Transfer Switch

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by kckndrgn, Jan 4, 2008.


  1. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Ok monkey's I would like to get your opinion. I've got a portable generator at the house and I'm not real keen on the idea of running extension cords for everything in the house. I would like to get a transfer switch. Since I have a portable genny, I'll go with the manual switch.

    Now, my local HD has this:
    http://www.connecticut-electric.com/media/EGSCutSheet.pdf

    Specifically the model 10-7501HRKIT

    Here is the owners manual and installation directions
    http://www.connecticut-electric.com/media/EGSownermanual.pdf

    At HD this kit is $300.00. I would say that this is a good investment as when I sell the house I'm in I could easily remove the switch and take it with me, and I would be able to do the installation myself.

    What is your input on this switch?

    Thanks
     
  2. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    I would do it, and check with your electrical codes to see if it has to be hard wired or not.
    Great device to keep back surge from happening, and a great way to isolate circuits for power.
    Also you able to keep the noise down near part of your house while running the gen.
     
  3. sniper-66

    sniper-66 Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    You might ought to call you electrical company and ask them. They will be more than glad to provide you information about what is needed. Where I live, it is your legal responsibility to put one in if you use a generator and my company sent me the schematics on how to install and to what standard. Check with them to make sure what you put in meets their standard.
     
  4. Blackjack

    Blackjack Monkey+++

    As long as there isn't a regulatory issue, I think it's a no braineer. Great idea.

    Just curious... how big is your gen?
     
  5. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    One thing worth thinking about is what loads you regard as critical and those you can do without. It is relatively easy to put all the critical loads into their own breaker box and feed that from the gennie thru the transfer switch. Also, doing that will eliminate having to go around the house switching the non critical loads off to avoid overloading the gennie if it is not sized for the whole house. Once you have the critical loads isolated, you can size the gennie appropriately, and not spend more on the machine than you need to.
     
  6. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    My dad dose his with a home made cord. He got some heavy 220 wire and put the plug on one end that goes into the geni and the other end plugs into a heavy 220 outlet in the garage. He throws the master breaker in the box so the house is isolated from the grid then plugs in both ends of the cord and starts the generator and flips off the circuts he dosent need. It makes it easier to install and no issue if you want to use it on another house or whatever.
     
  7. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    I use monkeymans solution so I didn't have to only select a few circuits to wire to the T-Switch.
    I know it's a little hillbilly but I like having both sides of my panel running along with my 240V well Pump. I first turn every breaker off as well as the main. Then after plugging the genie into the outlet in the shop, I turn on the circuits I want to run.

    Unless it was an automated system, I wouldn't go to the trouble IMHO
     
  8. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    Built-In Wattage Meters are nice to have to permit load balancing to avoid impeding your Generators Performance.
    When deciding on a generator calculate start up of appliances. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com[​IMG]
     
  9. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    You are 100% right. A transfer switch is the way to go. You only have the critical items in the house connected that need to be powered and most important, you only provide power to the items that your gen can handle counting the surge current. Another safety feature is that you have 2 breakers that disconnect your gen power from the main line.
     
  10. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    Just a word of warning: I had a property that when you threw the main breaker, one side of the line was still connected!!! Yes, it was a defective breaker, but just wanted to let your dad, you and anyone else know so you might think about using 2 breakers to make sure you are really disconnected off the main line.
     
  11. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    A backup to the backup. That makes sense.
    In my panel, I know what I want on and off.
     
  12. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I will not do the "back feed" thing with my current setup. In my panel I have a "main" breaker, that only kills the 120 stuff. All the 240 stuff is still hot, ask me how I know taser1 I really don't like my breaker box, and at some point I would like to pull it and install a new one (I know an electrician who will help me with it to keep costs down). One problem I have is finding replacement breakers, for some reason most of the ones sold at the big home improvement stores don't fit.

    Anyway, with the way the switch installs that I'm looking at, I could easily remove it when we sell the house and take it with me, a big plus in my book.

    As far as the genny size, it's a 5550 watts running, with 8550 starting. Big enough for now, and with the switch in place we'd have the ability to "cut" areas of the house we were not using.

    Thanks for all the input.
     
  13. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Yeah, I know, the nanny state strikes here, too, but just in case there are some around without knowing: It is really bad juju to forget opening the main breaker before when you start the gennie. If you can't find the breaker, pull the meter off it's base, just do NOT let the commercial power come back on with the gennie still on line. That's how things burn.

    My humble apologies for stating the obvious. Don't run with scissors, either.
     
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