My personal feeling is one should completely isolate a generator thats on stand by and switch the neutral. But this requires a second ground system.
As far as switching is concerned I feel that Priorety loads should be moved to a sub panel with a neutral switching transfer switch.
My reasoning is this if you have a power failure the trouble on the load side of your meter may cause other unexpect problems that you might want to be isolated from. Perhaps there is a downed pole or blown transformer what ever the case may be. I know I have a good ground here in my house possibly as good or better than the pole transformer across the road because of a high water table and this might cause me some concern in a lighting strike or other freak power problem.
Second I have a limmited amount of power to run a home in an emergency so realy only the things I need should be loading the system this would include furnace, water heater, AC, fridge, sump pump, lighting ect. I don't need the oven, sauna, hot tub, outdoor lighting and garage ect. But then this is easy for me to say because I have a sub panel and its quite easy for me to move the loads on this.
Next thing we need to consider is what kind of transfer device do I need?
Most here will not likely have a stand by unit that with remote start, so an automatic transfer isan't realy needed. But I have a couple of 50 amp contactors on hand so I might add this later. Right now my choice is a simple three pole square D 30 Amp disc with 7 Hp rating. I'll post pictures of what I have in mind after I'm home from work, its a 3 phase 600 volt unit not fused. Im not going to say this is the best unit on the market but its on hand, easy to buy and cheaper that some of the larger units I'm going to show you.
Ray:
You want to see some spining Iron? Lets see if I can figure out how to post a picture of the "big guy" the 7000 hp hoist motor and skip drive from #9Â
http://www.putfile.com/dougwpI never actualy looked at these before....
Quality sucks, but what you are looking at is a GE 56.3 rpm 7000 hp 800 Vdc motor and hoisting drum, A 1980s twin GE silpac 6 phase drive master and slave drive (the big grey cabnets) and some cool looking vintage 1960s mechanical speed controls, the hoistman's dog house and the 69 kV main service incoming where my job begins.