Keep Your Family Warm During A Power Outage By Installing This $5 Part

[@stevewhitt9109]

This is a great idea. Just try doing it in the dark and you will wished that you had done it before the power outage.

[@kevins6277]

I'm currently gathering all parts to do this LOL! definitely a great idea

[@phatcritz]

Oh like me rn?

[@erniecheung5282]

@@kevins6277 Do you have a high capacity PowerBank that is sufficient to drive the furnace blower?

[@jimderksen1653]

That is what flashlights are for.

[@mailman3243]

Well when the power is out definitely don't have to worry about messing with the breaker box lol

[@BenHallert]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you. We are on day nine of a power outage and in the very beginning, temperatures got down to below 20 Fahrenheit. After a few days of this, I finally found a generator a couple hours away and when I got home with it, my wife worked on setting it up while I followed your directions and made this change to our furnace. Super straightforward, and while our house may still be dark, it is WARM! Thank you.

[@VOODOOphg]

Wait, 9 days? Where do you live (general area) and your pipes didn’t freeze? How long was it before you got power since your 9 day comment is now 6 days old?

[@BenHallert]

@@VOODOOphgSpringfield, OR, and there are still some folks without power as our utility mops up the last of the damage. An ice storm brought down limbs all over and wreaked havoc on our power system. My pipes didn’t burst because we kept a faucet running slightly so if any exposed pipes froze there would be some give in the system. The temp inside the house didn’t get below freezing, but it got coooold.

[@BenHallert]

@@VOODOOphgOh and we got our power back a couple days ago, and thank goodness.

[@BG-xr5bi]

​@@BenHallertget a wood stove. The best

[@BenHallert]

@@RadioRich100 Why is that? Be specific, I wonder how well you understand what’s happening here.

[@jimderksen1653]

Good Idea. I am an HVAC tech and I have been doing this for home owners for years. The only thing tomake sure of is if you are going to want to run the furnace off of a generator make sure it actually works. Some gens have a floating neutral and some furnaces wont operate on those types of gens. There is a fix for that so research it and test it out. Dont just assune it will work.

[@derreklees]

My champion generator has a floating neutral. What would be more appropriate? 1. Use a ground neutral plug with the generator to make the furnace think the generator has a bonded neutral? OR 2. Tying the neutral from the plug and furnace together with the neutral from the main panel?

[@billclinton3572]

​@@derreklees never bond neutral to ground anywhere except the main panel. It's an electrocution risk. That idea might work while connected to the generator but you wouldn't want to have it like that while it's connected to your main power.

[@anonymousprivet1227]

@@billclinton3572 So multiple generators.

[@TayschrennSedai]

Or, put a power station between it to normalize power and remain clean.

[@kenjackson264]

Most of the newer generators have ground fault outlets and will kick out once connected because it detect the ground from the furnace. You can disconnect the ground on the generator in order for it to work with this setup. You can search for videos on how to do it.

[@fisher1029]

Watched this video when it first came out and thought this is a great idea. I put it on the list to get done in the future. Well, storm showed up first. Went to Home depot and got the supplies. Took me 30 minutes to have the gas furnace back on. Thank you!

[@reloadnorth7722]

More instructional videos should be made like this. Clear, concise, and no endless babbling. Well done.

[@FosterFarmsOk]

electrician here. That was the first thing I did when we bought our house. way easier to hook up the generator.

[@Travis141123]

My Dad did this back in the '70s. Still got his old Sears alternator.

[@TimeSurfer206]

I've been telling clients that extension cords are far cheaper than a transfer switch fo year, and never once thought of this. This, combined with a roughly $200 dollar UPS that's had an external battery added can be a lifesaver.

[@dpatt45]

Can you make a similar connection with an oil burner boiler?

[@FosterFarmsOk]

@@dpatt45 absolutely.

[@Travis141123]

I would imagine you'd have to power the circulator pump and control circuit as well.

[@atomx111]

I just did this procedure yesterday! Power's out in my area of Wisconsin right now. This was literally a 10 minute job and I can now plug the furnace into a generator and everything works as it's supposed to. I made sure all the wires were secured using Wagos, even the ground. Furnace works fine, NO 'flame sensor' probs or anything else. Thank you for this vid, it's a real game changer!

[@donschwechel8706]

Just so everyone knows when you have a high efficiency furnace with 2 stage adjustable blower it will not work properly because of the generator adjusting. However I was successful with a lifepro4 battery with a pure sine inverter and this functioned perfectly. Great idea and great back-up plan for power outages.

[@byrd4mgt]

Are you using a 12V battery, and what wattage inverter???

[@donschwechel8706]

I have a couple set-ups in my home but for this note I will go with the cheaper set-up because it works. I have a 12 v deep cycle battery from Bass Pro shop for a boat, and then used a Lyvuan model F-1500P pure sine wave inverter. I honestly believe that the battery causes no fluctuations like a generator does and that’s the reason this works with my Lennox high efficiency furnace with a 2 stage blower. The salesman from Lennox originally thought this might/might not work because of the computer in the furnace but it does work and I’m happy I have this back-up.

[@jatpack3]

My generator is an inverter

[@mschwage]

What does it mean that the generator is adjusting? I thought it was either on or off.

[@donschwechel8706]

@@mschwagewhen your appliances that are running on your generator such as a compressor on a fridge or freezer kick on it causes the throttle to. Increase on the generator, that will interfere with high efficiency (computer) on your furnace. A battery power station will not have this effect. My pure sinewave works perfectly.

[@michaelgleason4791]

Wow, an 11 minute video that just has the straightforward information, no fluff, nonsense, or ad read. In Florida, we don't have a furnace but I watched anyway. Refreshing.

[@OlTrailDog]

Actually, that is God telling you that you need to move to North Dakota.

[@Noneofyourbusiness2000]

It's a bs click bait video that spends 10 out of the 11 minutes making it sound like all you need are these $5 in parts until he whips out a $600 power station.

[@marek3041]

@@Noneofyourbusiness2000 Good observation... Similarly, the guy that said that he did this and it was a ten minute job; was clearly not including watching the video, trip to the store, gathering tools. I do think it is not BS and good stuff for alot of people. In my area, we are seeing alot of outages and are on gas furnaces that die with no grid power. My neighbors have bought generators for about a 1000 bucks this year plus electrician work to switch the house off grid to generator costing them about 5 thousands on top of that. Whole house gas generators are more, like 10,000. I just ordered a wood stove insert costing around 6000. I already have a power station, and could have just done the tip provided for emergency winter heat, and maybe will anyway.

[@SpaceRaptorJesusJedi]

​@@Noneofyourbusiness2000 how is this clickbait? You thought you can magically power your furnace for $5? No, the video was exactly as expected, especially since there's a power station in the thumbnail genius

[@paulrozinski1488]

I like this set- up better than the first one mostly because of the simplicity of the wiring. One minor add-on to consider would be a tag or small sign indicating that the furnace disconnect IS the plug and they aren’t looking for a switch that isn’t there. Nice job. 👍👍👍👍

[@threejeeps4419]

My thought exactly about the tag/sign. It is not obvious to a furnace tech-they would be looking for a switch!

[@paulhease1007]

I kept the switch anyway even though I disconnected it. that will really mess them up.

[@user-et5mz5ex9s]

I was also thinking the same thing. I work in HVAC and I would naturally think that that plug would be for the condensation pump and not main power. We like for everything to be labeled if it's not straightforward or the way every other unit is set up. Also, if you know which pipes go to which parts of the building, PLEASE label those, too! It makes servicing a problem way easier on our end!

[@milofonbil]

It's not only the furnace tech, but the electrical inspector. Both are looking for a *disconnect switch* and/or a *single* outlet: NEC 422.31(C) - The furnace disconnecting means shall be within sight of the equipment. NEC 210.8(A)(5) - Receptacle outlets for the associated equipment of a furnace installed in an unfinished portion of the basement shall be GFCI protected, and if installed on the furnace circuit shall have no other outlets. Also, depending on your installation, the NEC code and local codes may require an AFCI circuit for the furnace blower. Eg. finished basements.

[@cybrtrkguy]

@@milofonbil So basically, in an unfinished basement, the only thing you'd need to do differently from this video is replace the standard outlet with a GFCI? Seems simple enough

[@davidnovakovich5583]

To add to this, I’ve converted my generator to run on natural gas as well, and had a plumber run a gas line for me, with a quick connect fitting. This way, if I have gas to run the furnace, I have gas to run the generator to power the furnace electrical.

[@urmonatorgaming]

Listen. I've done a lot of wiring in my day, but I still appreciate how you cover EVERYTHING in so much detail. Even down to how to properly attach wires to the plug. Some people have ZERO experience and it's because of people like you that we can learn how to do things ourselves!! :)

[@Rush_Subdivisions]

I did this 10 years ago for my hot water baseboard system. I also ran a bunch of secondary outlets that ran back to a main connect for my generator so when in use I could unplug my baseboard furnace, frig, etc and plug them into the generator fed outlets and we were good to go. Simple project with a ton of benefits.

[@erickajander1139]

I use ORANGE colored OUTLETS to IDENTIFY GENERATOR FED

[@Rush_Subdivisions]

Yep. I used dark grey since the orange stood out a bit too much. :)@@erickajander1139

[@kevins5268]

You earned another subscriber. Showing people useful information without trying to sell a course. I just dropped economic ninja due to him trying to sell a course on every video. Keep up the great work!

[@IDisposable]

Always tighten the extra screws on the outlet. Always use a pigtail for the ground. Always wrap the side terminals of the outlet with tape.

[@easyas314]

Curious. What would the reason be to tighten the unused terminal screws?

[@goaskmymom1350]

​@@easyas314 As a remodeler working with live power during demo I thank the sparky before me who tightened the unused terminals AND for wrapping them up with tape. Have you ever accidentally touched a live terminal to a metal gang box? If so, THAT answers THAT question. 😵‍💫

[@burtenplays]

Caught this immediately, always tighten and tape. Tape not as necessary in plastic boxes but good practice all around. Ground wire is normally not insulated so it can potentially touch the exposed lugs and spark. If the outlet loosens over time it can wiggle a bit, those loose lugs sticking out can hit ground wire or the box causing sparks. These metal boxes have a decent amount of space in em but some are incredibly tight and amplifies the risk. Like the metal wing boxes or those ones with the Romex knock outs and the screw down wire holder. Plus if the box doesn't have a good ground connection and lugs make contact with the sides somehow the whole box is live now with no path to ground. The outlet should always just be grounded don't know why he did that. I mean I know it's screwed to the grounded box but it takes like a minute to legit ground the outlet... It's been a pet peeve of mine with people putting in switches too, I know a lot of electricians don't bother but it takes two seconds come on.

[@goaskmymom1350]

@@burtenplays I'm with you. I just takes a second...done! On finish electrical some sparkies will strip the wires and leave the sleeving and wire in the floor and walk away. Drives me nuts! I may be the GC but I'm NOT your maid! Respect the clients home!

[@unusedaccount6200]

@@easyas314 So they don't short on the box or have anything possibly coming into contact. And ignore the OP, always ground your outlets. Never know where a floating ground is.

[@woohunter1]

Before I ran a generator plug outside along with a lockout plate on main panel, I did exactly this, along with the same setup for my well pump (20 amp 120v). I used a single instead of duplex, so no one can plug in anything else while furnace is running.

[@milofonbil]

NEC 210.8(A)(5) *requires* a single outlet or a outlet/switch.

[@Praise___YaH]

Guys, here is The Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 43:11 I, I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me. Isaiah 45:5 I am YaH, and there is none else.

[@carlotodaro5052]

It's great to have people putting this kind of info on for homeowners. Especially when it's tuff to get anyone to come out or answer the phone. I don't have gas (no pun intended) but I do like that set up. thanks I just subscribed and will be looking for tips I may need for my boiler.

[@donaldlee6760]

I live in Oakland, CA and have been using a small 2000 watt gas generator for years during the annual summer PG&E electrical shutdowns. I normally just run long extension cords to my fridge, freezer, wifi router and computers but if I get a power shutdown during the winter this would be an easy DIY upgrade for my gas furnace.

[@dermatt3457]

100% . You don't want to use a regular generator for furnace power unless it's an inverter generator. Furnace motherboards need clean power which an invertor will provide. Otherwise u may be replacing an expensive board.

[@ProudDadVet]

30 yr Electrician here.... NEC (electrical code) requires a minimum or 6 inches of wire from the back of the box. I would strongly suggest if anyone were to try this, to "carefully" strip back 7" of sheathing from the cord as to make sure you can make the electrical connection properly. Just a tip from a Licensed Electrician. : ))

[@MundiTaurus]

TY for your post, but I don't know what you are talking about. What wire from what box? The pigtail and the switch box, I assume? Also, Mr 30 yr Electrician, :-), I only have a hot and neutral at the box/switch, the switch is on a sheetrock wall. There is/are no ground wire/s. (HUH?) The switch box is plastic. Can I get a metal switch box, attach it to furnace metal enclosure, run the wires out of the wall to it/through it, and attach a ground wire from both the (new commercial grade) switch and the pig-tail to the furnace enclosure? I just got (semi) destroyed from a hurricane, and I am trying to get on my feet. Dead presidents are killing me, I have a lot to do, and winter is coming, but I wanted to do this, also. Thank you in advance.

[@MundiTaurus]

Oh, heck, where is my brain? Heh heh. Welcome home! (Yeah, after 50 years, I still say that.) EDIT Are you and your son mil/separated? Not sure from your moniker.

[@serezhka021]

​@@MundiTaurusSo which 6 inch wire is he talking about ?

[@christopherdahle9985]

@@serezhka021 He's talking about the line cord that enters the junction box at about 5:30. Note that the cord goes into the furnace housing and then comes back out into the junction box where the outer cable sheath has been removed. The three wires that exit the black outer cable sheath are technically supposed to be at least 6" long, with at least 3" of that continuing on outside the box. ProudDadVet is wisely suggesting 7 inches to give you enough length so you can screw it up a couple of times. But the code provision is intended to assure that you can wire everything up without straining the wires and so you can easily and put the assembly and wiring back into the box. This "hack" is commonly covered on KZbin. Properly done it is completely safe, but not specifically permitted by code. I suspect it is getting a lot of play due to the recent hurricanes and accompanying power outages. I think it is a good idea, but there are electrical inspectors who may not agree.

[@TheeAbstractHero]

@@christopherdahle9985 Electrical inspector can inspect my ass. They won't be there to get someone out of a dire situation.

[@MyTube4Utoo]

I never thought I'd be subbing to an HVAC channel, but I've been through a couple of furnace "things" lately, and this video was useful, too. Thanks.

[@TheMonkdad]

You do a really good job with these videos. Great camera work, excellent lighting and very good audio.

[@atomx111]

I agree! Good, clear audio is way more important than a lot of people think. Keep it up!

[@funnyharleyman]

If using a generator as your power source, I highly recommend an inverter generator. As opposed to standard generators, inverters have very low harmonic distortion. Although furnaces have many mechanical parts, they also have complex circuit boards which can be damaged by regular generators producing high percentage harmonic distortions. Inverter generators produce clean electricity much like that of the power grid supplying your home. As a general rule, any electronic device should be powered by an inverter generator or a means supplying clean electricity.

[@dermatt3457]

100%

[@mattwaters6987]

​@@dermatt3457Absolutely correct! 💯

[@cgkuch4184]

This is what I have in case of a power outage. Ran my furnace with my refrigerator no issues.

[@philliphall5198]

We had no power for 5 days and the generator ran the heat and freezer and ice box With only 2 50 watt led flood lights

[@economicprisoner]

In think you mean you want a true sine wave inverter. The cheap "modified sine wave" inverters just put out a square wave; which have the odd harmonics that you mention.

[@WeavingSpiritOracle]

Wish I knew about this last year when my power was out for sixteen hours.This is incredible.Thank you so much for showing it to us. This is definitely something I would try.

[@BR-hi6ty]

Use a Velcro cable tie and he won’t have to keep cutting off the wire tie each time you need to use it

[@howardhaas6575]

This is a great tip. Did this years ago because we suffered outages several times in a row due to storms. Local utility company was not trimming the trees! Keep up the good work!

[@jjw8022]

I set up this installation today. Thanks for your video. I know just about nothing with electric and your video was easy to understand.

[@dporrasxtremeLS3]

This Has GOT to Be My Favorite Channel on KZbin! Thanks!

[@dialyork9]

Did this at home, and works great. Now, doing it for my daughters home. Hope you know how many people you have saved with this idea. And yes, not another HVAC guy would have said a word about it. Thank you.

[@williameldridge9382]

Because it's illegal and EXTREMELY dangerous.

[@A.X.76]

Thanks for sharing knowledge In 97’ we had an ice storm that killed electrical for about 2 weeks. A neighbor who had power ran about 400’ of cord to an elderly lady’s house to keep a space heater going. The cord was too hot to touch and I mentioned it to man I was working for. After some discussion we visited the lady and my employer asked if she had gas heat? She said yes but it doesn’t run with the power out. He unplugged the space heater, plugged the central unit into the cord and POOF the whole house became heated and after an hour the cord was cool to the touch. I learned so much during that event, voltage drop, HVAC , transmission line Frequency etc. My gas furnace uses 7.5 amps for the blower and the inducer motor which is easy for most generators.

[@alangrant1984]

Who would have thought a fix like this could be so simply easy. Thanks brother!

[@07hellwolf]

$5 + power station = depends on what power station you would provide ....truly helpful for the one has power station .....

[@billclinton3572]

This definitely cost more than $5 for the parts. I mean, the outlet and connector could be found together for under that but the cord had to be $10-15. I've got a computer cord lying around though so I'll just cut the end off and use that for free.

[@markbrowning4334]

Yeah, I appreciate his information, but the power cord alone is more like $15. Another point that, unfortunately, needs to be stressed is the alternative power source. He demonstrated with some power station that I wasn't previously familiar with. I assumed he was going to use a traditional gas generator which you would not be stationing by the furnace, or even in the house. There are still way too many people in this world who do not know better than to set up a generator in a safe place. For all the detail he invested in the installation of the outlet, he really glossed over the actual power source consideration.

[@Praise___YaH]

Guys, here is The Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 43:11 I, I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me. Isaiah 45:5 I am YaH, and there is none else.

[@Praise___YaH]

@@MichaelTheophilus906 Sir, I said nothing about some jesus. I shared YAH The Father (Genesis 1), please, go back and read what I shared

[@Praise___YaH]

@@MichaelTheophilus906 This sir, Understanding This, is Salvation YaH The Father (Genesis 1), Who, with His HAND, formed “man (Adam)”, from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). YaH’s HAND they NAILED to the Almond Tree, to symbolize forgiveness of the “Tree of Life” sin OF “man” and thus “The Fall OF man” (Genesis 3) YaH The Father arrived to be Crucified via the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 33, Isa Scroll), how YaH has ALWAYS arrived

[@shortytari]

We had to replace our furnace a couple years ago. I told installers to do something very similar to this as we have a generator for emergencies. He refused to do it for me , but did instruct me on how to do it and left all the materials so I could do it later myself.

[@victorphilip875]

did they just not want to touch electrical?

[@shortytari]

@@victorphilip875 I think it was more that they didn’t want to do something not really recommend by the manufacturer and be liable if something went wrong or wasn’t right. But we hooked it up like he said and tested it. It works fine.

[@bluskytoo]

liability

[@davepetro5676]

Should have a gfi or a single yoke receptacle. Not a duplex receptacle. The appliance cord could be considered as service disconnect not crazy about that I like to see a service switch. But that part depends on AHJ inspector. Oil need a shut off switch in a remote location. I have A problems with that part. But gas or propane. Doesn’t matter a spark can go boom.

[@jfree1573]

I watched one of your older videos and decided to do the outlet last year. My furnace was less then a year old and was told if I pulled the furnace cover and altered the wiring in any way I would forfeit my warranty. I chose to follow the wiring from the main panel to about 6 feet from the furnace and put an outlet there. I was told it had to be a circuit and single outlet designated to the furnace only. So someone couldn't accidentally plug something else in with it. I did actually have to add 2 boxes, one for the outlet and the other a junksion box because I had to add wire.

[@anonymousprivet1227]

Genius idea and if in the same situation I would go with that. Did you test it out for a few hours? In an emergency you would definitely be keeping the heat on for hours. Did the juction or new wall box heat up? Did you ground it?

[@PW1316]

I installed a plug on mine and it was $8 .Worth the money and a lot cheaper than buying a $5500 back up generator I just bought a 2200 inverter generator for $450 and bought some old 5 gallon metal gas cans at a flea market and I’m set .

[@KenOcon-uz3dl]

I should’ve read the comments first. I might have a floating neutral or a dirty sign wave! Thanks for the channel it’s great

[@InternetDude]

In Canada a forced air furnace must have hardwired electrical. It can't have a plug like that. However I understand why you'd use this. I personally have one of those "EZ Generator" style boxes on my furnace so it is still hardwired and it does the same thing you show here.

[@avflyguy]

I too have built a 'rocker switch box', similar to the *EZ Generator Switch* so that way I don't have to mess around with plugs. *All* the wiring (12ga) is contained in a 4x4 junction box with a mud ring to mount the double pole double throw rocker switch marked LINE, OFF, GEN. I have a small dual fuel _inverter generator_ sitting outside with proper connection from Gen to Furnace. It was suggested that newer _Furnaces with electronic furnace boards_ needs that bonding back to the main panel and separating neutral and bare ground. The gen is floating neutral, but by sending neutral and ground separately, makes the furnace happy. To bad I didn't have in the 2021 freeze out in TX. Only took one time to learn that lesson. Plus I can still use an extension cord to power sensitive electronics like TV's, Modem, Router, Computers, and charge portable electronics. Just NO big amp loads.

[@peterfairlie2296]

I think it's against code in the US too but tell that to your freezing cold family in an outage.

[@FosterFarmsOk]

@@peterfairlie2296 The code doesnt specifically say you cannot but it also doesnt say you can. It would be up to the authority having jurisdiction to decide if its allowable. for example North Dakota has an amendment to the NEC that specifically allows this. but like you said its your house so do as you please. Its not dangerous at all to do it..

[@peterfairlie2296]

@@FosterFarmsOk It's a bit sketchy as section 110.3(B) of the NEC requires that listed or labeled products be installed in accordance with any instructions included in their listing or labeling. This makes compliance with those restrictions part of the requirements of the NEC. Clearly this is a hack and you'd be called out on it in an inspection. However don't get me wrong as I'm all for doing this in an emergency to keep my family warm and safe.

[@FosterFarmsOk]

@@peterfairlie2296 that's why I said it's up to the AHJ. Some places allow it.

[@davehudson5589]

Brilliant! I just added battery backup to my whole house and left the furnaces off the panel as i saw them as “nice to have” - this is an easy way for me to put them back in action as my power banks are 3 feet away and have a 120 outlet in addition to providing power to the smart panel!

[@klossfam]

I did the switched outlet version. Easy as I do a ton of DIY electric work installing a 240V circuits for EVSEs. This is great if you have an EV for power outages. We have a Ford Lightning and Ioniq 5, so a lot of accessible power and far quieter when needed than a generator. I didn't do the whole house backup integration with the Ford, but a couple long 12 and 14 Gauge extension cords and we are covered for a multiday power outage if it happens.

[@louf7178]

One of the best practical setups IMO.

[@malifestro3319]

Great project to knock out and be prepared for when the power drops. I had a switch and single outlet. I kept that setup but rewired it up as you got here. I added a 1 to 3 outlet cube to it so I could plug in my pump, furnace, and UV light.

[@nbuford]

Great hack! Careful leaving any of the outlet's power terminal screws loose when installing them, especially in a metal gang box. I made that mistake once and almost burned my house down. Even if the screws aren't connected to any wires, they have power running to them based on the outlet's pass-through design. If they aren't screwed down, they can arc to the gang box and cause electric shock and fire.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Great advice to tighten down any unused screw terminals.

[@btamproductions]

I was looking for this comment.

[@jsimanella]

Unless the device yoke has been damaged or modified, it would be impossible for an arc to occur at those voltages. You'd need 10s of thousands of volts to jump a gap (like a spark plug)

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@jsimanella Not the point. If the clearance is small enough, the screw could vibrate loose and contact the case, or something else conductive. Vibration could come from the blower motor, for example.

[@TomCee53]

@@LoanwordEggcornAgreed, in fact I have tripped circuit breakers during installation by letting the hot screws touch the box. It much less likely if you tighten the screws. Some recommend taping the screws, as well. That’s up to you. 😊

[@Jon040407A]

This has to be my favorite video of yours and have sent it to probably two dozen other guys. We all live in souther Ohio and have boilers that heat our house (ours is still the steam boiler from 1911 and yes, that’s the correct date). We have 3” water lines that hold the steam and is controlled by an electric thermostat. Now that we have this, a small 2200 watt inverter generator will run it with ease, as well as a few lights, a pressure cooker, and also charge our laptop. I’ll occasionally watch this with our girls - clean language and educational!

[@Reegareth]

This is honestly such a fantastic way to approach this. Prevents any possibility of back feeding your secondary power source no matter what it is. if I lived further north you bet I would have one of these on my house with a battery generator and maybe even install some decent solar panels somewhere covered that I could deploy if needed. Obviously gas would still need to be running but from my experience gas is far more reliable than electric. I've actually never had a gas inturuption that I can remember but had power go out probably well over 100 times.

[@diyhvacguy]

Same here. Thanks for your input

[@consciousobjector2507]

Yep

[@ablam8]

I had my gas shut off when i couldn't pay the bill. They put a lock on the gas valve thing outside. I cut the lock off. They were not happy.

[@Harbingerofd00m]

You could run a generator on natural gas, too.

[@peterandmichellehoefler6921]

@@diyhvacguy 1:]

[@thisoldman7142]

I did this a couple of years ago. Haven’t lost power in cold weather yet, so…… good to know I’ll have heat when I do.

[@tedh7543]

I have been curious for a couple years on how I would deal with an extended winter power outage. This video solves the issue with incredible simplicity along with being a completely safe way to power the furnace multiple ways. We had a five day power outage in the June of 2021 which was not a big deal because we had a generator which kept everything critical running and temps were not crazy hot. Now if we have an extended winter outage it will not be a big deal either! Thanks DIY HVAC Guy!

[@diyhvacguy]

Thank you guys for your loyal support! I hope this video helps people to stay warm this winter during future power outages :) cheers

[@consciousobjector2507]

He's *AWESOME!* He has a lot of other great videos too.

[@ScarletKnightmare]

This is his first video I've seen but I just subscribed. Awesome job explaining it in a simple way that isn't intimidating. 10/10

[@craigfelter]

If you've got natural gas, get a whole house generator. It hurts to write the check, but the power grid isn't getting any better, and neither is the weather.

[@Praise___YaH]

Guys, here is The Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 43:11 I, I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me. Isaiah 45:5 I am YaH, and there is none else.

[@markwetty2269]

I did this and it works great, now i can see the power use of the gas heater. Never realized the heater draws 850 watts on full draw.

[@greggpurviance7252]

Most modern heaters have two fans, exhaust & blower

[@howl4838]

These videos always bring out the keyboard 'experts' in the comments lol. Awesome stuff and simple to follow along, thanks.

[@thgrweed45]

The videos you make are very easy to follow along and understand to the average homeowner. Giving me ideas how keep my furnace on during power outages. Thank you very much and keep up the good work.

[@professorg8383]

It will cost you a bit more than $5 but it's a minimal cost to have this ability. I have had my furnaces done this way for many years. We get a lot of outages year round, but in winter, it is usually related to blizzard conditions, so even a few hours without heat can get bad pretty quick. I have a big generator, but it takes a bit to get it set up especially when the weather is bad. If I get lucky, I might get power back in a couple hours. But running the furnace on a self contained battery style power supply, buys some time to evaluate the situation. If I have to work outside in the cold, crappy weather to get the generator set up. Being able to come in and warm up is priceless! You did a very nice job explaining and you covered everything of importance, quite well. The only suggestion I have is to talk about having an adequate sized emergency supply. You connected to a 1000 watt supply, which I'm sure was adequate if you had checked the nameplate actual input values of the furnace. And when a blower starts, it draws a bit more current. Most emergency power sources have a surge capacity that will handle that. The main thing is to test your power source to make sure it will work when you need it and maybe run for a while to get an idea of the usage time you can expect. My suggestion is to start with a 1500 watt supply for a 15 amp circuit. The actual input level value is likely about half, but it's good to have a little extra margin. They over hype these battery style self contained back up supplies, making it sound like it will supply endless power! f it is small and lightweight, it will have pretty limited power. So it's a good idea to do some testing to see just what you will have when you need it. The idea of using your car as a generator with an adequate sized inverter and a heavy duty extension cord, can make a pretty good emergency back up. Having this kind of knowledge and capability, can be a life saver in major outages, and the cost of getting the capability is relatively low. As for code compliance. It's a matter of interpretation. What you are doing is perfectly fine and safe. But you could run into an inspector who interprets it differently. Ideally you can explain its use and reasoning and get agreement. Alternatively, you could use an EZ Generator Switch, which is UL listed and approved for this very situation. I'd argue that your approach is actually better, but sometimes you run into an a-hole who really doesn't have a solid understanding of why the code is what it is. My only other comment is about using Wagos. I'm an electric engineer who takes issue with them. No because they can come loose, which is unlikely. My issue with them is that when properly installed, they provide a relatively high resistance connection. This is not a huge issue in low current applications like in a lighting fixture. but in higher current situations, the issue increase exponentially. I won't claim they are dangerous, but you should know that UL lowered the ratings considerably from the European IEC standards. The Wagos are easy which helps for DIY work, however, I strongly suggest that electrical work is not something for for DIY unless the person, fully and completely understands electrical theory and have had some formal training. I have seen far to many DIY mistakes. Electricity can kill you and/or your family and burn down your house if you make a mistake. You did a good job of explaining in detail how to make this pretty simple modification. I will just finish the Wago comment with the simple fact that wire nuts are far superior for a good connection. This is well proved by engineering level testing. As an HVAC guy, I suggest yo research the Wago issue in depth, I'm sure you know well that easier is not necessarily better. But short these fairly minor points, I think you produced a very fine video and covered all the bases,

[@ClanMcCormick]

Wago are fine, for this case especially fine. Feel free to leave links to prove how poor wagos are.

[@professorg8383]

@@ClanMcCormick What are your credentials that make you believable, Are you an electrical engineer? Do you know what the inherent resistance is for these connections. I don't need links, even though there are more than a few credible ones out there. I'm an Electrical Engineer with decades of experience and have conducted ample tests to laboratory standards. What does fine or especially fine mean in your definition? Are you a professional? Trained? Certified? I gave my professional opinion that these are a bad choice for connections of any substantial currents because as current doubles, heating goes up 4 times. D you understand that and know why? They probably won't cause a fire but will most likely fail open. UL rated them OK but at reduced currents. So they probably won't cause a fire at or below these derated currents.

[@economicprisoner]

Heat does not rise exponentially with current: only parabolically (variable (current) raised to a fixed power of 2). P=I^2R That is a pet peeve of mine when people claim something rises exponentially just because a fixed power is involved. Exponential growth is when you have a fixed based raised to a variable power (like 2^x). That grows much faster than (x^2).

[@professorg8383]

@@economicprisoner For the purposes of the issue at hand, I'll stick with what I said. If you want to play mathematical semantics with it, I don't see the point. The issue is that dissipated heat is a function of the current squared. This "functionality" is often overlooked by many in the electrical world. I don't wish to get hung up on terminology. It doesn't change the formula or the results. Sorry if your interpretation is 'pet peeve" of yours.

[@economicprisoner]

@@professorg8383 I see it more commonly with formulas involving 4th power terms (road wear due to axle weight, black body radiation).. Calling everything "exponential" reduces the impact when the growth is ACTUALLY exponential (loans, spread of diseases like Covid). Exponential growth sneaks up on you. In the short-term it is less than you may expect. But long term it is far faster than you expect.

[@Kendkend]

Wow. Just found this video and I remember your previous one. This new video takes all or most of the mistakes listed in the comments by electricians from the previous video (like the ground, switch, wiring,) and fixes/explain them plus its much easier to follow. Awesome channel man. Thanks for your hard work.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thanks so much! 🙏🏻

[@markanderson1335]

Omg, stop. There are so many code violations here and potential for fire. Your local fire department would ask you to stop, your local code enforcement would ask you to stop, and your national electric code would ask you to stop. You are creating fire situations. Please stop and take this video down.

[@markanderson1335]

And look for my comment for further information on your violations

[@tmn15]

@@markanderson1335 can you provide all the violations? Need actual sources.

[@Scrollermania1963]

​​@@tmn15, Wouldn't, the first violation, be , that you removed it from the main breaker ? And over by passed the Furnace Breaker, which the breaker is there ? To prevent anomalies, or electrical fires ?

[@josephphillips1777]

Great video! Only thing I would have done differently is strip the jacket on the pigtail back some and make the it and the furnace wires the same length. It'll make splicing the 2 together easier and make tucking the wires into the box cleaner with less stress on the wago/wire nut

[@paulhease1007]

I just did this, it was a piece of cake-- much easier than installing a ceiling fan!!! I will be ready for an outage as I have extension cords and a back up generator ready to go!!

[@diyhvacguy]

Awesome sauce

[@edwintaber6465]

Some furnace controls are sensitive to the sine wave of power stations/ inverters. Make sure you have a true sine wave.

[@douglasalfseike3867]

Uh oh something you should make a video about maybe or fill us in with the info please?

[@jbtrades3407]

Great video. I just shut off main breaker to my electrical panel and bad feed the entire panel from generator. This way I have control over every appliance and can turn on what I need during power outages

[@Van_Liberty]

For those homeowners that have a lithium battery powered RV, you can use one of its power outlets to run your home heating and other items in an emergency. I have one with a 600 amp hour Lithionics battery bank and 3k Victron inverter and was able to use it three times in the past year. It kept the heat/ac and refrigerator going for days. I did have to start the RV's engine to recharge the battery bank. But, it was essentially endless power...

[@horatiobeaker]

Great video. You are not only a great technician, you are an excellent teacher as well.

[@Chris_at_Home]

I did something like this once on a house I owned. I used a twist lock plug. I also didn’t use a Romex fitting on the furnace but a fitting designed for a cord with a rubber grommet that tightens on the cord.. The current home I built I put in a whole house transfer switch and also a sub panel with a transfer switch. I put the furnace, internet, tv, lights, refrigerator and freezer on the sub panel. I can run the sub panel loads on a few gallons of gas a day with a 2000 W generator. When we need the pump or other high load items we can start the big generator that is hooked to the whole house transfer switch remotely Use a square driver instead a Phillips as you are less likely to strip the screw or stab your hand.

[@blainemcdonald6972]

Yes a Roberson screw is far superior

[@craiggroeschel4822]

Use a hammer and screwdriver to tap the ring on the NM clamp snug to the chassis. And if using a switch as a disconnecting means, get a double-pole switch so the white wire is isolated as well. Good work!

[@saeedhossain6099]

great video, excellent idea. just 2 minor safety points. When installing the outlet, since its in a metal box, use electrical tape around the neutral and live terminals. also its good practice to screw down the unused terminal screws before putting bsck into the box, helps limit the amount of potential shorts.

[@williamhopkins3500]

A good reason to use the single switched outlet

[@Birdmacher]

Want a slightly nicer version? Use a single outlet with a switch in that box instead of a double outlet. That way you get the best of both worlds. Nice video!

[@tonyzarzecki5408]

That’s what I have, don’t know if it’s wired for this purpose.

[@susanjones5592]

Wow, for many of us out here in normieland this is great information. Thank you DI HVAC Guy!

[@robertryan8029]

Thanks for the great videos! I just did this modification to our boiler. Last winter, we darned near froze during a power outage, even though we have a generator. A previous owner had a generator transfer switch installed with a number of circuits, but unfortunately, the heating plant wasn't one of them! I don't know why I didn't think of this fix myself, but at least it is done now.

[@patricklockerby4308]

Great video. One small niggle - never coil an AC mains power cable. Inductive heating can melt the cable and may cause a fire. Always zig-zag the excess cable and tie the bundle.

[@witchdoktor69]

What he did was fine. Zig xagging would actually tend to have more pronounced bends in the cord

[@ahmadrefaat3460]

Great video! You can also run the pigtail wire to the electric box directly it has holes just like the one you knocked out of the furnace, so no need to run the wire inside the furnace

[@texasaggiegigsem]

I did this back during the big Texas freeze, but ran an extension cord to my generator outside, which I had to run for several days. A battery backup wouldn't have lasted that long. My unit draws several hundred watts, so a gasoline/propane/natural gas generator is a must if the outage persists more than a couple hours.

[@diyhvacguy]

My Vtoman lasted 20 hours of cycling the furnace off and on. But a generator is definitely preferred

[@nestorortiz8868]

Q: 20 hours at what temp, at the thermostat@@diyhvacguy

[@philliphall5198]

I installed a wall plug and outlet box Simple to unplug and plug in to extension cord Tested and worked great during Texas 2021 big freeze

[@lujun823]

Nice tip! Why not open a hole on the junction box (so no additional hole needed on furnace)?

[@DebCnbfre]

Fantastic! Thank you for this helpful video for keeping our family warm in the event of a power outage. We always use gas along with electricity as a 2-way security measure. 👍

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Doesn’t get more easier than that. Nice fix👍. Take it a bit further I’d add a combination SW/ receptacle. This way no one can plug into the other outlet on the duplex receptacle.

[@rifleriverrat9311]

I was going to say "use a single outlet or use a plastic plug for the extra outlet so no one plugs something else in there". But yours is the best. Solves any arcing if you turn it off before unplugging the cord.

[@skylerdylan1005]

Just did this and it worked. I used a plug/switch. Everything works. Thank you!

[@corwinchristensen260]

Local code here requires a dedicated circuit(s) for HVAC. Our inspector was satisfied by installing the switched outlet within the furnace cabinet and leaving a grommeted access (standard metal stud grommet) to pass the cord out of the cabinet when needed. This way the outlet would not be easily accessible for any other use.

[@rusosure7]

Good point. No special receptacle need be purchased. Simply break off the jumpers on the back. This renders one half dead. Just a thought.

[@grizzlyrideemwet1698]

Swap the receptacle for a single outlet receptacle.

[@doughughes257]

Thanks!

[@slip0n0fall]

Don't forget (to the viewer) to plug in your condensation pump also if you have one!

[@clementgoetke2385]

you dont need it for heat

[@slip0n0fall]

@@clementgoetke2385 tell me you know nothing anything about high efficiency furnaces without telling me you know nothing about high efficiency furnaces... Most are condensing, they produce condensate...

[@TheMalbroughs]

Mine was wired this way from the beginning. I put a DC motor in when my original AC motor burnt up, and i run the furnace off an UPS for longevity due to brief browouts, blackouts, and surges. Cheers!

[@jim5k]

I like this concept a lot. I don't like that metal clamp on the pigtail personally. They make proper fittings for that. I also don't know why the pigtail goes into the furnace just to come back out, making no connections inside. Also why is it so long? Last, should always tighten the other screws sticking out on an outlet and reduce the chance of a short. Thanks for the video!

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

That metal clamp is a proper fitting.

[@jasonbroom7147]

The pig tail is "so long" so you can reach your alternate power supply, like a portable power station or a generator.

[@jim5k]

@@jasonbroom7147 if you could reach a generator with the length of that cord then it's too close

[@jasonbroom7147]

@@jim5k - Bullcrap. My furnace sits in a room right off my garage and a 15' cable would reach out to a generator, running in the garage with the door open. It isn't a complicated topic, you just didn't understand it, initially. Just say, "Oh, that makes sense", and move on.

[@jim5k]

@@jasonbroom7147 you sound like someone who would run a generator in a garage

[@TheRealBobBasher]

I just purchased an Inverter Generator. So glad to do this now with the lights on!

[@sillieww]

THANK YOU very much for equipping us homeowners with knowledge to either doing it ourselves of hiring someone to do exactly what we want. You just earned my subscription to your channel, all the best to you.

[@deadmanxxvi8326]

Thank you for this video. My son is going to be hit with an ice storm & I sent him this so he can keep his heat going if the power goes out.

[@michaelholliday100]

Have you ever run a test to see how long a furnace will run on a 90 Amp hour battery? I have a generator, but getting it out of the garage, wheeling it behind my house and connecting the ground can be a lot of work depending on the weather conditions here in Ohio. 15 Amps at 120 volts is 1,800 watts. With an 1,800 watt inverter I would not think that I cold get more than 1 hour furnace run time from a 100 Amp Hour battery.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

A home furnace doesn't use 1800 watts. More like 500 or so. If the battery is 1000 watt-hours, it would run that for 2 hours continuously. BUT furnace motors don't usually run 100% of the time, so that's really about 2 hours of motor run time. If a furnace runs 10 minutes every hour it would last for 12 hours. Also inverter power is not the same as battery capacity. Power is measured in Watts and capacity is measure in Watt hours.

[@8546Ken]

@@LoanwordEggcorn That is unrealistic to assume a furnace will only run 10 minutes per hour. That assumes the house didn't get cold before you got this running. And it assumes it's not very cold outside. When it's 10 deg below zero, my furnace runs 100% of the time. i found out that is how the furnace was specified.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@8546Ken Yes, it varies by season, weather, local climate, etc.

[@Praise___YaH]

Guys, here is The Savior HalleluYAH translates “Praise ye YaH” YaH is The Heavenly Father YaH arrives via the TENT OF MEETING YaH was Who they Crucified for our sins YaH was Crucified on an Almond TREE - Ancient Semitic Cuneiform of Moshe (Moses) - Isa Scroll (The Original Isaiah) Isaiah 42:8 "I am YaH; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. Isaiah 43:11 I, I am YAH, and there is no other Savior but Me. Isaiah 45:5 I am YaH, and there is none else.

[@mestep511]

Absolutely perfect. No 50 shades of gray. Step by step done

[@berettaguy7445]

When using a generator to power your gas furnace, is it better to leave the fan on continuously, rather than on the "auto" setting? I was told leaving it on eliminates the surge every time it starts, making it easier for a smaller inverter generator to power.

[@Clyde-2055]

YES …

[@berettaguy7445]

Thank you.@@Clyde-2055

[@71duece56]

I had this set up more than ten years ago the plug was plugged into a wall outlet.And beside I had another outlet extension(I forget the cable size, bigger than regular orange extension cords) out to a generator,it worked very well.I would recommend every furnace be set up like this.

[@alanm.thornton4055]

You're a life saver, again and not just for me but for a bunch of my friends and neighbors. Did this last year in the NW during a three day ice storm and power outage IN THE CITY. I have a really really small home (basically a large apartment in size, with a basement) and had about 8-12 people staying here for a couple of days since no one else had a second means of heat. I 'sort of' thought of doing this hack, but never put time into working it out. Appreciate this immensely. I need to figure out how much power (amp-ohm-watt) the furnace is pulling though.

[@danielpullum1907]

I use a lockout on our breaker box and our generator powers the whole house. Ur method is a nice way to run only the furnace. We also have a 130,000 BTU gas wall heater in our basement that can be fired to maintain a livable atmosphere for short periods. Thanks for the idea.

[@joels9391]

Appreciate the video- this is a great idea! However- you should ALWAYS run a ground pigtail to the outlet from the feed ground, and not rely upon the screw connections for your ground.

[@MH-ev3wr]

Agreed - at minimum he should have removed the fiber/plastic square washers that serve to insulate the outlet from the box.

[@BrennanA275]

Good information. It is good practice to tighten the unused terminals, and when wiring any fixture in a metal box, be sure to wrap the terminals in electrical tape.

[@Jeff-m5x3j]

If you wanted to dedicate a battery pack to the furnace, could you just leave it plugged in and plug in the battery pack to the power so it stays charged, like you would with a UPS on a computer.

[@themexican-c5t]

I just turned my gas stove and burners on last time. worked like a charm. house stayed warm for the 18 hours the power was out. more costly I am sure but it does work.. same effect as cooking thanksgiving dinner. all systems go

[@davidward1259]

I modified ours years ago. Originally the 120v power cord went into a single size outlet box with a solid face via a knockout. I installed a duplex outlet in the box and a matching plug on the cord. Then if the power was out in winter, I just chained one of my 2 Honda EU2000 generators to my large trailer and ran a 12 gauge cord about 20' to the furnace in the basement. Normal heat and to switch back, just unplug from cord and re-insert plug into the normal outlet. Our furnace is natural gas so basically the power is for the fan and control board and is only a few amps (6.8 amps rated - actual is less after startup). Yeah, I'm sure "code" requires it to be hardwired, but I don't see an inspector checking for any reason in my lifetime.

[@kylewingrove]

Im pretty sure the previous homeowner did this already we have a switch and a plug with a cord plugged in. Will check tomorrow to confirm but great video thank you!

[@chrismailloux267]

Do you have a set up for an oil furnace? I would like to see something on that.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

It should work exactly the same. You may have to also power a small oil pump, but it should be already tied in. Not hard.

[@chrismailloux267]

Thank you Pat

[@louf7178]

This has been on my mind since I saw the last video, but I never did it because of generator/inverter decisions. And now were going to have a week of wind and frigid temperatures.

[@Patriottoo2]

Thanks for showing us an easy, safe way to add auxiliary power to the furnace. 😀 This project has been on my to-do list for a few years... I'm, now, accumulating the necessary parts.

[@anthonya8412]

Just completed mine today. Easy install thanks to your great video and instructions. Iam in IL and this makes it a must have. I have an older 90 % efficiency gas furance. I needed a 20amp outlet since my breaker is 20amp and 12-2 wire preexisting. I already own two gas generators so that is covered. Thanks

[@Fred70115]

I had my HVAC company estimate this change. They wanted about $500. It's not the parts that are expensive, it's the knowledge and ability to do the job right. If you're going to use a portable generator, there is a whole list of cautions on connecting to an ungrounded generator.

[@michaelholliday100]

No one should operating a Generator without a ground.... Yes, there are idiots out there, but if someone cannot make this very simple setup, they should not be pushing a lawnmower or driving a car.

[@westvirginiaminer3046]

Your outlet should be grounded already back to breaker box that is grounded to home ground rod. Am I missing something

[@michaelholliday100]

@@westvirginiaminer3046 When you pull the pigtail out of the outlet, the pigtail will see no ground. That is why you need to ground the generator, by code to a dedicated ground... You should not use an outlet ground as he did here, it is against code...

[@khoryallen9568]

My friend, thank you so much! We live in a rural area and our power grid in the area is finicky. We had that exact issur last year and i could kick myself for not thinking of this

[@ghammer9773]

For those that feel bound by the hardwire requirement and don't mind spending more; There are single circuit cord fed generator changeover panels available exactly for this purpose. It's going to cost you more than the $5-$10 of this method though

[@KeithOlbermannn]

Hello do you have a link to one?as googling "single circuit cord fed generator changeover panels " just bring up a whole bunch of inlet boxes and transfer switches that have nothing to do with furnace.

[@thoryan946]

@@KeithOlbermannn A transfer switch is actually what you need. The name of one that you would want is Reliance Controls TF151W Transfer Switch. It's a single circuit transfer switch that would be fed by an extension cord plugged into your generator and the other side by utility power. It's gonna cost you around $150-200 and would be mounted next to your furnace. Although with the cost I'd rather go with a 30 amp transfer switch/sub panel combo at your main panel. These cost $500+, but then you can back up your fridge, lights, furnace, etc... with one 30 amp cord from your generator.

[@michaelholliday100]

And where do you find one for that price? Are you living in 1970? The cheapest out there are about $150 up to $600...

[@markymark8665]

@@thoryan946I’m have actually been looking into this recently. Was also leaning towards a Reliance ten circuit panel. I have an electrician coming this week to look at my panel and setup to advise if it’s the best solution. I know the Reliance has a lot of helpful videos and is supposed to be DIY, I could probably handle it but will likely have a pro do it.

[@mae2759]

@@michaelholliday100 There's one called the EZ Transfer switch or something to that effect (it has a green cover) for about $100. Good for this furnace application.

[@waynebinky]

We went with the Generac solution and an automatic switch. This solution looks way cheaper.

[@mentin]

I like the previous version with outlet AND switch much better. Without switch, when you pull out while furnace is operating, you create a spark within the outlet. It will destroy this outlet soon if you have to do it often. Outlets are not replacement for switches, they should be used for connecting or disconnecting devices in a turned off state.

[@lastchance8142]

Valid point, although the current draw is not very high. I would simply use the breaker for disconnecting means in the event I have to isolate the furnace from normal power.

[@VinhTran-bn8fc]

I have been acting as an electronic technician for 45 years. I agreed this Brilliant idea