Does anyone have any words of wisdom about installing a manual transfer switch?   I have a limited area (right beneath my in-wall breaker box) for an install location, but that does give me direct access to the box and an outside wall.   I have no problems with sticking my fingers in a breaker box (they've been there before).   Any recommendations?   Any gotchas?

 

All help appreciated.   I have looked at several of the so-called alternatives on the web (that is, alternatives to a transfer switch) and decided i (1) don't want to burn down the house yet, and (2) don't want to electrocute myself, family, or some poor guy working on a power line down the street.

putting in a backup generator ???

1 hour ago, Stick486 said:

putting in a backup generator ???

Mine came with the switch installed. Still had to be connected up. I didn't do it!!!

3 hours ago, p_toad said:

Does anyone have any words of wisdom about installing a manual transfer switch?

Wish I could be of some help here but nadda. I'll be following along though since I want to do the same. I investigated some transfer switches and boxes a couple of years ago but never went any further. At the time, both Menards and Lowes had them in stock locally.

 

What size is your generator? Mine's 5500W continuous/6500W peak...bought it new early December 1999..probably has less than 25 hours on it.

I watched mine get installed, and they had to re-route the main feed from the pole to the switch box, then from the switch box to the main panel. This one is automatic, but I would think it would be the same for a manual....that's what insures no backfeed to the grid. I would at least ask for an estimate from an electrician. BTW, they had to break the seal on the meter to do that, which is a small can of worms in itself. The PO had a small portable that he had wired to backfeed to the main panel through a break...with a big label that said "Throw main disconnect first". I have to think that's illegal, it certainly is dangerous.

Mine's automatic on when power drops off and, automatic off when power is restored. I watched the installation too, Fred. It was beyond my comprehension then and, remains so, today.  I can wire an outlet and, R&R a light bulb. That's the extent of my electrical prowess. 

It's a used Black Max.   6500-8125W with a 13HP Honda engine.   Runs smoothly and i know i have power to all four 120.   After I get an L14, i hope to test the 240 (you know, wet fingers test).

 

No, not really.   I don't see a problem with a manual transfer switch once i get a place on the wall cleared out.   If i were going whole hog (erm, whole house), i would have a bigger generator and run it off my propane tank.

Wow we must have better electricity than all you guys. I don't know of any one around me that has a back up to their house... Maybe cause it never goes off.... They told me they can make more money if they leave it on all the time so the meters will keep registering money for their pockets..

  John M, now thats not a selling point for this part of Texas. Remember this is a fly over state.

Our power goes off occasionally.  Only one time in the last 30 years did it last for over a day, and that was during the winter of course.  Seldom does it stay off more than an hour or so.  What's up with Ohio Power (or whoever you get your power from)?

Cal

2 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Wow we must have better electricity than all you guys. I don't know of any one around me that has a back up to their house... Maybe cause it never goes off.... They told me they can make more money if they leave it on all the time so the meters will keep registering money for their pockets..

  John M, now thats not a selling point for this part of Texas. Remember this is a fly over state.

Actually we're pretty lucky I guess. Being rural we're served by an REMC Cooperative. Our outages occur mostly winter and spring. During the winter months it's the icing and winds on the line & or trees that often brings lines down. Spring can be lightning, high straight line winds or tornadic activity that also brings line, poles trees down. Over the past 5 years, we've had a couple of outages that lasted 12-16 hours but not far from us, some have been out 2-5 days.

 

Several years ago, we had an early April ice storm that brought down miles of high tension transmission lines. Many folks were w/o power for 3 to 4 weeks.

 

Living in the country, when the power goes out, w/o a generator, you have no water...we do keep several 2-1/2 gallon containers filled with water year round to use toilets during short outages as well as a few gallons of sealed spring water for drinking/cooking purposes. Winter months the furnace doesn't work either...

 

I actually bought my generator because all of the hype when the clocks rolled over to 01/01/00, the computers would melt down or something like that and nobody in the world would have electricity. I had hoped to sell enough electricity then to pay for the generator...I even stayed up that night until 12:30 AM or so, but the lights never flickered so I shut them off and went to bed. Later that morning it was very cold outside putting up the generator and all the cords I had ran the afternoon before.

4 hours ago, p_toad said:

I don't see a problem with a manual transfer switch once i get a place on the wall cleared out

That's what I've been thinking too. I just need to work with the Project Engineer of our REMC. I did all the wiring of our house from the meter base in when we built it and was complemented by him and the inspectors for the work done along the way. It had to be functional before they would install the meter.

Is this the type of transfer switch that has the individual circuits built in ?  Or is it like a double pole double throw switch ?     If it does not have the individual circuit built in you may want to install a sub panel with the circuits in it that you want to run off the generator and tie that to the transfer switch.   Roly

22 hours ago, Smallpatch said:

Wow we must have better electricity than all you guys. I don't know of any one around me that has a back up to their house... Maybe cause it never goes off

 

I'll bet the people in Huston and Corpus Christi feel that way too.

Edited August 31, 20178 yr by HandyDan

8 hours ago, Roly said:

Is this the type of transfer switch that has the individual circuits built in ?  Or is it like a double pole double throw switch ?     If it does not have the individual circuit built in you may want to install a sub panel with the circuits in it that you want to run off the generator and tie that to the transfer switch.   Roly

The one I've been looking at Roly is essentially a sub-panel with its own main and individual breakers hardwired to the specific appliances you wish you operate. In my case it's the well pump, furnace and refrigerator/freezer circuits and a couple light circuits.

Generac 30 Amp Pre-wired Manual Transfer at Menards

I don't see any issues in using that type of transfer switch.    Suggest picking up the tv set and the internet/ phone  to get info during a storm.  Roly

58 minutes ago, Roly said:

I don't see any issues in using that type of transfer switch.    Suggest picking up the tv set and the internet/ phone  to get info during a storm.  Roly

Thanks, appreciate the input and another set of eyes taking a look. I'd thought about the internet and TV...severe storms we lose DISH anyway but do have an OTA we can draw several channels.

 

We also have our cell phones we can use for weather information/internet and calls so only need an outlet to power chargers which is very low draw. If need be we can recharge those via 12V adapters in the vehicles.

 You would be surprised what you can run off of that size unit.    Use a little common sense what you run at a time and you can pick up most of the house except large electric  items such as in a all electric house.   Roly

1 minute ago, Roly said:

Use a little common sense

Well all was going so well until you put that qualification into the equation...

 

I knew the A/C & Range were probably off the list but that's no big deal...always have the gas grill and microwave for cooking; The ladies of the house might have to give up their curling / straightening irons though

I'd considered a larger one at the time (pre-Y2K), but Sam's Club got a truckload of these and as I recall, it was just over $400 adding a wheel kit. This one is enough to drag around the way it is. Run time is ~12 hours at 50-60% load.

The only thing I didn't really care for was the 10 HP Tecumseh engine versus a Briggs or Kohler, but I've never cared for Tecumseh engines...it does however have a steel (cast?) cylinder liner

A manual transfer switch will always have the potential of backfeeding into the street.  Any number of things can happen...street wires could be on the ground...melted together making a short, etc...or as has already been stated, frying one of the workers.  This would happen if you inadvertently left the main breaker on.

 

And then there's the issue of having the breaker on when power comes back (if you forgot to turn it off)...opposing out of phase AC is not aesthetically pleasing...

 

A separate sub-panel, as has been mentioned, for those items you want backed up would be helpful as you could then turn off its breaker... (I've already done this part)

 

Strict discipline will be required...and you can't always count on that in an emergency...especially if somebody else is doing it for you.

 

I'm going through the same thinking and have decided I can't trust others...Murphy will dictate that I'll be somewhere else when the juice goes off...

 

Having said that I haven't found the right automatic switch either although there are many out there and recommendations abound for which one to get.  I have decided though to have a real electrician install it for me...  I'm comfortable enough doing my own stuff usually but I stop when I can't bend the wires...

 

I may have misunderstood the schematic, but it looked to me like the one in question has a lockout to prevent backfeeding to the grid.