Homeowner fears back-of-house generator inlet is too far, then hears, '40 feet is fine'

A homeowner planning a generator interlock setup worried that moving an inlet box to the back of the house would mean an unreasonable 40-plus-foot cable run from the main breaker panel.

Here's what to know

The back of the house appeared to be the most attractive placement because it could offer better protection from noise, weather, and theft. Meanwhile, the main panel was on the side of the home about 20 feet from a neighbor and had "no weather or theft protection." The garage subpanel was another possibility, sitting about 20 feet away through a crawl space.

In the r/Generator discussion, commenters said a 40-plus-foot run to the main panel was not unreasonable. One commenter wrote, "I mean 40 feet is fine. You just need to buy more copper." That meant the real question was whether the extra wire cost was worth the more practical placement.

One commenter supplied a concrete number for that tradeoff, writing, "I recently purchased 50ft of 6/3 wire on amazon for $209 plus tax," adding that they used nearly all of it for a 50A inlet box run. Against the cost of broader electrical changes, that kind of material expense may seem much easier to justify.

More background

Once the homeowner explained the push for "noise, weather, and theft protection," one commenter answered enthusiastically: "It makes absolutely perfect sense!  For safety, for theft prevention, and possible noise reduction!!!"

A similar setup came up in another reply, where the main factor that the owner had in mind was access to fuel. That commenter wrote, "I ultimately decided to run it to my back porch where my NG line is." Doing so kept the inlet and gas connection together while still leaving enough reach "to 20 feet from the house for safe operation."

Another commenter compared that option with subpanel work, saying an electrician had quoted "a few thousand" dollars to install a subpanel and had warned that subpanels "can be a point of failure." The point of the comment was to weigh the price of a longer wire run against a more involved electrical project.

What can be done?

Commenters suggested getting estimates first. One commenter advised, "Get two quotes to decide if it's worth it." 

Another reduced the same idea to a simple bottom line: "Get a few quotes and let your wallet decide."

By the end of the exchange, the homeowner seemed reassured: "Definitely. Thank you. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy for wanting the inlet on the back of the house, even though the interlock will be all the way near the front on the side of the house."

Where can I learn more?

For more on the tradeoffs that came up here, these stories look at similar backup power questions homeowners run into.

• A homeowner found the best yard spot sat on grass, complicating safe generator placement.

• Homeowners debating noise reduction options ran into airflow, warranty, and safety tradeoffs.

• A homeowner comparing generator interlock kit prices weighed a $16 bargain against UL-listed options.

• After Hurricane Beryl, officials warned that generator carbon monoxide risks can turn deadly fast.

• One home relying on a 26-kW generator still saw brief flickers after conduit damage.

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