Emergency Generator

[Pushing_Tin]

Most probably means a transfer switch (& panel).

When we built our new house in the country we had this panel installed during the building process. The power has been pretty reliable, but we have been very glad to have the generator when the power has gone out. For many of us in the country no power=no water.

 

[whistlepig]

I do have a Honda generator but the hook up to the house is pretty basic. The well pump has a disconnect box with a pigtail wired in. I pull the disconnect and plug the 220V well pump pigtail directly in to the generator via a 30AMP 220V extension cord. The rest of the house is powered by extension cords. I.E. pellet stove, refridgerators, TV, lights, etc. I had a licensed electrician price the installation of a Honda HP2S power system. $1,400 plug and play for the HP2S Honda system. For me the Honda HP2S system is the way to go. Next best thing to a whole house generator.

 

[Financegal]

Our electric company installs the Generlink transfer switch at the incoming meter as part of their electrical services to the public - just had it done. The switch, the gencord and one of their electricians will install it for $1000 (for a generator up to 7500 watts, higher wattage ones cost more). Install was quick and he tested the setup and figured the acceptable loads based on my generator. We can live very comfortably - well pump, heat and hot water heater (propane house), fridge, TVs, plugs and lights. Things I can't run (electric stove, dryer, central air) all would overload my generator. If you have an electric stove like me, you can use a crockpot, the outside gas grill and microwave to heat up things.

Likes
1) having use of all circuits that won't overload the generator.
2) no cutting holes into wall to add subpanel or rewiring necessary.
3) in our locale the electric company is the final inspection of any type transfer switch because it affects their lines - because they installed it, no further inspection needed - its all considered done and legal now.
4) no plugs running all over the place.

Dislike
1) unless someone tells you or you see people out and about disconnecting their generators the only way you know power is restored is to go out to the switch - there will be a green light present meaning power has been restored.
2) cost may be prohibitive for some

Hope this helps and don't mean for this to be a sexist remark - I am a 55y/o female with an elderly father I moved in here so I needed/wanted something easy to understand and hook up and this whole setup can't be easier.

 

[nwbearcat]

A far cheaper "transfer switch" is from these guys:
Generator InterLock Kit
This is a UL approved add-on that lets you use your existing panel and breakers. By adding a breaker for the genset feed, this kit will interlock it with the main breaker and meet safety requirements.

It is low cost and enables a full house feed. I used their idea and made my own. Works great.

Paul

This is the same way I did it. Square D makes the kit for a QO series box. I think it cost me less than $150 including the big generator cord. No reason to mess with a 2nd box and picking/choosing which breakers to move, which is fine until you re-arrange something in the house, and the freezer swaps sides of the basement...

On the Honeywell generator...I have the smallest electric start they make, don't recall if its the 6500, or bigger. It has a Honewell engine...that looks ALOT like a Honda, but it's not. It starts good, though I've barely used it. Overall, I'm not too impressed with the unit. Cheaply made, many weak parts, bolts, etc. Gotta be very careful not to twist the screws, bolts or studs off when putting together, they don't act like normal 1/4" hardware... In retrospect, 3 weeks after I bought this one, SAMs had a Blackmax with a real electric start Honda for the same money, or close...I'd have sold mine at a small loss to have that one...it's ok, but it won't be around for years, just not that well built I don't feel.

 

[nwbearcat]

Things I can't run (electric stove, dryer, central air) all would overload my generator. If you have an electric stove like me, you can use a crockpot, the outside gas grill and microwave to heat up things.


Dislike
1) unless someone tells you or you see people out and about disconnecting their generators the only way you know power is restored is to go out to the switch - there will be a green light present meaning power has been restored.

Take this from an anonymous poster on the internet...check with your local electrician. On your stove...it is wired to support the use of ALL heating elements at the same time. I'd suspect that you shouldn't start in on T-day dinner on generator power, but there shouldn't be any excess load on your generator to use a single cook top element. I don't think they pull much more than your crockpot or hot pad would, and would be way safer than what I hear some folks trying to do with camp stoves, or gas grills in the garage (let's face it most power outages tend not to occur in the best grilling weather.)

On the other part...my nearest neighbor is 1 mile away, and on another branch line, so this is a down side to things. I don't run my generator 24/7 during outages. 1-2 hours on, 3-4 off. In 2 hours, we can cook, heat the house, cool the fridge/freezers. Then deal with it for a few hours before it gets too cool inside. We have small kids, so a little effort can make it a fun deal, a good time to "unplug"

 

[rekees4300]

Thanks to this thread, may have prevented my house from burning down! While doing online research on transfer switches discovered that my Federal Pacific Electric FPE Stab-Loc service panel was a fire hazard. Problem dates back to the 70s-80s when there was testing fraud involved to get the UL approval. Anyway to make a long story short it's recommended that anyone with a FPE panel should have it replaced. Called an electrician and had it replaced with a Cutler Hammer service panel and also had a Cutler Hammer generator transfer switch installed. He did it all in 2 days and charged $1500. Not a high price to pay for peace of mind IMO.

 

[wdchyd]

Thanks to this thread, may have prevented my house from burning down! While doing online research on transfer switches discovered that my Federal Pacific Electric FPE Stab-Loc service panel was a fire hazard. Problem dates back to the 70s-80s when there was testing fraud involved to get the UL approval. Anyway to make a long story short it's recommended that anyone with a FPE panel should have it replaced. Called an electrician and had it replaced with a Cutler Hammer service panel and also had a Cutler Hammer generator transfer switch installed. He did it all in 2 days and charged $1500. Not a high price to pay for peace of mind IMO.

Glad hear RK4300, it never hurts to educate ourselves, especially when it comes to electricity.....improper electrical distribution unfortunately rears it's ugly head sometimes too late......

A few years back at our place of business we had a 200 amp single phase ITE breaker panel explode after hours just before we went to lock the doors......we had a welder and an air compressor breaker hooked up next to each other and they were latched in to the aluminum buss bars (underneath the breakers).....

I did not know they were aluminum and they melted and the molten aluminum made a dead short in the panel......Sounded like extremely loud popcorn, sparks, smoke......RUNNNNNN.....

Well we had a new Square D installed (w/copper buss bars) and will never have this happen again......

Our next project is adding 480/3 phase.....we already have the service entrance w/ meter installed....next is the transformer and hook up to our existing panels.......

Peace of mind is worth a lot......:thumbsup:

 

[Financegal]

there shouldn't be any excess load on your generator to use a single cook top element. would be way safer than what I hear some folks trying to do with camp stoves, or gas grills in the garage (let's face it most power outages tend not to occur in the best grilling weather.)

On the other part...my nearest neighbor is 1 mile away, and on another branch line, so this is a down side to things. I don't run my generator 24/7 during outages. 1-2 hours on, 3-4 off. In 2 hours, we can cook, heat the house, cool the fridge/freezers. Then deal with it for a few hours before it gets too cool inside. We have small kids, so a little effort can make it a fun deal, a good time to "unplug"[/QUOTE]

Electrician said I could cook with one small burner - but I fear I'd instinctively turn on more and I don't want to tempt fate.

I'm a girl from the burbs, rural is new to me (here 6 years now). Some neighbors got pretty innovative -before storm hit, neighbor moved his gas grill off the deck and roll into his his second detached garage (propane was disconnected and left outside under the deck). He's an NFL tailgater and also have a campstove. After it stopped snowing and he'd cleared away the snow, he set up a makeshift kitchen in the driveway. Sawhorses set up with the campstove on it - he was out cooking eggs for breakfast, using the grill evenings. With a transfer switch, they had use of their microwave also. It was kind of cool actually. It was pretty quiet nights, most ran generators all day and turned off at night. Few houses have woodburning fireplaces - most have gas fireplaces - they put off enough heat if you sleep by it.

 

[Pirate]

I wanted the generlink but my power company wouldn't install it. Their loss.l

I went with a generator backfeed to panel using the sliding gizmo to prevent two inputs at once. I also put two watt meters in the top of the panel cover so I can monitor load on each leg.

 

[Financegal]

I wanted the generlink but my power company wouldn't install it. Their loss.l

Our electric company just began install of Generlinks this year. Something I'd read makes me think it was just UL listed maybe in the last 1.5 years, so not that long ago. Maybe that's why this is the first year they offered it to us - because UL listed designation is relatively new for this switch and I suspect they did their own checkout of it first.

When I was checking this out, it was mentioned that this is portable since it's not wired. I can have our utility company remove it and take with me to a new residence or leave it here as part of a selling point for this house. Your post makes it clear that before I'd pay to have it removed I'd have to make sure any new location would even allow install of this type switch.

 

[wdchyd]

Financegal,

How does the Generlink differ from these......Reliance Controls 31406CRK - Power Transfer Kit for Portable Generator

Less than $300 (includes everything w/ cord) and DIY install......:thumbsup:

 

[aczlan]

Financegal,
How does the Generlink differ from these......<snip/>
Less than $300 (includes everything w/ cord) and DIY install......:thumbsup:

The generlink goes under your meter. Thus no other rewiring is needed.

Aaron Z

 

[Travelover]

The generlink goes under your meter. Thus no other rewiring is needed.

Aaron Z

Right, it just plugs in between the meter and the box - very clean. At those prices, there has to be a heck of a profit margin.

 

[wdchyd]

Ok, I see......http://www.generlink.com/documents/Generlink-Your_Path_to_Power.pdf

They say how there is no need for "Hazardous extension cords, Expensive installation of a transfer switch, no more dangerous backfeed"

With my Tranfer switch I have "No Hazardous extension cords, No Expensive installation of a transfer switch, no more dangerous backfeed"......and $700 in my pocket to buy more attachments for my tractor.....:laughing::laughing:

My question would be if you use one of these couldn't you potentially overload your generator if no one controls what gets turned on for load output?.....My Trans switch has load meters to show gen output and allows me to choose what does not get turned on in the house.....

 

[Financegal]

Just got a Generlink thru the electric company. Sent one of their electricians who turned off the power to my home, pulled my meter, tightened down a wire from the new switch and popped it into the space the meter was. The front of the new switch is hollow with corresponding holes that your meter plugs into and he then closed up the outside panel. There is no visible change to your home other than the meter now protrudes out about 5" more than it did before. It has a covered plug underneath to connect your generator. Install, tested it with my generator, figured out what I can and can't use together and he was gone in under an hour. No cutting into drywall or wiring required.

In an outage I flip all the circuits in the breaker box to OFF, connect the generator to the switch and crank it up. The main difference is I now have full access to all the circuits in breaker box as long as they do not overload the generator. The electrician determined which circuits I can work, what combo might overload the generator based on my house configuration and size generator. Some circuits I can never use because they are just too big a power draw. With my 7000 watt continuous run generator and with a propane furnace and hot water heater I can run the furnace and have hot water - I have use all the circuits in my breaker box except the dryer, central air and the stove. I have well for water and it'll handle the pump for that that too.

The switch itself is great but more expensive than traditional ones. Electric company provided the switch, a generator cord, and the electrician to install at a cost of $1000. That's the cost for a switch that will sustain a generator up to 7500 watts. Ones for more wattage generators are more.

 

[Financegal]

wdchyd - yes with a Generlink you have to monitor and control your loads on your own. The electrician figured all that out for me but I am pretty lucky - with a propane furnace and hot water heater, there are few things that are off limits. I told him in an outage I won't be running the dishwasher or washing clothes so to leave those out of the equation to make it easier on me.

I drew up a layout of the circuit panel with the electrician and I shaded in red what I can never use (for me its dryer, A/C and stove). My house is large but with the 7000 watt generator its pretty simple - if I turn off my well pump when there's water in the tank, I can run most everything else in the house at once (but the 3 above). Everything else will never be running at once anyhow - they don't now when the power is working. I agree with you, it was expensive but if there's another storm like last year, the cost is totally worth it to me. Last year with no switch, we ran out of water after 2 days - we were able to get out at that point and head to my brother's home but my biggest fear was the pipes freezing while we were gone.

 

[wdchyd]

That's a nice setup......:thumbsup: