# Portable Generator & transfer switch



## basswidow (Jan 6, 2012)

Finally bit the bullet and bought a portable generator for power outages.  

Now,  I can just run extension cords to what I want (Frig, etc) ,  but my main reason for having it is for my well pump so we can have water and that is hard wired.  

So I'm  looking into a transfer switch and having an electrician come out and this will cost more than what I paid for the generator.  ARG!

Or maybe I can have the well rewired to an outlet?  Might be cheaper?

Anybody have experience putting in a transfer switch and recepticle for a portable generator?  Any tips or advice?


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## oldspark (Jan 6, 2012)

What did you have in mind, a double throw disconnect shuld not be all the expensive if you install it your self, how hard it is to install denpends on your set up. Putting a outlet on your well would be easy, mine is.


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## Bad Wolf (Jan 6, 2012)

Try this 
http://www.interlockkit.com/
$150 and its a fairly simple install. Another $100 or so for an inlet box and breakers and Bob's your uncle.


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## semipro (Jan 6, 2012)

One thing you may want to check first is whether your generator has the capacity to run your well pump.  The startup current required by the pump is significantly higher than that needed for constant operation.  I underestimated that when I bought a generator and am now not sure mine will run my well pump.


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## Gary_602z (Jan 6, 2012)

Semipro said:
			
		

> One thing you may want to check first is whether your generator has the capacity to run your well pump.  The startup current required by the pump is significantly higher than that needed for constant operation.  I underestimated that when I bought a generator and am now not sure mine will run my well pump.



Yep!

Gary


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## Morgan (Jan 7, 2012)

I have a 3500watt generator and a 1/2HP submersible pump, startup surge is pretty bad on my generator, in fact I leave the breaker for my pump off and only turn it on when I want to charge the pressure tank, making sure all other appliances/electronics are off (lights I leave on).  My pressure tank holds enough to flush the toilet a few times and grab some water every now and then.  Kind of a pain, but manageable and this little Makita generator (old, but runs great) seems top just sip gas.  $15-20 of gas and it will run for a full day+, much better mileage (for lack of a better term at the moment) than my old 5000w Coleman generator


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## begreen (Jan 7, 2012)

Gary_602z said:
			
		

> Semipro said:
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And determine whether the pump is 120 or 240v. Almost all small generators are 120V.


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## oldspark (Jan 7, 2012)

Since evereyone thinks you might have bought too small a gen., how big did you buy, I bought one and it was plenty big to run my well and the whole farm so it is possible to know what you are doing. Sometimes this site seems so negative.


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## Morgan (Jan 7, 2012)

Maybe a little negative but still, water pumps are high on surge wattage, 1/2 horsepower submersible pump can easily pull 5000-6000watts+ on startup, if you are running other electronics this voltage drop can be hazardous if your maxing out your genset, and it won't show up right away, it will show up as premature failure at the most inconvenient time.  Bigger gensets burn more fuel though so try to find a happy medium, my setup can be a pain but works great when paying attention.  Fuel usage is more than acceptable compared to the larger genset I was running before.


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## Morgan (Jan 7, 2012)

Guess I should mention you can also get "soft start" pumps, instead of "slamming" on like a regular pump, they slowly ramp up to speed, these pumps cost more to buy but are much much easier on generators, unfortunately I do not have one...


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## semipro (Jan 7, 2012)

oldspark said:
			
		

> Since evereyone thinks you might have bought too small a gen., how big did you buy, I bought one and it was plenty big to run my well and the whole farm so it is possible to know what you are doing. Sometimes this site seems so negative.



Edit: Yeah, sometimes.  

[del]I'm just cautioning Basswidow not make make the same mistake I may have made and then further compound it by buying and installing a transfer switch for a generator that won't do what's needed.  I wish someone would have warned me.  I could have returned the generator and bought a larger one. 

[del]I hardly see that as negative[/del].[/del]


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## oldspark (Jan 7, 2012)

I guess I was giving him credit for buying the right size.


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## wetwood (Jan 7, 2012)

Would also be good to know what kind of pump at the well. My well has a 1 hp 220v jet pump. I have a 6500/7500 surge generator that handles it just fine.


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## willworkforwood (Jan 7, 2012)

RANT ON - It's irritating when someone posts a question, and then isn't following-up in a timely manner on the answers that are coming in.  People are spending their time to try to help out, and the OP should make him/herself available to respond and clarify if necessary.  In this thread, some of the good folks here didn't end their day well yesterday, and a reply from the OP could have avoided all of those replies based on speculation.  Sure, everyone gets busy with other things; but why not just wait until you will definitely have the time to reply before posting a question? - RANT OFF.  
I've posted in other generator threads on Hearth, but just would like to reiterate one thing.   I've had a number of things happen with my genset which leads me to suspect that the "dirty" power produced by these non-inverters is probably having a negative effect on some of the things being powered.  My very sensitive Wood boiler controller doesn't want anything to do with it (variable speed fan oscillation), and the microwave runs differently, and (if on), changes the sound pitch of the oil burner motor.  After noticing that, I try to run the microwave with nothing other than lights drawing.  This is not a case of insufficient wattage or motor start-up issues - the meters on my transfer switch show that usage, is always way under capacity, and the balance is also very good.  Sometime soon, I'm going to borrow another similar sized genset to see if the HD on another unit might be better (no AVR adjustment on mine).  So just a word of advice to be aware of any differences in operation or sound of what you are powering - might be better to avoid using a particular device if there's any question, or run it standalone if possible.


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## heat seeker (Jan 7, 2012)

+1 on the rant - I agree wholeheartedly!


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## amellefson (Jan 7, 2012)

willworkforwood said:
			
		

> RANT ON - It's irritating when someone posts a question, and then isn't following-up in a timely manner on the answers that are coming in.  People are spending their time to try to help out, and the OP should make him/herself available to respond and clarify if necessary.  In this thread, some of the good folks here didn't end their day well yesterday, and a reply from the OP could have avoided all of those replies based on speculation.  Sure, everyone gets busy with other things; but why not just wait until you will definitely have the time to reply before posting a question? - RANT OFF.
> I've posted in other generator threads on Hearth, but just would like to reiterate one thing.   I've had a number of things happen with my genset which leads me to suspect that the "dirty" power produced by these non-inverters is probably having a negative effect on some of the things being powered.  My very sensitive Wood boiler controller doesn't want anything to do with it (variable speed fan oscillation), and the microwave runs differently, and (if on), changes the sound pitch of the oil burner motor.  After noticing that, I try to run the microwave with nothing other than lights drawing.  This is not a case of insufficient wattage or motor start-up issues - the meters on my transfer switch show that usage, is always way under capacity, and the balance is also very good.  Sometime soon, I'm going to borrow another similar sized genset to see if the HD on another unit might be better (no AVR adjustment on mine).  So just a word of advice to be aware of any differences in operation or sound of what you are powering - might be better to avoid using a particular device if there's any question, or run it standalone if possible.



I have wired pull behind gensets on jobsites in the past.  Many of those have all types of adjustments, one of them being hertz (Hz).   I know that smaller ones don't have that, but that may be your problem.

PS is your genset grounded properly?

Tony


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## SlyFerret (Jan 7, 2012)

Wow...  wound a little tight tonight!

A sign that some relaxation by the fire is n order.  STAT!!

-SF


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## carbon neutral (Jan 7, 2012)

I put in a interlock.  I gave up with running extension cords everywhere and had the same problem with a hard wired well pump.  Many load center manufacturers sell interlocks for their load centers.  My load center is a GE power mark, the interlock kit was only $40.  So easy now, start the generator flip two breakers and the whole house is powered up.  My wife said "that is so cool" when I showed her how to put the generator online, she was right.


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## semipro (Jan 7, 2012)

willworkforwood said:
			
		

> ... some of the good folks here didn't end their day well yesterday, and a reply from the OP could have avoided all of those replies based on speculation.



Ah it wasn't that bad.  I know OldSpark from other posts in the Ash Can and elsewhere and he's a good guy.  I just couldn't let his comment go without fightin back a little.

I think it shows you just how classy Hearth is when you see that trying to help someone avoid pitfalls is considered "negative".  This is not a dig on OldSpark or anyone else.  Its just that what's "negative" on many boards would be considered totally unacceptable here.  

That's one of the reasons this is my favorite board.


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## SlyFerret (Jan 8, 2012)

I think I am going to use one of those interlock plates.  Very cool!

It will save a bundle, considering how rarely we usually would need the generator.  Simple is good.

-SF


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## willworkforwood (Jan 8, 2012)

QuadForLife said:
			
		

> I have wired pull behind gensets on jobsites in the past.  Many of those have all types of adjustments, one of them being hertz (Hz).   I know that smaller ones don't have that, but that may be your problem.
> PS is your genset grounded properly?
> Tony


My Kill-A-watt shows hz to always be 60.0, the voltage is very good, and the unit is grounded properly. And it basically does a very good job running most of the things that we need during an outage.  I've done some research on these things, and at this point I believe it's the nature of the beast.  Most of the reasonably good quality, non-inverter gensets in the 5500/8500 group will do a good job powering MOST things.  But, they all produce a distorted sine wave that  may show up in various ways.  The WB controller goes nuts from the genset, and the microwave definitely runs differently.  Neither one of these ever blink running on line feed.  But the computer and TVs run fine with the gen (as far as I can tell), and the deep well pump which needs 6600W startup, also appears to be fine.  That being said, all of our electronics are fairly old, and it wouldn't be a big deal if something got fried.  But, I would never run an expensive plasma, or anything else costing big $$ to replace.  I would really like to find a comprehensive study of the short and long term effects of the non-inverter gensets on the various household products.  Don't know if anything like that has ever been done.  The good news is that we rarely lose power, so the long-term effect is likely to be nil.


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## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

Semipro said:
			
		

> willworkforwood said:
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 Hell I might be the negative one. :lol:


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## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

willworkforwood said:
			
		

> QuadForLife said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 My cheap gen. runs everthing just fine, I have never heard of too many people having trouble with the cheaper gen. except on this forum, all sorts of people run these gens here in the midwest with very few or no problems what so ever. The sine waves on a gen are not that bad and they are a true sine wave. If I bought a gen. and it did not run my microwave correctly its going back to the store.


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## wetwood (Jan 8, 2012)

We have a 100-amp manual transfer switch on the pole along with a breaker box where I could turn off the well pump if needed. At the well house the pump is wired into another breaker box with an external throw lever. That said we have never had to shut off the well pump when running the house. It just takes common sense to not be running a lot of stuff when someone is in the shower or washing dishes and we never use the range or clothes dryer when on generator power. Our 6500/7500w generator was only $450. In the last 5 years we have been without power for over 3 weeks. That cheap generator has ran our plasma TV, Denon home theater system, all the family's computers and the appliances just fine. Not all at the same time of course.


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## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

willworkforwood-I know you said the kill-a-watt reads 60hz all the time but that is the biggest problem with a regular gen., its usually when there is a heavy load on the gen and its load varies and drops the hz for a short period of time, I run everything on my place and never had a problem and this includes a 3/4 horse well pump motor. I used the computer several times with no problem, maybe I was just lucky. I do have a 7500 peak I believe and the only time the load varied was when the well kicked on.


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## drewboy (Jan 8, 2012)

Another question related to this thread- how do you guys ground your gensets properly? I previously used a threaded steel rod pounded into the ground about 2 feet deep connected to the genset ground with a heavy gauge jumper cable. Does that sound acceptable? The only thing I've ever had to use our generator for has been to brew a pot of coffee a few years back during an ice storm...it just sits waiting for a substantial power outage.

Rob


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## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

This covers what is needed and what is not for the most part.
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/grounding_port_generator.pdf


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## willworkforwood (Jan 8, 2012)

oldspark said:
			
		

> willworkforwood-I know you said the kill-a-watt reads 60hz all the time but that is the biggest problem with a regular gen., its usually when there is a heavy load on the gen and its load varies and drops the hz for a short period of time, I run everything on my place and never had a problem and this includes a 3/4 horse well pump motor. I used the computer several times with no problem, maybe I was just lucky. I do have a 7500 peak I believe and the only time the load varied was when the well kicked on.


The first time I tried the WB and saw the fan oscillation, I also though it was a loading issue.  But after flipping all of the other breakers, it still ran the same way, even with no other load on the gen.  Same for the microwave.  Even with no other load, it runs with slightly reduced output.  And then whith the microwave on, the oil burner motor changes pitch.  None of these things happen with line power.  In reading about this, it sounds like most of the units similar to the one I have (B&S 5500/8500), and in the same general price category (1K and less), have enough harmonic distortion to cause these things to happen.  If I ever have the opportunity, I'll try one of the Honda-powered brushless gensets, which claim to have much less HD.  But that's just for giggles, because there is no way I'm going to actually buy one of these for 2-3K.  Everything else runs fine with the B&S, and for the very few outages we have, the WB gets to take a break.  I'm not saying that anyone is going to have a problem using their generator - I'm only relating what I've seen with mine, and folks can take it FWIW.


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## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

I think your gen has a problem, I really do.


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## 72Rover (Jan 9, 2012)

Greg H said:
			
		

> Try this
> http://www.interlockkit.com/
> $150 and its a fairly simple install. Another $100 or so for an inlet box and breakers and Bob's your uncle.



Thanks!  That's _exactly_ what I've been looking for!  All the other ways that I've researched were way more expensive and took a whole lot more work.

I've got a 13 horse, 8kw, tri-fuel generator that will run on petrol, propane or natural gas....  It's nice not to have to fuel the thing every couple of hours.  Now to get rid of the bloody extension cords....

Cheers


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## Bad Wolf (Jan 9, 2012)

72Rover, is that like a series III 72 Rover?
I've got you by 4 years.
'68 IIa bugeye 88"


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## 72Rover (Jan 9, 2012)

Yup...owned it since new!  (It'll turn 40 this May and it is my daily driver.)  Had one to drive in Africa with the Peace Corps, but I had this one first.

Been to any the the rallies?  I've got a few friends in CT with Rovers, too....

Cheers


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## Bad Wolf (Jan 9, 2012)

There's a British by the Sea in June with a fairly good LR showing.  I'm in the SE corner of the State and know a few folks. Mostly I hang out on the GunsnRovers site.


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## pen (Jan 9, 2012)

sooooooo, 3 pages long, we haven't heard from basswidow since post #1 and we are nowhere near generator hook-ups.

Basswidow, you around or did you get electricuted?  

pen


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## 72Rover (Jan 9, 2012)

Greg H said:
			
		

> Mostly I hang out on the GunsnRovers site.



Small world...I use the same 'handle' over there as well....

Cheers


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## basswidow (Jan 10, 2012)

pen said:
			
		

> sooooooo, 3 pages long, we haven't heard from basswidow since post #1 and we are nowhere near generator hook-ups.
> 
> Basswidow, you around or did you get electricuted?
> 
> pen



HA!  

I'm here,  and alittle entertained.  Sorry to all.  I posted this at work,  went home,  got wrapped up in all the wildcard games and chores, and didn't check back in until today.  Plus,  my kids rule the computer at home.  I rarely get any time on it unless I stay up past their bedtime!  

OK,

The generator I got is a Champion from costco:  

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...4&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav;=&s=1


I hope 6500 watts will do for me.  My neighbor said don't go any lower than 7000 watts,  but I am tight on funds.  The house was built 5 years ago and I think there should be room in the panel box for the interlock,  which would be less than a transfer switch.  I like the idea of not having to deal with cords.  I am not under the illusion that this Gen will power my whole house.  I just need something to allow us to run water (pump) and maybe the breaker for the kitchen or TV.  I would flip everthing off except for the bare essentials.  I don't know the size of my well pump. The tank is in the basement and it's not really big.  The wire going down to the well pump is attached to the inlet pipe and to a junction box.  I thought if the interlock and recepticle or transfer switch were too costly,  I could have the pump set up to an outlet cheaper,  so that during an outage,  I could simply unplug it and use an extension cord.  If the pump is 220 - I don't think an extension cord (110) would suffice.  

We lose the power once a year - sometimes more.  This past year we lost it during Irene and the Oct snow for 3 days.  With kids,  no water is a bad situations.  We fill the tub when we know a storm is coming.  It would be so nice to have water and some lights.  I don't fret anything else - because the wood stove keeps us warm and we can always cook on the gas grill.


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## oldspark (Jan 10, 2012)

I think that is the same as mine, even made by the same company but I think mine is 7500 peak and 6500 continueous, runs my acreage fine and only tripped breaker once in over 3 days of running full time, went through a lot of gas though, be nice to have a small one when you dont need to run everthing.


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## oldspark (Jan 10, 2012)

Just checked and mine is 6000 watts and 7500 peak so I think you will be fine.


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## Bad Wolf (Jan 10, 2012)

6,500/8250 should run your house just fine. Your well indeed will be your single biggest draw (short of the dryer or oven). 
I have a 7,550/11,000 watt and I ran everything I needed during Irene. I was out for a week. Once I started the gen, the first thing I turned on was the well pump. You could hear the gen labour slightly as it came on, but then run just fine. After that most of your loads are only going to be a few hundred to a thousand watts. Lights, especially CFL's are only 7-13 watts each so you could run hundreds of them. 
You can get/make a 220 extension cord but it will be expensive, your best bet is the interlock so you can pick and chose what you want to run. 

I like that remote start, wish I had that on mine.


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## basswidow (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks,  I think the interlock is the route I'll have to go.  I will call my township to see if an interlock will pass for them.  Still,  the cord, convience recepticle, breaker/interlock, permit, and electrician is gonna cost me more than the generator.  I think I can do it myself with a homeowner permit, possibly.  Doesn't look too hard.

Oh well,  it is what it is.

The thing I object to is the cost.  $ 150 for a metal plate that attaches to the front of my panel box to keep me from flipping on a breaker to feed in the GEN without throwing the main breaker.  Looks like something I could make myself - it's a total rip off.   I don't mind the cost of the convience outlet, breaker, or cord,  but $ 150 for the interlock devise is rediculous.  Looks like something a high schooler could make in metal shop.


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## semipro (Jan 10, 2012)

I suspect that that generator will handle the pump load easily as long as you don't have a very large pump.  
It figures out to approximately a 35 amps max surge capacity at the generator (8250 watts / 240 volts). 
I'd bet the breaker feeding your well pump (which should be larger than the max surge pump load) is a lot smaller than 35 amps. 

The pump at our place is 1.5 or 2 HP which would be pushing the limit on your generator.


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## basswidow (Jan 10, 2012)

Wonder where I could look to find out what size well pump I have and what its needs will be?  Would there be any markings at the well tank?  I will check the panel box tonight and see what size breaker it's on.  I still think I should have enough to run water with this size GEN.  (fingers crossed).  Once I get it and have everything set up,  I will conduct a test of the well water first.  Bucket flushing for a week is not fun.

The other pain for the interlock is you have to rearrange the breakers some to get the Gen breaker up top.  I've already got a call in to the township inspector to get his take.  Gonna make sure I set it up to code.

Anyone know of anyother suppliers of recepticals and pigtails for hooking a generator to the house?  At Interlock - they are a bit pricey IMO.


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## semipro (Jan 10, 2012)

Look for pump specs on, or inside, the pump contactor box. 
It looks like this: http://store.kgpowersystems.com/cb2...rsible-motor-2-hp-single-phase-230-volts.aspx

Our pump is big because its a deep well and we use the well water in our heat pump system.  I think most pumps are 1/3 to 2/3 HP


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## oldspark (Jan 10, 2012)

Get a amp clamp (borrow one) and see what it pulls on start up and running.


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## semipro (Jan 10, 2012)

oldspark said:
			
		

> Get a amp clamp (borrow one) and see what it pulls on start up and running.



I used an older analog once on mine.  The needle was moving so fast it was hard to read the max.  
I think at digital would work better at picking up the max current


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## 72Rover (Jan 10, 2012)

basswidow said:
			
		

> The thing I object to is the cost.  $ 150 for a metal plate that attaches to the front of my panel box to keep me from flipping on a breaker to feed in the GEN without throwing the main breaker.  Looks like something I could make myself - it's a total rip off.   I don't mind the cost of the convience outlet, breaker, or cord,  but $ 150 for the interlock devise is rediculous.  Looks like something a high schooler could make in metal shop.



Exactly what I was thinking.  I mean, the kit doesn't even include the double breaker you need for the genset.  Great idea, but exhorbitant asking price....

...umm, did you see a copyright or patent mark anywhere?  ;-)

Cheers


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## basswidow (Jan 10, 2012)

Actually,  I've been digging around more and it seems Interlock is not the only game in town and there are other makers to include (as someone previously posted in this thread) the main panel maker.  When I get home from work,  I will see what I've got and do alittle more research.  Might even be able to find some of these items locally.  I asked at HD and they said they have interlocks but were out of stock on transfer switches.  I also found several other vendors who sell the cords and recepticles drastically lower in price then interlock.  So I think this will work out after all - IF my local codes allow it.  I've got a call in to our township Electrical Inspector and hope he's on board with an interlock rather than a transfer switch.  We'll see.  The fact that HD is out of transfer switches but has interlocks doesn't bode well......  

Looks like I can use a L14-30R cord  10 ft for $ 50 and I'll get an outdoor recepticle $ 50.  The breaker should be $ 35 ish and the Interlock $ 50 -100.


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## Bad Wolf (Jan 11, 2012)

Yeah, $150 is a lot.  Thats why I made my own. 
Really its only a piece of sheet metal that forces you to turn off one breaker before turning on the other. 
Don't see any reason to talk to the town about it, its no different than adding another couple of breakers.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 11, 2012)

Here's a link to my SquareD interlock thread:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/19946/


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## basswidow (Jan 11, 2012)

My panel is a Seimens 200 amp service and another 60 amp sub panel that's mostly for the garage.  

In the 60 amp panel,  there is a 30 amp breaker that goes to a L14-30 female recepticle.  Perhaps the previous owner used that outlet for some big machinery or a camper,  but I wonder if he used it as a (male - male) backfeed for his generator?  It's not code, but it would work.   I could change that outlet to the right one I need for about $ 27 and simply make sure I throw the main and remaining breakers before I backfeed and it should work - allowing me to flip on what I want. Still wouldn't be code without an interlock. 

I'd like to set it up to code and with a permit - just to cover myself and for resale.  I would want my insurance to cover me - should something go wrong.  

Greg - your homemade interlock device is perfect.  What did it cost ya?  Couple bucks?  I can't see spending $ 150 to buy one.  Seems easy to fabricate.  Nice job.

I think Seimens sells an interlock for this box.  It pairs a main breaker to a breaker for the generator on a manual locking device that wont allow both on at the same time.  It just requires some cutting on the panel face.  I think it's reasonable in price $50 or less.


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## semipro (Jan 11, 2012)

Greg H said:
			
		

> Yeah, $150 is a lot.  Thats why I made my own.
> Really its only a piece of sheet metal that forces you to turn off one breaker before turning on the other.
> Don't see any reason to talk to the town about it, its no different than adding another couple of breakers.



Great idea.  In the end the real goal is keeping linemen safe while they're out trying to get us power again.


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## wetwood (Jan 12, 2012)

We let our electric company know we had a transfer switch installed at the pole. The next day they came and inspected it themselves. I don't blame them a bit, there would be a major liability issue feeding 220v back into the main line that was suppose to be dead and someone was hurt or killed.


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## oldspark (Jan 12, 2012)

Last year we had a major power outage and the power company came around and unhooked the transformer at the pole if you had a gen., they did not care what you had at the time.


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## John_M (Jan 13, 2012)

About 5 years ago I installed a UL approved transfer switch in my basement. The Transfer Switch is positioned about 10" from the main panel.  Followed NEC throughout. A Honda 6500is power inverter w/eco throttle provides the back-up power. It connects to the  Transfer Switch via a 30(?) amp/240 volt twist lock receptacle w/circut breaker in the garage. When needed, the Honda EASILY runs the refrigerator/freezer, 220volt/30 amp, 3/4 hp "soft start" well pump, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, TV, computer, printer, garage door openers, garage lights, basement lights, lights and fans in two bathrooms, propane cooktop w/o oven, propane boiler, smoke detectors, a lamp and at least one receptacle in each bedroom. However, the 6500 watt Honda probably would not run all these appliances at the same time.

Four suggestions: 1) If you and a buddy will be doing the installation, be certain you know the correct way of completing the project before taking the first step; 2) For safety and insurance purposes I would recommend using UL approved appliances and parts throughout; 3) Use the correct size wire throughout; 4) Know the exact sequence  of steps necessary to properly connect the generator to the transfer switch and follow those steps precisely. 

Our rural area has had approximately eight power interruptions in the last five years. The convenience and health benefits provided by a properly installed back-up power supply has been worth every penny spent many times over.

Good luck!

John_M


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## Retired Guy (Jan 13, 2012)

Number of years ago a friend machined some beautiful junction box covers and installed them in his finished basement. He failed inspection because they were not UL labeled.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 13, 2012)

Wow, a 6500is!  Cool.  I also wish I had a soft start well pump.


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## Highbeam (Jan 13, 2012)

I bet that 6500 honda inverter genny was not cheap. 

I installed my siemens 200 amp main panel in my home to replace a crappy Zinsco panel. I chose to pay the nominal upgrade cost to make it a gentran panel meaning the little metal sliding tab is part of the standard green cover and there is a breaker slot marked "generator". The panel has stickers all over it demonstrating it's compliance and certification as a generator transfer panel. Super easy and simple. 

I chose a 30 amp generator breaker and ran the 10/3 to an exterior male twistlok plug. Twistloks are usually 30 amp plugs anyway and it matched the generator I use which is a 3500 watt Champion. Remember that for this scheme to work that you must have a 220 volt genset.

My job was all inspected and legit. I bought the 20 foot extension cord to attach the genset to the twistlok plug and it works great. Just remember to shut off automatic devices like the water heater and hot tub.


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## velvetfoot (Jan 14, 2012)

I've rigged up an adapter plug so I can plug in the 120 volt generator to the inlet receptacle.  It feeds 120 v. to both legs.  Can't use any 220 v. appliances, but can use fuel sipping generators and I think more of the ultimate capacity of the generator is utilized since there are no balancing issues.  I've used it-it works.


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## steviep (Jan 14, 2012)

I have installed quite a few generator tranfer switches and transfer panels. The transfer switches I think are the way to go. As far as making your own No way, as pricey as the interlock kit may be if there is no ul approval and something happens ussally the insurance company won't cover you. 
  Just so you know the interlock might be expensive but the are thicker and heavier then the picture show.
  Could you let know how much you were quoted for hook up. Just want to compare my prices to other parts of country I am ussally around $800.00


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## wetwood (Jan 14, 2012)

steviep said:
			
		

> I have installed quite a few generator tranfer switches and transfer panels. The transfer switches I think are the way to go. As far as making your own No way, as pricey as the interlock kit may be if there is no ul approval and something happens ussally the insurance company won't cover you.
> Just so you know the interlock might be expensive but the are thicker and heavier then the picture show.
> Could you let know how much you were quoted for hook up. Just want to compare my prices to other parts of country I am ussally around $800.00



My transfer switch install was somewhere between $800-850. So you'd be in the ballpark around here.


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## John_M (Jan 14, 2012)

A quick response to the cost of the Honda 6500is generator/inverter: I did much soul searching and tweaked every penny of my budget to afford the cost of the Honda and the UL approved Transfer Switch. My thinking was that this would be the last generator I would need to purchase and it appeared to be the best for MY application. So, I bit the bullet and made the purchase. Here I am five years later and have not considered the cost of the Honda or Transfer Switch since a month after they were installed. Am I happy to have spent the money? NO! Am I happy with the performance, reliability, safety and convenience of the entire back-up power supply? Absolutely YES! 

If, in the future, I am required to consider another electrical back-up system in another house, I would make exactly the same decisions I did five years ago. 

Disclosure: I have no financial or other interest in Honda or any other company.   

steviep: If I recall correctly, a reliable and trusted electrician quoted me a price of a little less than $1.000 to purchase and install the UL approved Transfer Switch. I chose to do the installation myself because I had the time, some electrical experience and needed to save some money.  ;-) 

John_M


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