Howdy,Okay...so this area is outside of my "comfort zone" but not really out of my skill level.
I have a question regarding the "transfer switches" and lockouts etc. If I want to install/have installed a whole-home generator and I happen to already have a brand new unused 2nd entire 200A breaker box, could I use the breaker box as the "transfer switch" somehow?
I understand I will need to lockout the utility line when I power up the house, but I'm trying to come up with a fiscally responsible solution using stuff I already have.
Howdy,
If you look over the choices.... a 2nd panel really does not help anywhere. New construction? or existing construction?
It really depends on the size of the generator. A lot of the large generators will come with a automatic transfer switch. If you are doing the generator yourself, then a interlock might work for you. Manually shutting off your main breaker, moving slide lock, turning on your generator circuit breaker, firing up your generator.
Thanks. This would be for existing construction. The more I thought I about it, the more I realized what you said: the extra panel really doesn't help.
I would do the installation myself along with some family that are licensed electricians.
I'm looking for something to run our entire house and the entire system needs to be very easy to operate, all while not going overboard on generator size. Though I could certainly handle manual switches/lockouts my wife would have zero interest in dealing with such things...let alone starting a gennie. So I'm going to end up getting an automatic universal transfer switch and a generator that fires up automatically too. The house is mostly run on natural gas, with only a few electric appliances: A/C, refrigerator, deep freezer, microwave, dish washer, clothes washer. We also have to run our 2 sumps, the well pump and the septic with an aerator. I'd guess if I want to run every single thing in the house, I'm probably looking at a 15-17kw unit.