generator whole house transfer switch

[techman]

Look at: Generator InterLock Kit

This is an inexpensive option.

paul

 

[RonMar]

Look at: Generator InterLock Kit

This is an inexpensive option.

paul

Well $149 for a sliding plate seems a little steep, but there is your inexpensive UL approved, do-it-yourself option to convert your existing panel to safely be backfed from the generator...

 

[MossRoad]

You also need to buy a 2 pole breaker, it appears, but really, for $149.00 plus a breaker, that's a cheap, easy, legal and safe way to do it.

I always suggest that when someone is having electrical work done to the house that requires the meter to be pulled, it is a good time to have a disconnect installed between the meter and the main breaker panel if there isn't one already. That disconnect is a great thing to have if you need to work on your system. Just disconnect it, padle lock it in the off position, and you can then work on your main panel safely. It is a great addition and pretty inexpensive safety device.

 

[BigE_]

I agree, the Generator Interlock kit looks quick and easy. However, the big question that comes up in my mind is how do you figure out that the power has come back on? From the looks of it, you'd have to turn off the generator power and try the main power every once a while until you determine the power comes back on.

Yeah, it's cheap, works in a pinch, and much better than going without power, but I think I'd pay more money for a better method.

I guess you could put an indicator light on the side above the main breaker, but you'd have to wire it hot.

I lose power at my place once or twice a year, never longer than a day or two. Usually just about the time the water pressure goes to zero the power comes back on.

Other than water (or lack thereof), I can get by without power in the winter for quite a while, at least until the stuff in the deep freeze starts melting.

 

[ragkar]

An advantage of a partial house hookup is that you can plug a loud radio in an unpowered outlet. When power comes back, the radio turns on.

 

[MossRoad]

...the big question that comes up in my mind is how do you figure out that the power has come back on?

When the neighbors stop asking you for cold beer, their power has probably returned.

 

[coobie]

If you want to do the whole house you will have to cut the power to the main panel. This will involve either removing the meter from the meterbase, (most juridictions will require a licensed electrician to do this and the power company to be present and cut the tag) or if you are lucky enough to have main breaker outside at the meterbase, you can turn it off. That being said, if you do not install it properly you can cause serious injury to yourself and others. If you put a subpanel in and wire that for emergency, that would be an easier and more safe project.

You bring up some VERY GOOD points here.Being a electric lineman I have seen some real cobble jobs on Gen. installs,some have back fed our powerlines almost causing injury.If it were me I would hire a state licensed electrician.Better safe than sorry to save a few bucks IMHO.coobie

 

[timwil]

I did by the info that came with it. wan't to hard and no fires yet.

 

[redjr]

Really, all you need is an on-off-on switch with a 200 amp rating. What this does is feed grid power out of your meter to your home when in the first ON postition. When you move it to the OFF position no power is fed to your home. When you move it to the other ON position, you can feed your home from a different source, like a generator. You can manage the circuits from you breaker panel. Since we are not supposed to link to e-bay items from TBN, I suggest you go to E-bay and search for a GE transfer switch. If you plug in TC10324R to their search you will see one.

I know this is an old thread, but this is exactly what I want to do. I want to go out of main panel (after the circuit breaker) to the x-fer switch and back into the main panel so that all the circuits can be managed from my main panel. I don't want to have to permanently rewire only those circuits I want to use into another panel, but simply switch off the circuits in the main panel that I don't need. According to your reply this is possible. I suspect the transfer switch has to be wired behind the meter, but ahead of the main panel. Yes? If not, can it somehow be wired from inside the main panel, but behind the mains breaker. Wouldn't that achieve the same thing? I'm not sure if that's possible, but then I'm not an electrician by trade. How costly is it to have the utility company come and remove the meter if that's required?

I have a portable 8700watt generator that has I believe 2, 30amp jacks and a couple lower current ones too. Can you use a portable gen. like this with this kind of transfer switch?

redjr

 

[mark02tj]

Check out this thread starting with post 48. It talks about what you want to do.

Also, this current thread has some good information in it too. To answer your last question, yes you can do this sort of thing with your portable generator. You will need a manual transfer switch though, or an "interlock" kit (described in this thread as well as the one I linked to).