Breaker question

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Knarfluna

Member
Location
Chicago
Occupation
Electrician
Ok

i have a car charger in a commercial setting

basically....if I lose power and my generator comes on...I Do Not want the charger running off my generator

I’m happy to manually reset the breaker feeding the charger once power is restored...what can I add to simply open the breaker upon power loss.

maybe something like a ‘holding contact’ works in a starter
 
It sounds like you need a load shedding module or a panel(s) that feeds loads that you want on generator power in the event of utility power failure. It depends upon your set-up and the generator / transfer switch.
 
Holding contact works as well, will need "restarted" any time power is lost. Plus you still could start it while generator is running if you wanted to for some reason, presuming you have enough generator to power it or can reduce other load when you want to power it.
 
Knarfluna said:
Ok

i have a car charger in a commercial setting

basically....if I lose power and my generator comes on...I Do Not want the charger running off my generator

I’m happy to manually reset the breaker feeding the charger once power is restored...what can I add to simply open the breaker upon power loss.

maybe something like a ‘holding contact’ works in a starter
Click to expand...

Buy a breaker with a shunt trip input. Wire up the shunt trip off the generator side if the ATS. When the generator starts up the shunt trip coil powers up tripping it out. This takes a special, normally electronic, breaker. Not all panels have them available but it’s fairly common.

But this is kind of backwards by isolating specific loads and not the other way around only powering specific loads. As mentioned this is essentially a load shedding system where during an event you drop power to specific loads.

Normally the way this is done in a generator installation is you have two distribution panels. You put the ATS between the main “utility” panel and the second “emergency” panel. Then when the ATS switches to generator power, only the emergency panel has power. All circuits in the main panel stay offline. All circuits that run only during emergency power are rerun to the emergency panel. Thus is normally some lights (stairwells, exit signs, minimal hall ways), receptacles for communications, and some ventilation systems (smoke management). It might also have “business critical” systems beyond just safety. This makes it much easier to understand and manage the wiring.
 
paulengr said:
Buy a breaker with a shunt trip input. Wire up the shunt trip off the generator side if the ATS. When the generator starts up the shunt trip coil powers up tripping it out. This takes a special, normally electronic, breaker. Not all panels have them available but it’s fairly common.

But this is kind of backwards by isolating specific loads and not the other way around only powering specific loads. As mentioned this is essentially a load shedding system where during an event you drop power to specific loads.

Normally the way this is done in a generator installation is you have two distribution panels. You put the ATS between the main “utility” panel and the second “emergency” panel. Then when the ATS switches to generator power, only the emergency panel has power. All circuits in the main panel stay offline. All circuits that run only during emergency power are rerun to the emergency panel. Thus is normally some lights (stairwells, exit signs, minimal hall ways), receptacles for communications, and some ventilation systems (smoke management). It might also have “business critical” systems beyond just safety. This makes it much easier to understand and manage the wiring.
Click to expand...
The only problem with that, is everytime the generator exercises you would have to reset the breaker, unless you set the exerciser to "no load", so it doesn't transfer. I'm assuming the op's generator powers the whole building, or moving the charger to a non-emergency panel is impractical.
 
hillbilly1 said:
The only problem with that, is everytime the generator exercises you would have to reset the breaker, unless you set the exerciser to "no load", so it doesn't transfer. I'm assuming the op's generator powers the whole building, or moving the charger to a non-emergency panel is impractical.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. This would be good on a residential out side hot tub. They can really strain a generator esspecially when the AC or Heat Pump? Strips are on
 
Maybe this? Low tech

Add this in front of the outlet.
Superior Electric magnetic on/off switch, or any other brand.
EF441F56-9B0C-4142-973C-496C20EFC157.jpeg
Dedicated switched duplex outlet. Plug the automobile charger into one outlet, plug a night light or an old speaker transformer or old phone charging wall block, or a wall clock (clock could tell you when the power went out) in the other to keep a current flow.
$12.
 
Srv52761 said:
Maybe this? Low tech

Add this in front of the outlet.
Superior Electric magnetic on/off switch, or any other brand.
View attachment 2552399
Dedicated switched duplex outlet. Plug the automobile charger into one outlet, plug a night light or an old speaker transformer or old phone charging wall block, or a wall clock (clock could tell you when the power went out) in the other to keep a current flow.
$12.
Click to expand...

Commercial customer which means usually automated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Srv52761 said:
Maybe this? Low tech

Add this in front of the outlet.
Superior Electric magnetic on/off switch, or any other brand.
View attachment 2552399
Dedicated switched duplex outlet. Plug the automobile charger into one outlet, plug a night light or an old speaker transformer or old phone charging wall block, or a wall clock (clock could tell you when the power went out) in the other to keep a current flow.
$12.
Click to expand...
That would be a part of the "holding contact" control scheme like mentioned in OP as a possibility.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top