Reliance - Generator Transfer Switch

[dwa12479]

Been on my "Round Tuit" list for a while to add a transfer switch for the generator. This winter was cold enough for long enough to kick it to the top of the list.

I think that I've settled on a Reliance Controls 6 switch 7,500 watt Transfer Switch. It seems to be the most popular and widely available switch at a decent price.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...productDetails

My generator is 4,000 peak / 3,200 running watts. I originally bought it to run the sump pump and a few space heaters. I'm figuring that 3,200 continuous should be fine to run a forced air gas furnace blower, 1/2 HP sump pump, 1 refrigerator, and the lights for 1 - 1/2 bath, both of which are on dimmers.

Anyone have any opinions on the Reliance switch kit?

[Cgrutt]

No opinions but I want to learn about this.

[Calculon]

No experience with the Reliance kit but it looks pretty sturdy. I had a generator interlock kit installed last year so I could run anything in the house I need even if I have to rotate on/off cycles. The interlock kit 1) disconnects The panel from incoming lines, and 2) allows you to use any breaker in the panel. With the interlock you don't have to select a small number of circuits to migrate from your main panel - you just turn breakers on when you need them and off when you don't. Here's the one I had installed:

[24Pink14Stink]

My new place has a generator tied to the natural gas supply. It runs the boiler, hot water tank, well and freezer. No transfer switch though.

[Norm DeGuerre]

My new place has a generator tied to the natural gas supply. It runs the boiler, hot water tank, well and freezer. No transfer switch though.

holy crap
this is one deluxe new Estate there stinkypinky ..)
had to cost the last owners 5k, or so

[dwa12479]

My new place has a generator tied to the natural gas supply. It runs the boiler, hot water tank, well and freezer. No transfer switch though.

Ah, I remember dreaming about a natural gas automatic standby some time ago. Slick setup, but way expensive.
http://www.wholesalepowertools.com/g...Q#.VQM-HiyrHUc

[dwa12479]

Ok, mission accomplished. The whole setup was relatively easy, and can be done with a basic knowledge of home wiring. It was a fairly cost effective project with a little under $650 total investment for a 4,000 watt generator, the transfer kit, and 100 ft of 10/3 wire.

The first step was to mount the switch near the panel box with access to the appropriate sized knockout, a 3/4" in this case. I used some scrap plywood that I had laying around to extend the board that the panel box was mounted on to hold the transfer.





Next up is to interrupt the appropriate circuits that you want to power up. There is a Red and Black wire for each circuit, A-F. The original wire gets removed from the breaker and connected to the black wire from the transfer. The red wire from the transfer then hooks to the breaker. Green and White both go the grounding bar.

I elected to run the sump pump, furnace, refrigerator, 2 bathrooms, 3 kitchen outlets, 3 living room outlets.






Next up, it's time to hook the remote inlet box up. I ran a 10/3 gauge wire across the basement and garage to the outside wall opposite the house. This puts about 20 feet between the running generator and the living area. CO fumes are bad news.

I kept the inlet up high as the snow tends to drift badly in this area. Mounting it close to the front of the garage will ensure the cord will reach if I have to keep the genny in the driveway if there's a huge amount of snow on the ground like we had this past winter. I'd have no shot to drag it around the side of the garage or to the back.







And finally, a note to myself for future reference on what each transfer circuit powers on the order in which to do things. I always seem to think that I'll remember how and why I set something up the way I did, until I revisit it 6 months later and can't remember PePePeshittatata.




We did 2 mock outages for a couple hours each over the weekend. Total time to deploy everything in the event of a real outage was 7 minutes from the time the main breaker was pulled off until all 6 backup circuits were engaged and running.

[24Pink14Stink]

Ah, I remember dreaming about a natural gas automatic standby some time ago. Slick setup, but way expensive.
http://www.wholesalepowertools.com/g...Q#.VQM-HiyrHUc

Not that fancy really. Old school generator with a conversion kit to natural gas. Extension from the exhaust with a muffler on the end to keep it quiet. Cord back in to run extension cords to power the important stuff.

I'll do a write up on it when we get in.

[dwa12479]

Not that fancy really. Old school generator with a conversion kit to natural gas. Extension from the exhaust with a muffler on the end to keep it quiet. Cord back in to run extension cords to power the important stuff.

I'll do a write up on it when we get in.

Sweet. I'd like to see it.