Portable Generator & Fuse Panel

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Little Bill

Little Bill

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Tennessee NEC:2017
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Semi-Retired Electrician
I have a potential customer that wants an estimate for hooking up a portable (8K-?) generator, but he has a fuse panel. Short of pulling/reinstalling fuses, I don't see a way to do this. I suggested he add either a subpanel or manual transfer switch and run the desired circuits to one of them.. Then he adds more confusion to the mix, he also has a subpanel (breaker). He thinks the loads he wants backed up are a mix from both the fuse panel and breaker subpanel. That would take me for sure to either a manual TS with spaces for circuits or a subpanel with all the loads run to it that he wants backed up.
I haven't looked at his set-up yet, only talked on the phone. My thoughts would be to replace the fuse panel with a breaker panel, use an interlock to connect it to the generator inlet. Also, if any loads he wants are in the existing subpanel, the same setup would have to be done there. But with two panels I would need to split the power from the inlet in order to feed both panels.

Any thoughts on best way to do this?
 
The all-genny-loads-in-the-sub-panel version with a main-and-genny interlock on it.

That presumes relatively easy circuit relocation and desired circuit quantity.
 
Thinking about this a little more, what if the fuse panel was changed to a breaker panel. Add an interlock to the new breaker panel with a breaker (30A ?) for the generator. Customer chooses and marks desired circuits to be backed up from the main, with the feed breaker to the existing subpanel being one of the ones left on. Then choose the circuits in the existing subpanel and mark them. That way circuits from both panels could be backed up.
 
We've done it both ways. Sub panel on manual/ATS or for the whole system. Generac used to have a setup that would allow manual selection for specific loads and we installed quite a few of those over the years. Now, with AFCI/GFCI requirements, I don't think that option is viable.

I would be inclined to suggest a new breaker panel along with the breaker interlock in or to the sub.
 
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