six circuit transfer switch with no neutral

[GoldDigger]

How so?

In the ones I have seen, the generator output goes directly into the transfer panel rather than looping through the main panel. That makes all of the transfer panel to main panel wires one way with no balancing current when operated off the generator.
If the total feed from both generator phases happens to match, then there will still be no net current in the raceway. But if you turn on (transfer) only one branch you have 100% imbalance.

I probably should have said "is not guaranteed to be balanced."
A switch leg is always exactly balanced to zero net current, without involving the neutral.

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[wwhitney]

The switch came with a prewired flex whip with six pairs of conductors for the six switches as well as a ground and a neutral. The neutral ran from the main panel through the transfer switch to the generator power inlet.

In the ones I have seen, the generator output goes directly into the transfer panel rather than looping through the main panel. That makes all of the transfer panel to main panel wires one way with no balancing current when operated off the generator.

If the neutral from the generator is routed through the same whip as the OP states, doesn't that balance the current through the whip while running on generator power?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[iwire]

In the ones I have seen, the generator output goes directly into the transfer panel rather than looping through the main panel. That makes all of the transfer panel to main panel wires one way with no balancing current when operated off the generator.
If the total feed from both generator phases happens to match, then there will still be no net current in the raceway. But if you turn on (transfer) only one branch you have 100% imbalance.

This is not making sense to me.

If it is the kind of manual trasfer switch I am thinking of there is no issue in either normal or emergency modes.

 

[GoldDigger]

If the neutral from the generator is routed through the same whip as the OP states, doesn't that balance the current through the whip while running on generator power?

Cheers, Wayne

The "generator inlet" is, I think, attached to the transfer panel, not coming through the whip. The ones I have seen were all built that way.
But if the generator neutral is connected to the panel neutral bus through the whip, then you are exactly right.

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[kwired]

If the neutral from the generator is routed through the same whip as the OP states, doesn't that balance the current through the whip while running on generator power?

Cheers, Wayne

I tried to mention this earlier, if generator power comes directly to this transfer panel, then the neutral has to run from there with the other ungrounded branch circuit conductors to the neutral bus in main panel where the backed up branch circuits originated before installing the transfer panel. All magnetic effects are cancelled in the whip to the panel because the neutral is in the whip. When not in standby mode you have switch loops canceling magnetic effects of one another in the whip, and the neutral is not doing anything when in normal power mode.