Commercial Transfer Switch questions

[amolaver]

those are kits that need to be assembled and attached to the existing covers i believe. what i bought is an entire cover with the interlock assembly riveted on.

ahm

 

[General Mcgregor]

I think I might have the perfect setup for a cheap interlock. Here are a couple pics of my breaker panel, there is an empty spot next to my main breaker where it looks like I can install a feed breaker for my generator. What do you guys think?

 

[PeterD]

No, that 'open' slot next to the main breaker is not going to work. No connect for the breaker on the buss bars!

 

[quickfarms]

Who made that panel?

Those knockouts say do not remove.

You need to relocate the water heater breaker. If you do have two open slots you could get a combination breaker to combine the water heater and pump, just like the range oven breaker that is below the pump breaker.

Based on the picture of the breaker panel you have an all electric house that will either require diligent power management or a much larger generator.

 

[Wildchild467]

100 amp single phase

inside

seperate

5000 - 7500 watts

the house i bought has the same specs. 100 amp service and i have an MEP-002A.... im going to watch this thread. thanks guys!

 

[General Mcgregor]

I think I am going to use the Transfer Switch.
Question; Someone told me today that I could disconnect one of the coils on my hot water heater to reduce the watts needed from the generator by half (but effectively taking 2x as long to heat the water). Could it work for this situation? Would I be able to hook the switch up to the 25 amp breaker with one coil disconnected? Anyone know how I would go about doing this?
-GM

 

[quickfarms]

Read the tag on the heater to see what the actual power requirement and do not base your description solely on what size your breaker is

 

[General Mcgregor]

Read the tag on the heater to see what the actual power requirement and do not base your description solely on what size your breaker is

Sorry, forgot to mention that the tag on the water heater says 19.2 amps.

 

[stampy]

I have the breaker lockout discribed above and it works great for me. $75 installed by the electrician. Flip off the main and move the metal lock out up flip on the generator and back feed. I have a 5kw and use gas to heat my water though.

 

[derf]

I think I might have the perfect setup for a cheap interlock. Here are a couple pics of my breaker panel, there is an empty spot next to my main breaker where it looks like I can install a feed breaker for my generator. What do you guys think?

The interlock could be a simple slotted metal tab and a couple of screws.

No, that 'open' slot next to the main breaker is not going to work. No connect for the breaker on the buss bars!

Are you sure about that? It looks like there are two tabs sticking up.
It should work if the empty space looks just like the spaces under the existing breakers. It is hard to tell from the pic if the connection points are there or not without seeing what the other spaces look like. Of course, PeterD may be an electrician and/or would know way more about it than me. In that case what he said.

 

[derf]

See pic. Are those tabs clipped or shorter or different from the other tabs that the other breakers are connected to? If so then you can't put a feed breaker there without some modification.

 

[PeterD]

See pic. Are those tabs clipped or shorter or different from the other tabs that the other breakers are connected to? If so then you can't put a feed breaker there without some modification.

Yea, for some reason they did clip those to prevent a breaker installation there. I have no idea why, but clearly they intended that space not be used for a breaker.

 

[General Mcgregor]

Ended up going with the interlock. Relocated the water heater breaker to the MAIN position.
Put the new MAIN beneath it and added another MAIN (for the generator) right next to it. Installed the Interlock between the two.
Doubled up a couple of the 120v breakers.

Also installed a power inlet box and a PowerBack alarm.

East Coast T-Storms the other night gave it a first practical test, ran the whole house with no problems.

Pics

 

[islandguydon]

Nice set up GM,

Does your house run an electric range and cloths dryer..? I like the exterior mount, clean job.

 

[General Mcgregor]

Nice set up GM,

Does your house run an electric range and cloths dryer..? I like the exterior mount, clean job.

It does have electric range / dryer, sorry I should have rephrased that last post. It ran everything ESSENTIAL in the house.

 

[PeterD]

...
Put the new MAIN beneath it and added another MAIN (for the generator) right next to it. Installed the Interlock between the two.
...

1. Oops... (posted wrong!)

2. Where did you get that setup?

3. I think technically it doesn't meet code, but I'm not going to research it (too lazy!) I believe there are specifications for the location of the main breaker (must be either top most or bottom most in the panel.)

 

[General Mcgregor]

1. Oops... (posted wrong!)

2. Where did you get that setup?

3. I think technically it doesn't meet code, but I'm not going to research it (too lazy!) I believe there are specifications for the location of the main breaker (must be either top most or bottom most in the panel.)

The electrician who installed the setup assured me that it was within code requirements.

 

[Isaac-1]

They always do

 

[quickfarms]

1. Oops... (posted wrong!)

2. Where did you get that setup?

3. I think technically it doesn't meet code, but I'm not going to research it (too lazy!) I believe there are specifications for the location of the main breaker (must be either top most or bottom most in the panel.)

The main can be in the middle of the panel if the panel was approved in that configuration. Just look at a side by side panel where the meter is on one side and the breakers are on the other side.

You should get a copy of the instructions for your panel to see if the main breaker position is approved.