What is the maximum distance I can have my generator from the transfer switch?

[greasy_burger]

Can anyone tell me what the furthest I could have my genset from my transfer switch would be? I have several loacations in mind and the furthest one is approx 75 feet away, will this cause any problems?

[Doug]

No issues with distance but you will have to use a larger cable and the cost for proper underground cable is probably in the 2 to 4 dollar a foot range right now....

[sailawayrb]

#10 just works for 75 feet.  You might want to bump up to #8.

http://www.wiktel.com/standards/wiresize.htm

[Doug]

We have to go back to the code book and look up the tables for the specific cable you are using.

That table is a very good rule of thumb.

[trigzy]

You will want to put fuses/disconnect closer to your gen set than just using the transfer switch 75 feet away, just in case you have a problem with the line in between.

Steve

[ronmar]

I run mine about 65-70' and use #10.  As mentioned, you should have a breaker at the generator.  I startup, and when warm, close the breaker at the generator to feed power to the transfer switch.

Ron

[sailawayrb]

Whether you use CBs or fuses at the generator is debatable...however you need to use one or the other.  I went with the CBs I suggested above because they are small (fit into the receptacle box that is bolted to the generator), can be pulled/pushed ON/OFF, and are entirely adequate for protecting the generator and the wire between the generator and transfer switch.  No matter how you engineer your setup, you don't ever want to be starting up or shutting down with ANY electrical load on the generator, period.

[greasy_burger]

I bought the emergen manual transfer switch EGS107501HR pictured on this page http://www.connecticut-electric.com/manual.html and contacted the family electrician for supplies, I have atleast 8/4 and possible 6/4 wire and a circuit breaker for the line coming so that's what I will wire in, hoping to run atleast some of the house, it's not a big house but we have an artesian well pump,furnace, washer ,dishwasher and some lights and rececptacles I hope to run, I don't think either the dryer or hot water heater will be an option but perhaps with the solar batch heater I hope to build I will be able to minimize my electric bill while running on veggie.

[ronmar]

Depending on the dishwasher you have, you might find that difficult as well due to all it's internal heating element load being on a single 120V leg.  The manufacturer may even specify it be on it's own breaker in the main panel, and loading may be the reason.  I bought a 3KW stepdown transformer(240-120) so I can spread my two largest 120V loads(microwave and refrigerator) across the combined/240V output. I have not yet experimented with the dishwasher, but when I do, I will be using that transformer.

You might also be able to reclaim the waste heat from the cooling system to keep your hot water tank warm.  At a 2KW load, I get around 11K BTU/HR out of my heat exchanger(1/2 GPM, 120F water).  At that rate, it will take about 2 hours to raise a 50 gallon HW tank from 60F to 120F.  At 3KW load, I get near 17K BTU/HR or near 3/4 GPM at 120F.

If it is a long run from generator to the nearest hot and cold pipes in your house, that could be problematic though as you need insulated line to transfer the heat.  I will have about $250 into my heat exchanger, Pump, 120F thermostat and hardware/tubeing, once I get my homemade insulated PEX tube into place for the final connection.  I have about another $100 into an internal fan coil unit to dissipate the excess heat into the house when needed, once the tank is fully heated.

Ron       

[greasy_burger]

Well as per recommendations, I turned the engine and genhead 180 degrees, had to seriuosly slot the indian frame holes to achieve this, wired said transfer switch with a 250v safety throw disconnect and ran 8/3 wire  from disconnect to transfer switch, main is old and not laebled, house has some rooms split into 2 circuits so I will need to tweak the config but it now will power most lights, furnace,bathroom and possibly the well pump( I have 2 unmarked 240v's I need to identify, since the switch can do 2 double poles and I only need one could I unhook the tiebar between them and make the single poles?

[buickanddeere]

  An 8/3 and running 120 plus 240 loads?
  How and where is the ground and neutral connected? 

[rmchambers]

I'd vote for finding out EXACTLY what all those breakers are feeding.  If you have a double pole breaker feeding two individual circuits then yes that's a candidate to be split but never ever split a 220 circuit onto two separate breakers.  You're asking to get shocked doing that.

When I bought my current house it was 50 years old and the old cable was very touchy.. cloth covered rubber insulation in armored bx steel.  If you didn't touch it it was fine, if you moved the wire the cloth split and the rubber crumbled.  First order of business was using the old wire as a drag to pull new plastic coated (still BX) 12 gauge (no more 14 ga in the house) and whatever the larger circuits needed got the same or higher capacity too.  I found boxes in the walls and ceilings it was dead scary.

RC

[Doug]

Where do you live that BX is common house wire?

Why would you replace  #14 with #12 ( did you get a realy good deal ? )?


Greasy Burger:

What type of wire did you buy ( 8/3 ) and are you planning to burry it?

Buck:

I understand what he means is he has seperate lighting and power circuts for each room....
Switched split recepticals, remember in the 80's when that the hip thing ( no cealing lights )?

[ronmar]

Yep, Buicanddeere said it, you should have 4 conductors running from generator to transfer switch/main panel, 2 hot legs, Neutral and Ground(typically Red, Black, White and Green in a 4 conductor cable).  Just like the commercial service feeding your house, Ground and neutral should be hardwired into the panel, and NEVER switched.  Only the hot legs run thru the switched contactors.

It is also very important that the neutral leg to the generator never be interrupted.  If you still have a neutral interconnect in your panel, but loose the neutral reference from the generator, you can run into issues where two devices plugged into different outlets, each outlet on separate 120V legs from the generator, can act like two 120V devices in series on a 240V circuit.  This can be rather unhealthy for the appliances, as well as the people around them.   Ground is tied to neutral at several points on the commercial circuit after it leaves the final stepdown transformer that provides your service, as well as where it enters your panel, so you get two shots at maintaing this important neutral reference pathway.

Ron

[Doug]

Most cable like Teck 90 3 2/0 means 3 conductor plus ground.
Generaly this is how we refer to it in the trade.....

Teck: armoured cable.

90: temperature rating

3 4/0: 3 conductor number 2/0 ground will be smaller in this case a #2.
The ground is not counted......

Quote romar:
It is also very important that the neutral leg to the generator never be interrupted.

In opperation the common ( its not a neutral, and calling it that is a pet peve of mine ) must be always be there. In practice you can interupt it with a 3 pole switch of you are using a seperate bonding system.

Basicaly the ST head and the Indian generators give you the options of running with a 2 or 3 pole switch if you want to isolate your common from the utility common when opperating. 

This is of course CEC rules the NEC and state and local US codes may differ ( and from what I have seen glad I work in Canada  ).

Final thought:
In Indian Black is ground.
Read that twice I'm not kidding........