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-   -   Generator for power outages? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/trailer-park-96/generator-power-outages-848244/)

thinbrit Dec 7th 2014 6:04 am

Re: Generator for power outages?
 

Originally Posted by ottotheboar (Post 11495322)
Personally I think a carport would fine with the exhaust pointing away from the house.

If you 'hard wire' the input for the generator using a transfer switch then location is not really an issue in most cases. I ran the input for my generator through conduit under the eaves to a large 3 car (and open 3 sides) carport. There are no windows or doors anywhere near it. Even if you don't have a suitable dry location, then there are tons of solutions available, for example:
GenTent GT10KB00TB ™ 10K Rain/Wet Weather Safety Canopy For Portable Generators

My transfer switch came with an extremely heavy duty power cable to run from the generator to the switch, rated at 100 amps. The transfer switch breaker sub panel I ran to the generator input using 2/0 wire, for the length of my run, again rated at 100 amps.

ottotheboar Dec 7th 2014 7:15 am

Re: Generator for power outages?
 

Originally Posted by thinbrit (Post 11495341)
I use a transfer switch with my portable generator. It is essentially an electrical sub panel, rated for my generator. Installation is simple, if not laborious. You transfer all the circuits you intend to run with the generator to the new sub panel. When running on the generator, I throw a large switch that isolates the incoming line and transfers the sub panel to the generator input (which is mounted outside my home). Switching back moves all the breakers on the sub panel back to the main breaker feed. After adding the transfer switch, I was left with a sparsely populated main panel, and all the previous circuits moved to the new sub panel.

The switch is attached to two large breakers, one is the mains supply and one is the generator input. Closing one breaker opens the other, and vice versa. These large breakers in turn feed my sub panel. The panel includes amp meters for each 110v input, to help balance the load. You want roughly half of the load on each 110v leg of the sub panel to prevent stress on the generator.

That sounds a lot better than playing with a lot of undersized extension cables.
The transfer switches I am used to are basically up for mains power down for generator or auto start.


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