A Safe Simple Device For Portable Generator

[GDay]

I had never seen one of these. I looks much safer than what a lot of people try to do. I have a manual transfer switch. I can see this being an option for many situations if u can get by on 40 amp.
Gary

[Snipe Hunter]

I installed my transfer switch between my meter and main service panel. I pulled the meter myself. Pulling a meter can be very dangerous because of arcing. Many municipalities require the meter be pulled by the utility company. They're sealed with a wire lock. You have to break that seal to pull it. Just a heads up.

[GDay]

I installed my transfer switch between my meter and main service panel. I pulled the meter myself. Pulling a meter can be very dangerous because of arcing. Many municipalities require the meter be pulled by the utility company. They're sealed with a wire lock. You have to break that seal to pull it. Just a heads up.

I have the same setup as you. I use 50 amps. I will be pilling themeter for another project in the future. I understand here you need to call them before pulling it. They will retag it very quickly. I had an electrician pull it to install the the transfer switch. He did not call but they know when u pull the Smart Meter. Less than a week later they arrived to tag it. 
I think this might be a good solution for renters or a deer camp. A lot of rigging goes on for hooking up a generator.
Gary.

[TDKPE]

I installed my transfer switch between my meter and main service panel. I pulled the meter myself. Pulling a meter can be very dangerous because of arcing. Many municipalities require the meter be pulled by the utility company. They're sealed with a wire lock. You have to break that seal to pull it. Just a heads up.

On a side note, some utilities won't reconnect (by plugging in the meter) unless they measure zero continuity between phase poles and neutral.  In other words, they want the main breaker opened or they won't connect, and it takes seconds to determine if it's open or not from the outside.  Fear of arcing, I'm sure (and damage to the meter blades).

The reason I know this is because in my early twenties, renting a house for four years with three other dudes, I was paying all the utilities and collecting afterward.  Got tired of some being months out always, so I let the power get shut off.  Got paid, paid the utility, scheduled restoration (while we were all at work), and came home to find power still out and a note on the door that the breaker was still closed.  They didn't tell me it had to be opened or they won't restore power, but we had to wait another couple of days anyway.  My water bed got mighty chilly by then, too.


Always got paid on time after that.  


To the OP's point, that's an expensive device.  And it would probably have to be cleared by the utility, and possibly installed by a licensed electrician.  But it's certainly clean and simple and changes nothing inside the house. And you could take it with you when you move, which is pretty cool.  

[Roly]

On a side note, some utilities won't reconnect (by plugging in the meter) unless they measure zero continuity between phase poles and neutral.  In other words, they want the main breaker opened or they won't connect, and it takes seconds to determine if it's open or not from the outside.  Fear of arcing, I'm sure (and damage to the meter blades).

The reason I know this is because in my early twenties, renting a house for four years with three other dudes, I was paying all the utilities and collecting afterward.  Got tired of some being months out always, so I let the power get shut off.  Got paid, paid the utility, scheduled restoration (while we were all at work), and came home to find power still out and a note on the door that the breaker was still closed.  They didn't tell me it had to be opened or they won't restore power, but we had to wait another couple of days anyway.  My water bed got mighty chilly by then, too.


Always got paid on time after that.  


To the OP's point, that's an expensive device.  And it would probably have to be cleared by the utility, and possibly installed by a licensed electrician.  But it's certainly clean and simple and changes nothing inside the house.  And you could take it with you when you move, which is pretty cool.  

I used to do the reconnecting as part of my job.  With no one home if you have a big load, what is on ?   It can be a electric stove with something sitting on top of it.  So it is a liability issue.   If you do it all the time you can pick up a good size load.   The other issue is pulling the meter and the socket guts start coming with it, or a loose mounting screw that is grounded and very close to the hot leg shorts out.    From the reviews they seem to have problems with the units, I don't see any kind of switch you operate so it must have a contactor that is normally energized, so the normal load goes through the relay.  Before you spend money on it suggest you contact the utility.   Roly

[TDKPE]

I prefer the switch from the main panel to a sub panel, then hook up all the circuits that you want on the generator moved over to the sub panel, that way you don't have to flip 2 dozen breakers every time.  But that is just me. 

That's exactly what I installed - it's basically a Square D QO series, 8-slot, 16-circuit subpanel configured with two back-fed two-pole 30A breakers with interlock and two full-sized breakers plus two tandem breakers for a total of six circuits on generator or utility power.  It came with an armored pigtail with long leads, and was a simple installation.  I did have to run a 10-3+G NM cable to the garage, though, for the generator connection. 

To use it, I only have to shut off the six circuits and the utility breaker in the sub, turn on the generator breaker in the sub, then turn the six back on, one at a time.  I could just switch the 30A mains, but with two refrig/freezer plus deep freezer all starting at once, I like to give a few seconds between them.  The big blower motor in the gas furnace is delayed until the heat exchanger gets hot, so that's not really an issue.  I only have 4kW (6kW surge) to work with and normally start the furnace first if it's cold and wait until the blower is running to close the other breakers (3/4 or 1 hp blower).

It was waaay cheaper than the meter socket device, though I did the work myself (hired labor may bring it right back up there).  It also took six circuits out of the main panel, which was handy when I did a major kitchen remodel and needed to add circuits to bring it up to snuff.

[crokett™]

I have a lockout in my main panel. I can have the main on, or the 50A generator breaker on, but not both. they were both much cheaper than that device, but I appreciate the simplicity of that.

[CLETUS]

I have a lockout in my main panel.  I can have the main on, or the 50A generator breaker on, but not both.  they were both much cheaper than that device, but I appreciate the simplicity of that.

It sounds like we have the same thing. The part was $75. I remember the electrician apologizing that such a simple metal piece was so expensive. LOL

Had to google... a generator interlock

[GDay]

I'm actually looking at a whole house generator, 20KW (Although the Generac reviews are not that great.. but that is within my price range, as I also have to get a monster gas bottle as there is no gas in my house).  I am fortunate that I won't have to pull the meter at all.  The meter is around 150 feet from the mains panel, and I am guessing it varies by state, but I saw somewhere that MD code requires the panel to be within a certain distance from the meter, I cannot remember what it was though, I think maybe 5 feet...  So my house has a massive 200A breaker on the inside of the wall in the garage where the meter is installed outside.  I can turn that off and work happily on the panel, transfer switch and what not.  I am going with an automatic transfer switch and no need for a sub panel.  I do need to replace the existing one as it is old, not pushmatic style, but some weird parallel sliding switches, they don't pivot like normal ones today.  I could not even find a picture on google images and I don't remember the name.  But as I noted previously, there is some weird wiring going on, I like my rooms to each have at least 2 breakers, 1 for plugs, 1 for lights at a minimum, with higher load items on their own breaker as well (like say my 2kVa 220V UPS that powers my server rack), kitchen appliances etc, so since I cannot find the breakers, a new panel is in my future.. during spring or fall.. need my heat and AC.. 

Side note.. my old house.. total F job, built in the 60's by Levitt (of Levittown PA who apparently pioneered the planned community builds and used the cheapest, and in my case also AL wiring, materials possible), they wired sides of the house to breakers.. so the wall plugs on one side of the house on both floors were on one breaker, the other wall in the same room on another.. and so forth.. f'ing infuriating.

Good thing I am handy, and while I may be in IT, my degree is in Electrical Engineering, so I am comfortable and safe around electricity.  About the only thing I won't touch is gas..

I hope udo a thread onit I have plans for the same install in my future. I need the tank and everything. I am tired of going out in the dark and connecting the generator. We lose power on a regular basis here.
Gary

[CLETUS]

 I need the tank and everything. I am tired of going out in the dark and connecting the generator. 

The weather is always crappy when you're doing it! I don't have propane or natural gas so I'm stuck.

However, my mother, father and mother in law all put in automatic generators, that made my life a bit easier!