I didn't use one because I wanted/needed to power more than just the house. My "main" service panel is out on the pole with separate beakers for each building (the well pump is in the well house, on a separate breaker from the house). The panel doesn't have a "main" breaker, each breaker is the "main" for each building. The panel is mounted just a couple inches below the meter so installing a transfer switch would mean having the utility company cut power and relocating my breaker panel on the pole... which would mean at least some reworking of the underground lines to the well house and shop. And likely would have required new wires/connections at the meter... meaning I pay.
The simpler, faster and by far less costly solution was to mount a second panel on the pole with a breaker for each building I wanted to power and "jumper" those breakers over to the breakers in the main panel. When the grid goes down I shut off the breakers in the main panel, plug the generator into the second panel, fire up the generator, a finally turn on the breakers in the second panel (house, well house, and garage/shop). By doing it that way even my security light out on the pole lights up.
Because the pole is right next to the shop, the generator can sit under-roof while running... I just open one overhead door partway to run the cord out and allow fresh air exchange. With the garage side of the shop powered I have lights for refueling the generator and such (yeah, I fuel it as it's running). There'a a fourth breaker in the main panel for the shop side of the garage, mostly for the welder, drill press, table saw and whatnot, but there is a couple lights on it also; but it ain't "jumpered" to a breaker into the second panel so I can leave it on and turn on one of those lights... when that light comes on (I can see it from the house) I know grid power has returned.
Disconnection is just reversed. First I turn off the breakers in the second panel, kill the generator, unplug it, finally turn on the breakers in the main panel.
As long as you keep two rules in mind it's almost impossible to screw-up...
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The simpler, faster and by far less costly solution was to mount a second panel on the pole with a breaker for each building I wanted to power and "jumper" those breakers over to the breakers in the main panel. When the grid goes down I shut off the breakers in the main panel, plug the generator into the second panel, fire up the generator, a finally turn on the breakers in the second panel (house, well house, and garage/shop). By doing it that way even my security light out on the pole lights up.
Because the pole is right next to the shop, the generator can sit under-roof while running... I just open one overhead door partway to run the cord out and allow fresh air exchange. With the garage side of the shop powered I have lights for refueling the generator and such (yeah, I fuel it as it's running). There'a a fourth breaker in the main panel for the shop side of the garage, mostly for the welder, drill press, table saw and whatnot, but there is a couple lights on it also; but it ain't "jumpered" to a breaker into the second panel so I can leave it on and turn on one of those lights... when that light comes on (I can see it from the house) I know grid power has returned.
Disconnection is just reversed. First I turn off the breakers in the second panel, kill the generator, unplug it, finally turn on the breakers in the main panel.
As long as you keep two rules in mind it's almost impossible to screw-up...
- When connecting the generator the very first thing you do is turn off the breakers in the main panel.
- When disconnecting the generator the very last thing you do is turn on the breakers in the main panel.
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