Powering House through Transfer Switch

[pqMMA]

So curious. I currently have a portable generator that I start up and connect the 240 V output to a 240 V input transfer switch, which is wired to my panel. I turn off my main (slide up the fail safe) and then turn on the breakers for my generator. This powers up my whole house in the event of a power outage.

I'm curious if I can use the same cord, output from the 240 V in my truck bed, plug it into the 240 transfer switch, and be good to go?

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[frautumn]

I tried this at my fire department house with a similar setup, and got an error in the truck saying that the connection needs to have a bonded neutral. See these threads on the subject:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/powering-a-home.9751
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/home-electrical-panel-output-question.13363

 

[pqMMA]

I tried this at my fire department house with a similar setup, and got an error in the truck saying that the connection needs to have a bonded neutral. See these threads on the subject:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/powering-a-home.9751
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/home-electrical-panel-output-question.13363

Interesting. So the question would be if my transfer switch was wired with a bonded neutral or it's coming from the generator as such.

 

[adoublee]

Only if the transfer switch switches/breaks the neutral from the utility source.

 

[pqMMA]

Only if the transfer switch switches/breaks the neutral from the utility source.

I would think it does. I have a latch fail safe, so I have to flip my double breaker main off, push up the bracket and flip on the double breaker for the generator.

 

[Maquis]

I would think it does. I have a latch fail safe, so I have to flip my double breaker main off, push up the bracket and flip on the double breaker for the generator.

I doubt it. What you have is breaker interlock, not a full blown transfer switch. Breaker interlocks have no means to switch the neutral.

 

[pqMMA]

Ok next question. If my entire house is running of my generator (8kw), can I charge my truck through my normal process( remote charger plugged into 240 V outlet)

 

[RickLightning]

Ok next question. If my entire house is running of my generator (8kw), can I charge my truck through my normal process( remote charger plugged into 240 V outlet)

Well first, you should do the basic math. 8kw is puny. The truck, if using the Ford Mobile Charger at around 30amps, would pull 7.2 of that 8kW. So no. You could buy a charger that allows you to ramp down the amperage to something that the generator could handle.

Keep in mind that the cost per kilowatt hour from that generator may in fact exceed the cost go simply plug in at Electrify America, if it's up and running.

I did the math on my generator running during a recent outage, using natural gas at 1.03 per cu ft, and compared that to the cost of electricity in the same period the day prior and the day after. Needless to say the numbers don't work.

 

[pqMMA]

8kw is puny

runs my entire house in a storm anyway

 

[RickLightning]

runs my entire house in a storm anyway

I find that amazing.

We just put in a whole house generator. 22kW (19kW on natural gas). If you don't have an electric clothes dryer, then the big hitters are A/Cs (if they are running) and electric oven. And of course the vehicle.

We could charge the Mach-E if we wanted to, but would only do so if it were an emergency. We'd likely turn off the A/C until it got uncomfortable (like sleeping), because the cost to run it would be very high.

 

[pqMMA]

We just put in a whole house generator. 22kW (19kW on natural gas). If you don't have an electric clothes dryer, then the big hitters are A/Cs (if they are running) and electric oven. And of course the vehicle.

Yeah, the only time we lose power is winter storms, so air conditioning not an issue and I have a propane stove.

 

[RickLightning]

Yeah, the only time we lose power is winter storms, so air conditioning not an issue and I have a propane stove.

Lucky.

Despite living outside a large city of well over 100,000, and being in a large neighborhood, we have lost power over 1/2 dozen times in the last year. The feed for our underground utilities goes through a forested area, and nearly every outage is branches / trees, despite an aggressive tree trimming / cutting effort. We've lived here for 15 years and it's gotten worse, not better, so we finally gave up and put in the generator for peace of mind. A winter outage is frozen pipes. We also have a well, so in an outage no water, no toilet flushing, no pumping of septic out to field, no sump pump...

 

[pqMMA]

I doubt it. What you have is breaker interlock, not a full blown transfer switch. Breaker interlocks have no means to switch the neutral.

so my house was built in 2011, pretty sure I have bonded neutrals all over the place.

 

[Pioneer74]

so my house was built in 2011, pretty sure I have bonded neutrals all over the place.

By code your neutral should only be bonded in the main panel.

 

[Capertrj]

I just purchased a Generac 6852 to change out my old GenTran with. Hopefully that solves the ground fault error.

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