Is there an AC 110v outlet adapter to buy for the Camry Hybrid, which supposedly has built in AC 110v?
Can it be used to power a home like an emergency generator during power outages?
A Camry cannot power a home.
However an inverter can power varying amount of things dependent on how large. The larger ones likely require you to idle your car as the car battery cannot provide the power for any length of time.
I’ve used a 400 watt inverter to power our house heating system (primarily to drive the forced-hot-water circulator pumps @ 90watts each). I always have the engine idling.
400 watts does not go very far for powering household items. I did not want to go higher than a 400 watt inverter for my car.
The Camry Hybrid runs off a generator.
It has a selector for 110 and/or 12 volt output.
Unlike the some 110 options, there is not a standard US 110 outlet.
So, I am looking for how to adapt to a 110 AC type outlet fixture, plus information about wattage and amperage to determine suitability for intermittent/emergency power for the home during a power outage.
Thought someone connected to Car Talk may have an idea about it.
Just because a car has a device labeled “generator” on it does not mean that you can plug it in to your house as backup electrical service.
We don’t have any ideas regarding this because it can’t be done, or, more specifically, can’t be done for less money than it would cost you to buy an actual generator and hook it up to your house properly.
Considering the potential problems to your car I would suggest a separate generator for 400 bucks and not risk any damage to your car. I have a 4500 watt generator that should get at least 2 hours per gallon of gas. I fabricated a 25 amp cord so plugging into the outside outlet of the house will provide first floor lights, tv, refrigerator and gas heat along with the 3/4 horse heater blower motor. Make sure if you need to use a backup source, you turn off the main breakers to prevent frying a repairman. Also make sure you are not supplying 110 volts to half of a 220 circuit, It is not as simple as it sounds, and my setup has been inspected and approved, assuming I turn off the main breakers as a viable, non dangerous solution. In test runs it has performed fine.
Your setup is illegal in most if not all states. Mot sure who “approved” it?
A proper generator hookup requires a transfer switch manual or automatic the isolates the outside line fully from the generator hookup or vice versa.
Perhaps you could expand on the legality of portable home generators.
The generator is legal. The illegal part is plugging it into the house wiring without going through an approved transfer switch. With a correctly wired transfer switch, it’s impossible to send current out of you house via the meter.
With your setup, if you forget to open the main breaker, or if someone else switches it back on, current will flow through the meter and back out to the power lines where it could electrocute a lineman.
It’s not hard to install a transfer switch and make your set up legal.
Tom G. Your cars hybrid battery is rated at 245 DC volts…I suspect the entire hybrid system runs at that voltage, not 110VAC. The output from the main alternator will be something like 260 volts 3-phase AC The system was not designed to be used as a Portable Light Plant and trying to adapt it to that purpose risks the destruction of the vehicles electrical system…