hooking up rental trailer generator to an existing house

Status
Not open for further replies.
V

vincedigital

Member
Location
caribbean
Occupation
electrical cad technician
if i have a 300amp service for a house and i want to install a service rated transfer switch beside the main panel and just rent a 70kw generator trailer during power outage, how do you hook up the generator to the transfer switch? thanks
 
tom baker said:
Wire in a pin and sleeve connector to the genny terminals on the ATS is one way
Click to expand...

That would be the biggest pin and sleeve connector I've ever seen in my life.

I'd suggest a Transfer Switch with camlock capabilities.

JAP>
 
The generator is most likely going to have lugs on it, so whatever you do will need bare ends. For this, Camloks are a good way to go since you can rent any needed extension leads and the pigtails along with the generator.

(A pin/sleeve connector set will be $$$$$$$ for this size.)
 
vincedigital said:
if i have a 300amp service for a house and i want to install a service rated transfer switch beside the main panel and just rent a 70kw generator trailer during power outage, how do you hook up the generator to the transfer switch? thanks
Click to expand...
If you are trying to rent a generator during a power outage, you are probably too late. If the outage is more widespread than just your location, the generator rentals will be in short supply.
 
d0nut said:
If you are trying to rent a generator during a power outage, you are probably too late. If the outage is more widespread than just your location, the generator rentals will be in short supply.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't this only apply to the customers that weren't the first ones there to rent a generator?

JAP>
 
Even if a rental generator is available, by the time you can get it there the outage will likely be over.

And at full load 70 kw is about 10 gallons of fuel per hour.
 
petersonra said:
Even if a rental generator is available, by the time you can get it there the outage will likely be over.

And at full load 70 kw is about 10 gallons of fuel per hour.
Click to expand...
Hmm, my 250kw generator, running a 125 hp pump motor fully loaded, burns just over 4 gallons per hour. My 20kw generator with a 10 hp load burns less than 1 gallon per hour.

And in the Caribbean, with the storm they've just had, it could conceivably be weeks before power is restored.
 
Dzboyce said:
Hmm, my 250kw generator, running a 125 hp pump motor fully loaded, burns just over 4 gallons per hour. My 20kw generator with a 10 hp load burns less than 1 gallon per hour.

And in the Caribbean, with the storm they've just had, it could conceivably be weeks before power is restored.
Click to expand...
125 HP is about 313,000 BTU/HR. There is about 137,000 BTU per gallon of diesel, and most diesel motor operated generators run about 40% efficient at full load. 125 HP would be about 5.8 GPH. 4 GPH suggests a load closer to 85 HP.
 
Last edited:
In California, rental generators, even trailer mounted commercial, are rented out (often to commercial customers with standing orders) within an hour of the time a PSPS (planned several day outage for wildfire reduction) is announced or an unplanned outage occurs.
Portable generators at big box stores may last a little bit longer.

The OP's plan might work for a purely local outage.
 
GoldDigger said:
In California, rental generators, even trailer mounted commercial, are rented out (often to commercial customers with standing orders) within an hour of the time a PSPS (planned several day outage for wildfire reduction) is announced or an unplanned outage occurs.
Portable generators at big box stores may last a little bit longer.

The OP's plan might work for a purely local outage.
Click to expand...
for the OP's plan to work you would need to pay a rental place to have a rental generator waiting for you.
 
jap said:
That would be the biggest pin and sleeve connector I've ever seen in my life.

I'd suggest a Transfer Switch with camlock capabilities.

JAP>
Click to expand...
Yes, after I posted I realized the genny amps. Cam lock with type W cable would be best
 
petersonra said:
for the OP's plan to work you would need to pay a rental place to have a rental generator waiting for you.
Click to expand...

Not really.

The home owner could have a brother in law that owns a generator rental place.

We all have one you know.

Quit being so negative,,,

JAP>
 
I'd also suggest installing an energy monitor to learn the actual load of this home. I rather doubt it needs a 70kVA generator.

Of course with a 300A service the customer may be willing to pay for a 300A generator...but I bet a 20 kVA genny would do the job

Jon
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top