Alternative Power sources - Cutover Box(es): One Or Two?

Author

Cutover Box(es): One Or Two?

(PeteCresswell)

2007-07-04, 5:25 pm

Last year I went and bought a little EU2000 with the notion of
running an extension cord inside the house to service the needed
appliances.

Works....sort of.... But now I realize that a cutover box is the
Good-Right-And-Holy path.

But I'd like to be able to go two ways:
---------------------------------------------------------------
- Plug in the EU2000 and have the box fused for maybe 1.8kw
(because the EU2000's manual says that consist ant use over
1.8 will damage it....) and not serve up the 220 that
various things like the clothes dryer use.
OR
- Plug in some yet-un-obtained larger gennie (like 5 or 10 kw)
and get the whole nine yards: 220, no fusing for 1.9 and
maybe even run the central AC.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Can all of this functionality be incorporated into a single
cutover box?

If so can anybody cite the technical words to describe the
need to an electrician?
--
PeteCresswell

Neon John

2007-07-04, 5:25 pm

The only way I can think of is the way I did it. Break out your loads into "normal"
and "vital bus". Lights, refrigerator, etc. Put those on a separate sub-panel and
feed it from a breaker in the main panel. You can either use the breaker in the main
panel as the isolation switch or install a conventional transfer switch.

For the large generator where you'd power your whole house, install another transfer
switch in the main between the meter and breaker box.

John

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:53:55 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote:

>Last year I went and bought a little EU2000 with the notion of
>running an extension cord inside the house to service the needed
>appliances.
>
>Works....sort of.... But now I realize that a cutover box is the
>Good-Right-And-Holy path.
>
>But I'd like to be able to go two ways:
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>- Plug in the EU2000 and have the box fused for maybe 1.8kw
> (because the EU2000's manual says that consist ant use over
> 1.8 will damage it....) and not serve up the 220 that
> various things like the clothes dryer use.
> OR
>- Plug in some yet-un-obtained larger gennie (like 5 or 10 kw)
> and get the whole nine yards: 220, no fusing for 1.9 and
> maybe even run the central AC.
>---------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Can all of this functionality be incorporated into a single
>cutover box?
>
>If so can anybody cite the technical words to describe the
>need to an electrician?
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
It isn't Global Warming.... It's Jerry Falwell arriving in hell.

Tom Horne, Electrician

2007-07-04, 8:25 pm

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Last year I went and bought a little EU2000 with the notion of
> running an extension cord inside the house to service the needed
> appliances.
>
> Works....sort of.... But now I realize that a cutover box is the
> Good-Right-And-Holy path.
>
> But I'd like to be able to go two ways:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> - Plug in the EU2000 and have the box fused for maybe 1.8kw
> (because the EU2000's manual says that consist ant use over
> 1.8 will damage it....) and not serve up the 220 that
> various things like the clothes dryer use.
> OR
> - Plug in some yet-un-obtained larger gennie (like 5 or 10 kw)
> and get the whole nine yards: 220, no fusing for 1.9 and
> maybe even run the central AC.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Can all of this functionality be incorporated into a single
> cutover box?
>
> If so can anybody cite the technical words to describe the
> need to an electrician?

Pete
I would suggest a more cost effective variation on the two panel
approach. Put your survival loads in a small emergency panel and equip
that panel with an interlock that prevents the main breaker and the
generator breaker from being closed at the same time. From the
generator breaker you run the cable to your inlet for the existing small
generator. Since the generator you will use with that panel is half
phase 120 volt you must not use any multiwire branch (Edison) circuits
to supply loads out of that panel The black wire from the inlet will be
spliced to two leads and both will be connected to the two poles of the
generators breaker. In that way both buss bars of that panel will be
supplied from your 120 volt generator.

You then repeat the process with your main panel by installing an
interlock between it's main breaker and the largest two pole breaker
that it's buss bars will accommodate. That breaker will be the control
for the future larger generator. The two interlocks kits will run about
two hundred dollars for the kits them selves. installation costs will
vary a lot by what part of the world you are in.
--
Tom Horne

"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison

Mike Payne

2007-07-05, 9:25 am

My local electric company is installing an auto-cutover plug in that goes
between the electric meter and the house. You plug your generator into it
and the generator can then power the whole house. I would assume you will
need to turn off some breakers before plugging it in. If the generator is
producing power then the feed form the utility is disconnected.

Going with the some loads can be powered while others can't is very
frustrating to actually live with. No matter which loads you pick for your
transfer switch they will not be the right ones when you need them for a
couple of days.

mike

"(PeteCresswell)" <x@y.Invalid> wrote in message
news:2aun83987a73tclprc7fr52eiejkgg91r8@4ax.com...
> Last year I went and bought a little EU2000 with the notion of
> running an extension cord inside the house to service the needed
> appliances.
>
> Works....sort of.... But now I realize that a cutover box is the
> Good-Right-And-Holy path.
>
> But I'd like to be able to go two ways:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> - Plug in the EU2000 and have the box fused for maybe 1.8kw
> (because the EU2000's manual says that consist ant use over
> 1.8 will damage it....) and not serve up the 220 that
> various things like the clothes dryer use.
> OR
> - Plug in some yet-un-obtained larger gennie (like 5 or 10 kw)
> and get the whole nine yards: 220, no fusing for 1.9 and
> maybe even run the central AC.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Can all of this functionality be incorporated into a single
> cutover box?
>
> If so can anybody cite the technical words to describe the
> need to an electrician?
> --
> PeteCresswell

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