10. Turn generator ON 11. Insert cable into generator 12. The first switch to be turned on is the switch that is directly connected to the dryer or oven block, depending on which one you are using 13. Starting with sub-panel breaker switches, turn them ON one at a time, but never touch the main breaker switch! 14. Only turn on the minor component breaker switches. For example, do not turn on the HVAC (or any 240V) switches, nor should you turn on the water heater switch. 15. Check components and/or fixture switches, turning them on and off one at a time 16. Turn all breaker switches OFF again 17. If HVAC system has an electrical component continue with the following steps: Make sure any subpanel switches to the HVAC system are OFF Make sure the thermostat is OFF Turn on breaker switches related to the HVAC system, starting from the one closest to the HVAC components and working your way back through any subpanels then to the main breaker panel. AGAIN—DO NOT EVER TURN ON THE MAIN BREAKER WHILE THE GENERATOR IS CONNECTED! Turn ON the thermostat Go to HVAC component and see if the fan is on or if you hear the compressor engage Turn OFF the thermostat Turn OFF all breaker switches 18. Turn OFF generator 19. Remove all cables 20. Remove all safety measures that were put in place while completing the safety checklist 21. Leave all switches in the OFF position 22. Report results on your PSR 

After their engineers reviewed everything this was their response....

The important thing about this whole test is that you don't want to turn the generator on while the power from the NV Energy grid is still on, too. The generator has no way to sync its signal to our signal, so it could cause some major problems for you. You want to make sure the main breaker in your electrical panel is turned off before connecting the generator up to anything in the house. The list of steps below confuses me a little. I don’t know what type of generator or cables these are, but it seems like steps 3, 4, and 5 shouldn’t be completed until after step 6 where you tape the main breaker open. That is what I would recommend. As long as the main is off, you can plug the generator into a 240 Volt receptacle and it will backfeed the circuitry in the house back to your breaker panel. Then you can test all of your sub-breakers and light switches, etc. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

We were also told that every municipality will have different codes and regs. so you would need to ask locally....


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## PropPresPro (Apr 12, 2012)

Aaron, did you ever submit that to OSHA to see what they thought?


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

Prevous homeowner had her boyfriend cross wire the basement outlets and crack the gas line to the water heater to blow the house up. Jo Bob ran a sub panel to his pole shed, never wired it correctly and never finished it to find out. Just a couple examples we have run into. If we didn't know better, or had insufficient knowledge of electrical systems, bad things may have happened, and our insurance company would not have been there to make it better. Show me the money, and I will be more than happy to sub a licensed electrician who can give the results needed. A "C note" to take 200 pics and fill out 5 pages of "I'm liable if I'm wrong" questions and then bounce a 5k genny up and down the cellar steps to check the basement fridge and furnace won't cut it.


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

One day I casually mentioned to my insurance agent the process of back feeding.


He got this scared look on his face and told me "I am going to pretend that I did not hear you mention that."

I told him, oh no, I AM NOT that dumb.

He said that because few if any of the p&p contractors are licensed electricians with electrician insurance coverages................ any claim resulting from back feeding would not be paid.
So that means when the p&p guy burns a house down its all on his head to pay the bank back.


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