I'm looking into getting a transfer witch put in to power parts of the house with a generator the next time power goes out for 60 hours and am thinking about this one:

Reliance 510C Pro/Tran2 50-Amp 10-Circuit 2 Manual Transfer Switch with Watt Meters

Before looking more into this I thought there was an option to basically just plug into your breaker box, make sure the main is off (with lockout device) and only leave on the breakers you want to power. This one required rewiring the selected breakers through the switch and manually switching each one over, which is fine with me, but obviously more in depth install.

Anyone got electrician recs that will come inside the loop and not double their prices? Only quote I got so far is $600 for labor and after watching the youtube vids the install looks straightforward enough that I might do it myself.

Of course I'd prefer a whole Generac but don't really want to drop $12K and I already have a couple Honda generators, one gas and one propane.

Yes, easiest is to wire it to a new 2 pole breaker and install an interlock. Switch off the A/C in the summer.

Repost on outdoor board. They are pretty knowledgeable.

My dad had some sort of RV switch put into his house when he built it. So if he runs his generator it can run the whole house and not just select things.

I installed a breaker interlock. Cost about $160 and i installed it myself.

I posted in home improvement board

~egon

You can DIY for sure. Heads up that the model you linked is intended for indoor use only. Their outdoor model is R510a.

I take it you moved the breakers that were in that place originally? My free slots are on the opposite end as the main.

my box doesn't even have any free slots

Question on this.... When wiring in a generator, is the only option to do a transfer box like the video where you have to pick 10 breakers? Or is there a way to wire directly to the breaker with a switch to go between main and generator power with an L bracket so that you can pick which breakers you want to power as you go?

Seems like I've seen people wiring in to their home without the transfer box like that.

We used a 30amp breaker and a 6500 watt generator this past week to run the 120 and central heat in our barndominium. Worked great and costs us less than 30$ to set it up.

So my panel has no main breaker disconnect, which I find crazy, but my question is can I still wire a portable generator in to my house with this panel somehow? I'm guessing and Interlock is not an option and would have to have an electrician wire a separate transfer switch and/or sub panel to my existing panel?

You could pull out an existing breaker that you don't need during a freeze or hurricane. and use that slot to insert new breaker wired to temporary power. take all the necessary precautions of course... turn off the main..!!

disclaimer: I am not an electrician.

fulshearAg96 said:

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You could pull out an existing breaker that you don't need during a freeze or hurricane. and use that slot to insert new breaker wired to temporary power. take all the necessary precautions of course... turn off the main..!!

disclaimer: I am not an electrician.

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You can see in that panel that there is no main.

What is between that panel and the meter? No disconnect anywhere?

there has to be a main.. right? my main is in a stand alone panel

I've researched a little and it seems this is a split bus panel, where the top double pole breakers feed the bottom single pole breakers, so I'm guessing 2 or 3 of those top double pole breakers are effectively the main when grouped together?

Our last house didn't have a main breaker. I don't think they were required at the time the house was built, but we added one as soon as we moved in.

Looks like that panel has a place for a main so I'd add one if I were you. Cant be too expensive since you won't have to replace the panel.

Player To Be Named Later said:

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Question on this.... When wiring in a generator, is the only option to do a transfer box like the video where you have to pick 10 breakers? Or is there a way to wire directly to the breaker with a switch to go between main and generator power with an L bracket so that you can pick which breakers you want to power as you go?

Seems like I've seen people wiring in to their home without the transfer box like that.

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Look a couple posts above yours. They have it wired directly in so you can choose breakers. Mines pretty much the exact same. I had open slots but did have to move breakers around to get my generator in the right slot for the transfer switch.

That looks like more of what I'd want to do for sure. I'd rather be able to have control over what items I'm running generator power to through my breaker box than just choosing a permanent 10 options.

Looks like my breaker box doesn't have the Main switch on it either. I'm guessing that's on the box on the side of the house. Any way to have a main switch wired in at the breaker box? Then I'd imagine it's just a matter of wiring the cutoff switch like you have there.

Player To Be Named Later said:

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So thankful for a gas furnace.....

Yep. This is making us seriously consider at least plumbing the house for a direct vent gas stove in the living room and swapping to a gas range/oven. It's a smaller house, so a good gas stove would do wonders for the main area of the house. And probably allow us to lower our electric bills in the winter.