Running your boiler from you car

[NeedSpace]

So, for my east coast friends hit by the storm who don't have a home generator, I give you my solution to getting your boiler hooked up to give you heat.

This is a procedure to power your boiler from your car or generator, this is not for forced hot air as I have no idea how those work. Also, I am not a plumber or electrician so work at your own risk. That said, I have done this several times and it has worked fine…I would rather do this then be cold and have my water pipes freeze.
Basically, boilers that work off of gas require very little electricity to get them going, basically, just something to tell it when to go on and off, and power to open the flue. BTW, this is for steam heat. The heating process all comes from burning gas. This also explains why your water heater works when the power is out (the thermostat is less complicated for the hot water heater and doesn’t require electricity).
1. First, locate your fuse box and turn off the circuit breaker before touching anything. I know the power is out, but when it comes back on, you don’t want to fry anything. Turn it off and keep it off until you return the wiring to normal.

2. Locate your emergency shut off box. It should be red and located next to your boiler. Yours should be shut properly, mine is open because I have completed the procedure already.



3. Open up the box. Get an extension cord and cut the female end off so you only have a long wire and the plug. Detach wiring from box. Attach white wire from boiler to positive lead from extension cord; attach black wire to negative lead from extension cord. You should know the smaller tine on a plug is the black/negative lead, the larger tine on the plug is the white/positive lead.




4. Connect extension cord now linked to boiler to power supply coming from generator or inverter. Here you can see where I have it connected to an inverter in my car. BTW, don't use the inverter through the lighter in your car, get the one with alligator clips that go to the terminals.



5. When you finally get your power back. Unplug your extension lead to the alternative power supply, reconnect the wires in your switch box, then turn on circuit breaker.

[John Rogers]

Just in case we have something like that out here in CA, I have two generators, a small 1kw and a larger 7kw that runs the whole house. I keep my old racing gas cans filled with gas and preservative so it does not go bad. Test them a couple of times a year! The car idea is great and I might set my F350 diesel up to do that as it has a huge alt. and holds 100 gals of diesel.

[Jim Bremner]

If they can see this wouldn't it mean that they have power?

[DanielDudley]

I was going to hook that up to my wood stove, but I can't find the switch.

[NeedSpace]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

If they can see this wouldn't it mean that they have power?

Funny, one of my clients asked the same thing, the other wire running off my car goes to my router and my laptop...no lights though. Heat and the internet, really what more do people need?