Connecting MEP to house

[steelandcanvas]

Lavarok, that lockout device, it requires you break the connection to city power (top breaker) before you can close the genset breaker?

So the panel if fed through the lower breaker marked "genset"?

Yes, MD that is correct. Very nice idea. Someone had a link to these a few months ago. Kinda spendy from what I remember, but will keep you legal and perhaps save a Lineman's life. I went through some posts on this and found this link to that device, Mangus posted this link: http://www.interlockkit.com/ This is more affordable than either an automatic or manual xfer switch. No boo-boos or uh-ohs here.

 

[Speddmon]

Well put, good Electrician answer. I was going to answer this, but I couldn't have put it any better.

Thanks for the kind words. I am an electrician by trade, but I am NOT trying to drum up business for my fellow tradesmen, I just do not want to see anybody get hurt! I don't deal with residential stuff at all unless it's my own, I'm an industrial electrician, but I don't feel doing residential is too complicated, until you get into this kind of wiring scenario...if you don't feel up to it, or question how you should really be doing it...DON'T do it.

Remember kids, the life you save could be your own!

 

[atankersdad]

I always use my electricians from work to help. Everyone needs side work nowadays. This stuff does kill and has the potential to burn down your home with you and your family inside. Thanks for the photos and ideas.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Thanks for the kind words. I am an electrician by trade, but I am NOT trying to drum up business for my fellow tradesmen, I just do not want to see anybody get hurt!

I never thought you were trying to drum up business, but I'm like you, if you're not comfortable, or don't know what you're doing, call in a professional. "Electrical Work is not a hobby".

 

[Speddmon]

SaC,
I didn't mean for that post to sound like you were accusing me of trying to steer people toward an electrician. I just don't want to see anybody get hurt, even though I think most homeowners can handle a certain degree of electrical work without a qualified electrician being present. Home wiring is not that difficult to tackle. But a situation like hooking in a back-up generator requires a great deal of caution, both for the homeowner when hooking in the services, and for the linesmen who are trying to restore power during an outage.

 

[steelandcanvas]

SaC,
I didn't mean for that post to sound like you were accusing me of trying to steer people toward an electrician. I just don't want to see anybody get hurt, even though I think most homeowners can handle a certain degree of electrical work without a qualified electrician being present. Home wiring is not that difficult to tackle. But a situation like hooking in a back-up generator requires a great deal of caution, both for the homeowner when hooking in the services, and for the linesmen who are trying to restore power during an outage.

I'm in total agreement.

 

[dirtyfingernails]

I'm no wire guy, so I also had an electrician with experience installing and maintaining gensets do the wiring for my house. He pulled a permit--I liked that. I just plug it in, throw the transfer switch and I'm in business. He called the cable end a "pin and sleeve." I paid high dollar for that cable!

 

[dirtyfingernails]

Sorry, the photos of my set up didn't go. Second try.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Looks like you got a top drawer installation DFN. The pin and sleeve is a nice trouble-free way to go, spendy, but nice.

 

[dirtyfingernails]

S&C,
Indeed, it was expensive, but I wanted it done right and I'm an electrical dummy. The day we installed it, we hooked up the house and the electrician told me to go inside and start turning things on in the house. I asked him what? He said everything! My house only has 100 amp service. I had the oven, stove, lights, dryer, washer, AC--you name it. The BEAST just purred and pumped out juice! I bought an extra running set as a spare. The electrician even put a small box on the side so my neighbors could run an extension cord to it during power outages!

 

[Speddmon]

DFN,

You definitely had an electrician who knows some quality stuff. Those connectors are top notch. We use the steel versions in the mill for welding receptacles all the time. They are VERY expensive!, but high quality, positive connections. They have a slot and key on them so you can't possible get the polarity screwed up when connecting them.

EnteJager,
There are two pictures of that "SO" type cord I was talking about in this thread, both lavarok and dirtyfingernails have that type of cord in their hook-ups. If you are going to drag out a cord each time you use the genny, that's the cord to use.

 

[EnteJager]

Spedd,
Thanks, saw the pics.

Thanks to everyone for the great input and pictures. I really appreciate the help. I will post pictures in a few weeks after the gen is on its pad and the electrician has it wired in for me.

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

I am getting ready to hook up PU 794/G (modified mep004) 20KW genset.
I have a 200 amp double throw transfer switch ,sixtyfeet of so cable for direct plug in , pin and sleeve connectors, and 1/0 to go from the meter panel to the transfer switch and back to the main panel.
My licensed electrican is coming next week to put it all together

 

[dirtyfingernails]

Please post pics when you get it done.

 

[Verkstad]

Nice looking work ! Be sure to get a weatherproof cap over that pin & sleeve inlet.
Being it cost you a goodly bit of money, You dont want crud or corrosion getting inside it !

Jakob

 

[originalboxcar]

Sorry, the photos of my set up didn't go. Second try.

DFN,

Where are the 4 "smaller" wires (the ones that are going back into the genset) going to that are connected to the 2 hot , 1 neutral wire and the ground?

Additionally, where can I get those "slot bolt clip thingy's" that I see on the terminals in these photos? My sets did not come with them... are the necessary?

t~

 

[dirtyfingernails]

I think those clips are retainers for the nuts--but that's a guess. I doubt they are necessary as long as you have the nuts and inserts. The electrician set up a panel box on the genset with 4 Ground Fault interupt plugs so that if I ever wanted to run something other than the house I could. Also, during power outages, the neighbors could run an extension cord to that box to power some stuff too.

 

[Speddmon]

obc,

If you are referring to the "clips shown in picture "A", they are NOT necessary, they are just there so the nuts don't get lost in the field, although there is really no reason to take the nuts the whole way off to make a connection.

If you are referring to the entire "split bolt" in picture "B", You'll might have a hard time finding those in the civi market. I have been in the industrial electrical field for a good number of years now, and used literally hunderes of split bolts, but never saw any like those before. The bottoms of those bolts have another threaded stud on them that the wire from the reconnection switch secures to, so you can make your connections to the top part you can access. I'm not saying they aren't out there, it's just not an every day item your local electrical supplier is going to have.

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Split bolts are a fairly easy thing for someone with a lathe and a mill to make. If you've got a friend that does some machining you might want to ask. Looks like a good job to trade for beer or a meal.

-Carl

 

[originalboxcar]

If you are referring to the "clips shown in picture "A", they are NOT necessary, they are just there so the nuts don't get lost in the field, although there is really no reason to take the nuts the whole way off to make a connection...

SM,

Yes, I was referring to the clips in pic A. Great to know that they are not necessary. Thx!

I just priced 6/4 UF at lowes, YIKES...$3.73/ft. Crap..... I was gonna go with '100 and put in my woods to muffle the sound. Might be cheaper to go shorter and build an insulated doghouse around the 002. Any suggestions where I might be able to find 6/3 UF cheaper?

t~