Residential Back up Generator

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dmanda24

dmanda24

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I am wondering if this installation would be up to code
Present equipment
-Meter outside connected to Florida Power & light.
-200 A disconnect, outside connected to meter.
-200 A Panel connected, inside connected to disconnect.

Proposed work
-Connect a 50 A fusible pull-out disconnect to the side of the 200 A disconnect that is connected to the house panel, and from here putting an L14-30 R receptacle for the generator.

The installer claims that is correct because turning the main breaker off would disconnect comercial power and turning the pull out disconnect on would connect the generator to the house panel without risk of energizing out side the house (since the main breaker would be off).

My Issues with this installation are:

1) He plants to put the 3/0 wire that feeds the house panel and the #8 wire from the generator together in the single lug of the main breaker. I'm pretty sure he can't do that. What can he do to make this connection legally.

2) the plug for the generator is a 30 A why is the pull out disconnect fused at 50 A? that's a bit more than 120%

Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Hurricane season is Here.
 
Right out of the gate, it's not compliant because 'turning off the main' is not an acceptable way of disconnecting utility power. See 702.6.

If he's feeding the generator into the lugs of the main, that will simply backfeed the utility, whether the main is turned off or not.

As for the 30a disconnect with 50a fuses, is there a 30amp breaker on the jenny? If so, he's trying to drive a 200amp service with a 30amp supply.

FWIW, if this type of connection were made in my neck of the woods, the utility would shut him off until it was done right. "Hurricane season is here" and you don't want to back-feed the (supposedly) de-energized utility lines and have a line crew get lit up. MAJOR liability here.
 
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stickboy1375 said:
You need a transfer switch, end of story...
Click to expand...

Not a transfer switch....a transfer means.

That may be as simple as a breaker interlock kit for an existing panel. Or you could use a manual transfer switch to save some money.
 
Ones like this:
DSC04782a.JPG


This MLO panel has two 2-pole breakers installed side-by-side. (Main lugs are not used) Square D Part # QO2DTI is the interlock mechanishm. One breaker is back-fed from main panel (behind open door on right), other from power inlet located outside for portable jenny. The kit turns the breakers into a break-before-make set-up, and the small panel feeds the 'emergency' circuits.... fridge, freezer, sump, 2 light circuits.
 
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The interlock kit goes in the house panel? I wanted to avoid doing work inside the house, I guess there is no way arround it
And you can only put one wire into a lug right? how can one overcome this? Not for this particular application but in general
 
Gen tran

Gen tran

You can get a reasonably priced gen tran system on ebay or a new one from a supply house. This is a foolproof way to not mix generator and power co . A 10 ckt panel should be plenty for critical loads and the breakers switch individually between line and generator.
 
quogueelectric said:
You can get a reasonably priced gen tran system on ebay or a new one from a supply house.
Click to expand...

I make mine with a $12 100MLO panel and the mechanism is about $8.Last time I priced a "Generator Panel" at the Big Orange Box it was $150.
 
dmanda24 said:
The interlock kit goes in the house panel? I wanted to avoid doing work inside the house, I guess there is no way arround it
Click to expand...

Putting an interlock kit in the house won't help you in this case. You have to find a fail-safe mechanical means that will keep the 200 amp disconnect open when the generator is being used.

You are having the installation inspected aren't you?

Roger
 
roger said:
Putting an interlock kit in the house won't help you in this case. You have to find a fail-safe mechanical means that will keep the 200 amp disconnect open when the generator is being used.

You are having the installation inspected aren't you?

Roger
Click to expand...


Maybe his panel is a convertible and he can install a main breaker in the panel...
 
stickboy1375 said:
Maybe his panel is a convertible and he can install a main breaker in the panel...
Click to expand...

Maybe, but with this growing task it will probably be easier for the EC just to provide some sort of transfer equipment by the time the whole service has been premitted and rebuilt.

Roger
 
dmanda24 said:
I am wondering if this installation would be up to code
Present equipment
-Meter outside connected to Florida Power & light.
-200 A disconnect, outside connected to meter.
-200 A Panel connected, inside connected to disconnect.

Proposed work
-Connect a 50 A fusible pull-out disconnect to the side of the 200 A disconnect that is connected to the house panel, and from here putting an L14-30 R receptacle for the generator.

The installer claims that is correct because turning the main breaker off would disconnect comercial power and turning the pull out disconnect on would connect the generator to the house panel without risk of energizing out side the house (since the main breaker would be off).

My Issues with this installation are:

1) He plants to put the 3/0 wire that feeds the house panel and the #8 wire from the generator together in the single lug of the main breaker. I'm pretty sure he can't do that. What can he do to make this connection legally.

2) the plug for the generator is a 30 A why is the pull out disconnect fused at 50 A? that's a bit more than 120%

Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Hurricane season is Here.
Click to expand...
Take a look at
http://www.generlink.com/about_generlink.cfm
 
dmanda24 said:
The installer claims that is correct because turning the main breaker off would disconnect comercial power and turning the pull out disconnect on would connect the generator to the house panel without risk of energizing out side the house (since the main breaker would be off).
Click to expand...

The only way this could even conceivably be legal were if the main breaker had to be opened (via mechanical means, not a post-it note) prior to closing the pull-out.
 
dmanda24 said:
The interlock kit goes in the house panel? I wanted to avoid doing work inside the house, I guess there is no way arround it
And you can only put one wire into a lug right? how can one overcome this? Not for this particular application but in general
Click to expand...

Breaker interlock prevents back feed to power company. The generator connection is hooked to a 30A breaker to backfeed the panel. One cannot be on unless the other is off as you can see in the picture posted by 480sparky. 30a genset is ok on a manual switch because you can select loads. If auto transfer, genset must be rated 100% connected load.
 
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