1st forget All GFI outlets unless your HD demands it and I mean demands them....... they are BS and meant for switched items above or around a sink. And the distance from the sink keeps getting stretched by everyone, HD, electricans, and on and on.
2nd All outlets on own circuits....this is a very good idea.
3rd 50 amp breaker box?? No do at least a100 AMP breaker box. You'll need more breakers than you think, and if your runing from a temp service you'll love the bigger box.
4th sure line (50amp?) or does it not work like that?
I'm guessing you mean shore line? If so that is just another way to get power to your breaker box.
You'd have a electrical feed coming off your generator to your 100 amp box thru a switch box.
At the switch box you'd also have an option to switch to your shore line that would get electricity from another source (a pole). You wouldn't use both at the same time, you'd choose between the two, that's what the switch box is for. It doesn't have to be a big deal just a two way manual switch box.
It's a system that was developed for RV's so if they were in a Kmart parking lot they could run off of a generator or if they were at a campground they could get standard power from a pole or temp elec hookup.
4th Tomorrow look in your local phone book for a electrical company that works on commercial buildings, hopefully you'll have two or three. Call them and then go see them, tell the first one you visit what your doing. Ask them how big your entrance cable (shore line) needs to be? Ask them how big your generator needs to be? Make careful notes as you talk to them. In fact you should have all your questions listed before you even walk in their door. Don't go to question number two until you feel absolutely certian you fully understand the answer to question number one.
And continue on through your entire list of questions.
Now here is why I said hopefully you'll have several companies that are options to deal with: after you go to company one you'll feel you have a much better grasp of what you need and what it will cost.
So got to company number two and take all your questions and notes. Ask the same questions again in the same order and make more notes. You are getting a free education from the best in the business in your area, and doing 3 or 4 companies will allow you to get a great education and find the company and price that you will feel comfortable with.
The most imporant points to remember are electricans are just like health department inspectors, or fire department safety inspectors, or people on this list, most will go overboard on what they tell you, you'll need.
I'm not saying you should take short cuts, ignore good advice, or break the rules, nor am I telling you folks on this list don't know what their saying, I'm saying use your head and listen carefully so that you can make the best judgment call for your situation.
Edit to add this thought: Any good electrician can come by your place and temp wire any electrical device (grill, what ever) so it hooks up to your dryer outlet and tell you exactly what it draws (amps) at start up and over a twenty minute run time. That's important because electrical appliances pull much higher amperage at start up than normal running. Doing this will allow you to decide exactly what size generator you need. While doing this ask if starting different pieces of equipment at different times will change your power demands. If a union electrician charges you to do this no big deal because you'll save money in costly mistakes down the road.
Jack
Ok now it's Busch Light Time
<message edited by Dr of BBQ on Thu, 02/18/10 10:57 PM>
