Posted: 12/17/2008 4:17:10 PM EDT
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Anyone had any experience with an Interlock kit or a sub panel to wire a generator into their main panel for SHTF (My wifes words not mine)?
I was looking at the interlocks and so far they seem to be the best bang for the buck and least work. I am right in between Bremerton and Tacoma so any electric supply that sells these kits local would be great. Opinions? |
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We have a Seimens but Im not sure of the model. My big concern is not backfeeding the grid and hurting someone. I thought about wiring in another breaker and just shutting the main off. As long as Im not bonded on the ground and neutral on the generator I should be fine but I don't want to take any chances hurting anyone.
My main concern is to have something that is wifeproof so she can figure out how to fire up power in the event Im not home. |
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We install interlock kit for residential and commercial panels. It will allow you to feed any circuit within the panel unlike Gentran set where you need to pick 4-6 circuits to protect prior to installation. You need to buy the interlock kit for your panel brand since they are slightly different. Stoneway Electrical Supply in Tacoma has GE and Homeline, Square D and some others. IM me if you need additional help. Joe
ETA: Interlock kit can not be engaged if main breaker is on "On" position , thus preventing back feed to utility |
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We sell the Siemens ones. Your model # will be on the sticker on the inside of the panel door. it'll be something like G2040B1200 or something.
One advantage of an interlock kit is that once installed, it's pretty much idiot proof. You can have it powered by the grid or generator, but it's physically impossible to have both connected and powered (that whole being in two places at one time thing). |
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I thought about wiring in another breaker and just shutting the main off.
this is what I would do. Put numbered stickers with on or off on each switch and sequence, then teach the wife how to do. You just saved $1000.00 and most people know don't touch the power lines, even the line workers are aware of this problem. |
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Interlock kits are a good bang for the buck, tho I didn't know they were legal via the code in WA. I honestly didn't check into them when I put in our pannel.
I put in a generator sub pannel. I paid for the one we put in but it's not hard now I've seen it done and how I kick my self for paying for it. I picked one up from Home Depo, it was a good pannel alowed us to run 80% of the house when needed. Feel free to im me if you want help it's not hard. |
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Quoted:
We install interlock kit for residential and commercial panels. It will allow you to feed any circuit within the panel unlike Gentran set where you need to pick 4-6 circuits to protect prior to installation. You need to buy the interlock kit for your panel brand since they are slightly different. Stoneway Electrical Supply in Tacoma has GE and Homeline, Square D and some others. IM me if you need additional help. Joe ETA: Interlock kit can not be engaged if main breaker is on "On" position , thus preventing back feed to utility That sounds interesting. When I hacked my shack, we put in a transfer switch with 6-8 circuits in it. Unfortunately I have 36 cuircits in my shack so in an extended outage like we had last year I needed more circuits hot. I had circuits spliced into the TS like crazy, not really the safest way to get power. I ended up outting in a 220 breaker and an out let to heat up the panel so I could run whatever circuit I wanted to. I printed up instructions for the wife and it's all good. So how does an interlock work that it heats up the whole panel? |
| Basically, power from generator is fed through a 2 pole breaker you will install to work with interlock bracket. So, when that 2 pole breaker ( 240v) is turned on, that could be 30 , 40 or 50 amp breaker depending on the your gererator output, it will back feed the panel and bus bars in your panel gets energized. So, you can turn on any circuit(s) as permitted by your generator capacity. In order to do that , your main has to be on off position. Otherwise, the interlock will not let you turn on that generator powered breaker. |
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Quoted:
Basically, power from generator is fed through a 2 pole breaker you will install to work with interlock bracket. So, when that 2 pole breaker ( 240v) is turned on, that could be 30 , 40 or 50 amp breaker depending on the your gererator output, it will back feed the panel and bus bars in your panel gets energized. So, you can turn on any circuit(s) as permitted by your generator capacity. In order to do that , your main has to be on off position. Otherwise, the interlock will not let you turn on that generator powered breaker. So it's the same boot legged backfeed system people use with a safety measure inserted to keep from feeding the grid? I'd take that over a transfer switch since you can feed the whole panel. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Basically, power from generator is fed through a 2 pole breaker you will install to work with interlock bracket. So, when that 2 pole breaker ( 240v) is turned on, that could be 30 , 40 or 50 amp breaker depending on the your gererator output, it will back feed the panel and bus bars in your panel gets energized. So, you can turn on any circuit(s) as permitted by your generator capacity. In order to do that , your main has to be on off position. Otherwise, the interlock will not let you turn on that generator powered breaker. So it's the same boot legged backfeed system people use with a safety measure inserted to keep from feeding the grid? I'd take that over a transfer switch since you can feed the whole panel. Yep a friend of mine and I were thinking about going the transfer switch route but then he mentioned looking into the interlock. Seems to me to be a simpler more effective solution. So I looked for the model number inside the panel door and found about 4 different numbers. Is the panel model inside the box somewhere? Siemens; G3040B1200 G3040B1200CU G3040L1200 G3040L1200CU BTW thanks for all the info guys. |
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look here
Keep in mind you will need to do some minor rearranging in your panel so you can put the generator breaker at the top of your panel. |