Bargain transfer switch instead of double male ended cord farmer fix

[Mace Canute]

Your right! It could be any solid state circuitry or contacts, but in that small of a package, I lean heavily towards solid state. I trust SS in lots of stuff, just not where a failure of it could compromise someones health and safety. Just because something is "old school" doesn't mean it's outdated or that it doesn't perform at high levels, it just means it was used a long time ago. When dealing with electricity, a visual opening (of appropriate distance depending on the voltage) is impossible to beat from a safety point of view.

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
So your saying all the automatic transfer switches are useless and can't be trusted? Today's technology. We are not talking about a throw contact switch from 1890. Like many things, you have to test yourself. Like a firearm, treat it like its loaded at all times. Lines=treat them like there hot at all times.

 

[SpringHollow]

My automatic transfer switch is mechanical such that the line and the generator can not be connected at the same time to the panel. So solid state controls/relays would not compromise safety if that is what is used to control the mechanical portion.

Ken

 

[Soundguy]

I don't expect people who are not in the trade to know this but the only truly safe way to work on a line is to eliminate any situation where you place yourself in parallel on the circuit, you have to eliminate any potential difference of potential across any part of your body to be safe. There's many instances where that is highly impractical or impossible to do so. If you think a ground is the be-all and end-all to safety concerns, think about this, many single ground rods have a high enough resistance to limit current flow such that if you hooked a conductor to it from an energized 15 amp breaker, the breaker would not trip.



Oh, and hooking a generator up to a house with a welder plug that has no neutral WILL cause damage to your 120V appliances. You have created what is known as an "open neutral situation". Google it.

I think you just explained basic ac circuits to an engineer..

I was making a generalized statement. not a thesis.

I'll refrain from posting any more in this now bloated , and meandering opinion festering thread. I don't have time to type out a 30 page 'manual' every time I want to interject a comment. since not having 100% of all posisble data on the subject with all talking points covered inevitably invites even more comments.. will be more fun to jst set back and watch /read other peoples opinion of what is good or not, vs the products sold.. vs what the power company will or won't do.. vs what is safe in general terms, legal/illegal, or commonly done.


ok.. I have the bottled water and the salt free air popped popcorn. continue with the argument!

who's next. and what's the score? I walked away for a bathroom break a minute ago.. who's winning? what inning is it.. who has the ball?

soundguy

 

[aczlan]

Oh, and hooking a generator up to a house with a welder plug that has no neutral WILL cause damage to your 120V appliances. You have created what is known as an "open neutral situation". Google it.

If you have a generator that has the neutral and ground bonded, then run 3 wires (2 hots and a ground/neutral) from your welder outlet back to your electrical box where the neutral and ground are bonded you will not have that issue. However, if something happens to the bonding in the main box you will have a open neutral.
You can also get a open neutral with a 4 wire generator connection from having the bonding go out (or corrode enough to be useless) and the neutral wire come loose.

Edit: if your ground/neutral bond occurs in the meter base and you have a 3 wire disconnect that disconnects both hots AND the neutral, you MUST use a generator that has neutral and ground bonded, or you will not be in compliance with NEC (which requires that you have a neutral/ground bonding point).
Aaron Z

 

[Mace Canute]

I'm starting to feel like I'm in the "Special Olympics".............

 

[grsthegreat]

OH no...another generator transfer post....... I'm not going to interject any ideas...... I'm not going to interject any ideas.... I'm not going to interject any ideas.

 

[sparc]

I have the Generlink installed by my utility and it works great. I was the first in my utilities territory to get one and they had their reservations at first too. But after they took it to their lab and tested it, they said OK and installed it. The second person to get one was the engineer from the utility who evaluated it. My BIL got the third one, and I have three friends who are now looking into getting one.

 

[whistlepig]

Are you sure of the price? That seems like a heck of a deal.

Generlinks are pretty good. Price really isnt that bad considering how much a proper transfer switch costs and the time it takes to install. The Generlink is Plug and play.

That was the price quoted to me three years ago. The electrician came out and looked at the house. He was highly recommended by the seller of my generator and the neighbors.

 

[whistlepig]

Two hundred amps would be a little small for an all electric house of my size with a large garage/machine shop. So I went to 400. It is what it is.

Kind of thought the OP was trying to power up a house and not a small factory. Evidently I was mistaken because 400 amp is way out of my league. It is what it is.