interlock switch for generator backfeeding panel

[MossRoad]

How will you connect your indicator into live wires ahead of your main disconnect which gets shut off when the generator runs? And how will you disconnect it or fuse it if it needs to turn off?

Don't know about his situation, but here, code says the main disconnect has to be a short distance from the meter. Can't remember the exact distance, but I recall it being about 10' or less. That disconnect is the MAIN panel, and everything after it has to be wired as a sub-panel. So what many people call their MAIN panel, is not really their MAIN panel at all.

If that's the case, it would be very easy to shut off the main disconnect at or near the meter, then wire in an indicator on the hot side in the panel that has the generator stuff in it. Or run a small wire up to a plate in a kitchen wall, or by the back door, etc, and put the indicator there for easy viewing.

 

[DieselBound]

My local electrical utility is fantastic (public, not-for-profit). They've got an "outage" map and they're very prompt about keeping it up to date. If they show they've resolved the problem for my area I KNOW that the power is available again. I can also, as others have stated, just look around to see if neighbors (not on generators) have lights (easier at night!). Not a big deal to run on my generator as it just sips fuel (7.5kW diesel): our electrical loads are pretty low.

 

[Everhard]

Check with your electrical provider - mine sends me text updates, I think I signed up for that but it's been so long I don't even remember doing it now! Anyway they text as soon as there's a problem that could be impacting my service, text with update on expected repair time and text when it's considered fixed to which I have the option to text back if it actually isn't fixed...

E.

 

[cqaigy2]

I look outside. I can see about 30-40 houses. If their lights come on, my power is back. Doesn't work in the daytime, though.

When i look outside, i see stars and the moon sometimes if it's not cloudy, sometimes i can hear a generator or two way off in the distance. Daytime i see trees.

 

[LouNY]

Don't know about his situation, but here, code says the main disconnect has to be a short distance from the meter. Can't remember the exact distance, but I recall it being about 10' or less. That disconnect is the MAIN panel, and everything after it has to be wired as a sub-panel. So what many people call their MAIN panel, is not really their MAIN panel at all.

If that's the case, it would be very easy to shut off the main disconnect at or near the meter, then wire in an indicator on the hot side in the panel that has the generator stuff in it. Or run a small wire up to a plate in a kitchen wall, or by the back door, etc, and put the indicator there for easy viewing.

Originally my meterbase was 70 feet from the road, and about 600 feet from the house. Last year the neutral bar had rotted out of it and my power was getting flaky and behaving weirdly. After checking out everything at my house and shop panels I called the utility company and their man found the issue in the meterbase.
When this system was installed it did not require a disconnect close to the meter, the the only disconnect was my main breaker in my first panel.
When we replaced the meterbase current code here requires the disconnect to be a part of the meterbase. The original meterbase did have a ground rod which was utilized with the new one, so now my system has the potential to have a ground loop issue as it is grounded at the meter and at my main panel.
When my power is out my choices are pull the cover off my main panel and check with a meter on my panel main breaker or use a wired in or on device. My neighbors are not visible and it's a pain to go look at my meterbase also.
To make it even better my UTV has difficultly getting to my meterbase location.

 

[MossRoad]

When i look outside, i see stars and the moon sometimes if it's not cloudy, sometimes i can hear a generator or two way off in the distance. Daytime i see trees.

I can stand in my kitchen doing dishes and wave at my neighbor standing in his kitchen doing his dishes.

We can step out our back doors and have a conversation at normal levels across the driveways.

We frequently talk with the neighbor lady on the other side just over the fence. If we're in our pool floating around and she's sitting on her back porch, we wave at each other and ask how you doing today?

I'm friends with the cop that lives across the street and we meet at the mailboxes or wave at each other almost daily.

My mechanic lives next door to him and we wave every evening as he and his family take their evening walk.

I like living in a neighborhood where folks acknowledge each other on a daily basis and socialize.

 

[MossRoad]

Originally my meterbase was 70 feet from the road, and about 600 feet from the house. Last year the neutral bar had rotted out of it and my power was getting flaky and behaving weirdly. After checking out everything at my house and shop panels I called the utility company and their man found the issue in the meterbase.
When this system was installed it did not require a disconnect close to the meter, the the only disconnect was my main breaker in my first panel.
When we replaced the meterbase current code here requires the disconnect to be a part of the meterbase. The original meterbase did have a ground rod which was utilized with the new one, so now my system has the potential to have a ground loop issue as it is grounded at the meter and at my main panel.
When my power is out my choices are pull the cover off my main panel and check with a meter on my panel main breaker or use a wired in or on device. My neighbors are not visible and it's a pain to go look at my meterbase also.
To make it even better my UTV has difficultly getting to my meterbase location.

Yep. So pull the disconnect under the meter. That kills your power in your panels. Wire an indicator into your panel(s) on the service side before any generator transfer switch. Then restore the disconnect.

On the subject of service disconnects, once you have that disconnect at the meter, any panel after that would be considered a sub-panel, and should have an isolated neutral. A ground wire should return to the ground at the disconnect. I was required to put another ground rod at my house sub-panel and at the sub-panel in the garage as well.

 

[GeneV]

How will you connect your indicator into live wires ahead of your main disconnect which gets shut off when the generator runs? And how will you disconnect it or fuse it if it needs to turn off?

Yeh, with all the talk about the indicator light for the main, that's what I was wondering as well.

Anyways around here, I'm in the outer Chicago burbs, but it's still metro areas so ComEd gets on it pretty fast. Within an hour, they usually have it evaluated and notify if it's a prolonged outage....usually not.

Very rarely do I have to bust out the generator, so I could live with checking if the power is back on by flipping a few breakers.

 

[cqaigy2]

Yep. So pull the disconnect under the meter. That kills your power in your panels. Wire an indicator into your panel(s) on the service side before any generator transfer switch. Then restore the disconnect.

On the subject of service disconnects, once you have that disconnect at the meter, any panel after that would be considered a sub-panel, and should have an isolated neutral. A ground wire should return to the ground at the disconnect. I was required to put another ground rod at my house sub-panel and at the sub-panel in the garage as well.

I re-energized the service where my parents had their modular home and ran power from it to a subpanel in our well house. It didn't pass inspection, i had to add a wire between the panel grounds in both panel. Both locations still had their ground rods too. I'd imagine that would help reduce ground voltage differences.

 

[GeneV]

I'm using an interlock as well. For various reasons (one being that I'm electrically illiterate, the other that I'm always wanting to know and learn) I delved into everything related to wiring up a generator in such a fashion. My electrician, who I was working with to wire my then new garage, looked at me in a puzzled fashion when I mentioned how the generator needed to be wired. After I explained it to him he nodded his head and said "yeah." Anyway... Generators wired such as this (in to the panel) are power "sources" and one doesn't bond the neutral to the generator's frame (or combing with the ground wire) as often is the case with a generator that is a "standalone." The neutral needs to "float"- it gets connected to the neutral in the panel.

I see the requisite wires in the OP's pics, but no idea how the generator is plumbed/wired.

I don't want to say how many plugs I went through before getting the right one! Had an issue with a correct one and broke down and got a Hubbell: after stripping a connector on the first non-Hubbell I found that the Hubbells are FAR superior and that I'd been best off shelling out more in the first place!

Yeh, I mentioned before I got a bonded neutral on the generator, I gotta convert to float. Your panel is already bonded (unless you're looking to backfeed a subpanel, those usually aren't), so a bonded neutral on the generator backfeeding it ain't gonna work out.

Diesel, if you're gonna use that generator for other stuff, just make sure to build or buy a bonded neutral plug. Basically it's just a plug (w/o a cord) with the neutral terminal connected to the ground terminal in it...so you just plug that into whatever outlet in the generator and now it's bonded neutral again and safe to use. When you're gonna use it to backfeed your panel, you just unplug that plug first.

Like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F4R7BD...&colid=TJYU61LC7LU&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it