Interlock vs. throwing the main circuit breaker for generator powering a house

[ultrarunner]

Hard to pull meters here in the city... they are often key locked or require a special mandrel... the days of the lead seal are long over.

Also... tens of thousands of homes here also have split main. What this means is there in no one breaker to flip to cut power... since I manage property for many years I can attest few people can reset a circuit breaker or light a pilot light... at least in my tenant pool...

 

[Industrial Toys]

How are you expected to shut down your neighbors loud party, if you can't pull the meter?

 

[ultrarunner]

Thankfully that time has passed...

Where I am now I am the kid!

(And no, I didn't move to a retirement community)

Neighbor to the left is 103 and her boyfriend of 25 years is 86... neighbor across the street is 98 still drives and plays golf every week...

Hoping it bodes well for longevity...

Venture to say I own the only generators around...

When I was away... my 92 year old neighbor got out my generator and strung power cords to 4 homes for the refrigerators/freezers... it was hot August and the old Honda EM5000 never missed a beat.

 

[grsthegreat]

Of the generator痴 neutral is bonded . The transfer switch is supposed to switch the neutral to avoid running current through the ground system .

Nope. Im an electrical contractor ...35 years now..l and doing nothing but generator installs now. Residential generators are not separately derived systems, at least commercial units arnt... not sure about old military diesel units. Generac, onan, cummns, kohler transfer switched DO NOT switch the neutrals. There is an available neutral switching kit available, but its limited to 30 amp service. Never used one and im not sure why i would need to. The N.E.C. Does not require switching unless its separately derived unit like the huge commercial units are.

 

[buickanddeere]

Afraid you are mistaken about this.

. Please do tell us when the neutral is switched and when it is not .With an explanation.

 

[ultrarunner]

My Hospital 3 phase 480v Standby units do not switch neutral...

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was told never to switch neutral. If that neutral part of the switch failed, you would get all kinds of odd voltages on your two legs, depending on loads.

 

[buickanddeere]

I agree.....none of us are "infallible"!

That said: I do not have a transfer switch, and do not intend to get one!

I spent 39 years, and 30,000+ hours flying around the world in many types of aircraft without foolproof interlocks.
We used checklists for EVERYTHING!
I have a small handwritten checklist attached to my service entrance panel main breaker, and another attached to my my generator starter button.
I suppose if I forgot how to read, or became blind, it could become dangerous.

Before you ask.....I have not had a wife for 20+ years!

Aircraft are designed as much as possible to 吐ail safe? No shame in making your gen set connection 擢ail safe ?

 

[ultrarunner]

The 1920 homes with original wiring switched both neutral and line... and this is one of the reasons many upgrade so the main doesn't disconnect neutral.

Worked on a lot of these homes and both neutral and line are fused.

 

[buickanddeere]

I used to run a pto set, shut off the main switch, open a 200 amp splitter box and clamp on some booster cable size clamps to the lugs. I was always worried, a clamp would jump off but it never did.

There are all kinds of things you can do in an emergency, but really one should make proper provisions. My Lady friends new house has a welding recept. in the garage, I have been eying, in case she needs my little Yanmar 3.7 some day. It has an unused neutral. I would probably put a pad lock on the main panel if I back fed it.

Welding receptacle does not use a neutral . As for running neutral current through the ground system ? This is where faults such as opens and high resistance connections cause dangerous high and unbalanced voltages , one equipment that is supposed to be at earth potential.