Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833
axiomite
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OP
axiomite
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833 |
Hey guys. Has anyone ever bought a power transfer switch to run a portable generator? It seems we lose power a few times a year for an extended period, 8 hours or better. I have a decent portable gen but to run it by code the way I would like it looks as if one of these are needed. My brother in law is an electrician so that's who will install it for me so no problem there. All I need is something like this, does this look to be a good unit? Suggestions are certainly welcome.
Rick
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Sigmund Freud
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,840 Likes: 13
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,840 Likes: 13 |
Wish I could help Rick, gotta love the weather we get.
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833
axiomite
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OP
axiomite
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833 |
I tell ya Randy this last one was a good one. I freakin hate ice storms.
Rick
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Sigmund Freud
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,840 Likes: 13
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,840 Likes: 13 |
yep, we did not get as much as they originally forcast, but it still sucks. A thick crust of ice on top of the snow we already had. The kids loved sleding down our south hill 500 ft to the neighbors yard. We have a propane tank for our heat, gas logs, etc. The gas logs work without electicity, so we can stay warm..doesn't help for the fridge, deepfreeze, and other stuff...
M80s VP180 4xM22ow 4xM3ic EP600 2xEP350 AnthemAVM60 Outlaw7700 EmoA500 Epson5040UB FluanceRT85
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,210
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,210 |
Just have a pigtail cord made up so that one end connects to the generator outlet plug and the other end connects into the house dryer electrical plug ... first and foremost is to turn off and leave off the main breaker for the house and then turn off all individual breakers for the house, plug in the generator to the dryer plug and depending on the output of the generator turn on the individual breakers for the circuit you want to use in the house.
Folks down here have been doing this for years ... and years.
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,602
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,602 |
I've only seen the ag ones they use on farms... where you put the gennie on the tractor PTO, plug it in, and turn the giant rotary knob from hydro to gennie.
Those ones work well, I can't see why the little house ones wouldn't...?
Bren R.
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 50
buff
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buff
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 50 |
You never said how big a generator you have. The switch you mentioned should work fine as long as you only have 6 circuits that you want to power and none are over 20 amp. Furnace, fridge, freezer, TV/stereo, well pump, sump pump, coffee maker, stove.
Pig tails work fine but power companies tend to frown on them due to the risk of backfeeding the main, and they may not be legal in some areas. For a little more money you can install a whole house transfer switch (manual or automatic). They install between the meter and main breaker panel and switch between grid or generator power. That way you can run anything in the house as long as you do not exceed the generator capacity.
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833
axiomite
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OP
axiomite
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 6,833 |
The gen I have is 4000 watts, hence the 6 circuit and not a whole house. The main things I want to power are the furnace some lights the tv, fridge and freezer.
BTW the local electric co. does indeed (as does local codes) frown on the pig tail way of doing this. I know it works, I have done it, but I would rather keep it to code.
Last edited by wid; 12/20/08 04:52 PM.
Rick
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Sigmund Freud
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Re: Power Transfer Switch
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,379 Likes: 7 |
I have a small breaker panel hanging off the main panel, which controls power to the critical circuits (freezer, well pump, HT, and a light bulb somewhere ;)). I haven't looked for a while but I think there are interlocked breakers, one going to the main panel and one going to the genny. Haven't actually got around to wiring in a generator or anything yet.
At the Axiom factory there is a ratty old pickup truck chassis & engine sitting outside the shipping door. Ian built a big generator into the chassis, powered by the truck engine, which IIRC auto-starts during a power failure. It's one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
Last edited by bridgman; 12/20/08 05:29 PM.
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