Can I plug a portable power station into a dryer outlet to power the house?

No. That is backfeeding. It can kill a lineworker and start a fire. Use a listed inlet plus interlock or a transfer switch, installed by a licensed electrician.

Do I need Smart Home Panel 3 for a portable?

No. SHP3 is the EcoFlow Ultra X automatic-panel path. Portables use cords, a $399-class transfer kit, an inlet/interlock, or an Anker transfer / Home Power Panel kit.

Home / Guides / Connect a portable

How-to · not a substitute for a licensed electrician

How to connect a portable power station to home circuits

A box on the garage floor is only a backup if the loads you care about can reach it. There are three honest methods. One of them is illegal.

Diagram of portable, extra battery, then house connection

Decide cords vs selected circuits vs automatic house Fridge, CPAP, and a router can live on extension cords rated for the load. That is a real backup. Selected house circuits need an inlet and transfer method. Automatic whole-home is a different product (Ultra X + SHP3, Powerwall, or EP900 + a panel).
Never backfeed a dryer or range outlet A suicide cord that feeds the panel through a dryer plug can energize utility lines. Do not do it. If a seller demonstrates that method, close the tab.
Pick the hookup that matches the battery you already own EcoFlow lists a home backup transfer-switch kit at $399 for portables in that family, and Smart Home Panel 3 at $3,099 for Ultra X. Anker documents a 10-circuit manual transfer kit, inlet box, and Home Power Panel on the F3800 Plus page. Generic 30 A inlets and panel-specific interlocks live on Amazon — match your panel, not a photo.
Hire the electrician before you buy a second battery Inlet, interlock, and transfer-switch work is a permit job in most cities. Budget labor. A $399 kit plus a $400 visit is still cheaper than guessing.
Test on a planned afternoon, not during landfall Flip the interlock, start the battery, walk every kept circuit. Note what you forgot (furnace control, well pressure switch, garage opener). Then write the order on the checklist.

What this page will not do

We will not publish a wiring diagram for your specific panel. Panel type, bonding, and local code vary. The product links below are categories and brand kits, not a promise they fit your enclosure.

Kits that match the batteries on this site

EcoFlow home backup transfer switch — Manufacturer image

ECOFLOW PORTABLE

Transfer kit · $399

EcoFlow US list. Electrician install. Indoor breaker panels. Not SHP3.

Check transfer kit

EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 3 — Manufacturer image

ULTRA X ONLY

Smart Home Panel 3 · $3,099

32 circuits, <20 ms. Pairs with Ultra X, not DELTA 3.

Check SHP3 Full SHP3 notes →

ANKER

F3800 Plus transfer / inlet / HPP

Plus page is where Anker documents those three house paths. F3800 can use inlet/transfer; Plus adds generator bypass.

Check F3800 Plus

Diagram of portable then house connection — Diagram · not a product photo

GENERIC

30 A inlet · interlock · 10-ga cord

Panel-specific. Search, do not assume one SKU fits.

Inlet boxes All house-circuit extras →

If you do not own a host unit yet, pick the battery first. The hookup follows the family.

Anker F3800 DELTA 3 Ultra Plus Ultra X

How-to guides

Connect to the house Add an extra battery Add solar Smart Home Panel 3