Installed Transfer Switch in House

[BLoflin]

Yea i was talking about a transfer switch box. I'm not a electrician and i looked on reliance website and there are a ton of transfer switches. Is there a particular 10 circuit one that would be recommended? Another question i have is with a transfer switch installed do you still need to put a interlock on your main box?

I have not gone down this path yet, so can not recommend. Can only google search and read.

By definition a code approved transfer switch (which is all you can buy, unless you are trying to DYI out of scrap parts) will have an interlock. Interlocks can be mechanical and simple or can be built in as part of an automatic transfer switch (for more $).

Regardless, if you are using the 7.2KW PowerBoost to be your emergency "generator" IT HAS TO BE A SWITCHED NEUTRAL TRANSFER SWITCH.

Otherwise it will not work.

Not all (in fact most are not) Transfer Switches are Switched Neutral.

If you are talking to your Electrician make sure and tell them it has to be Switched Neutral as your "generator" is a BONDED NEUTRAL generator and can not be "un-bonded".

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[Gros Ventre]

Cannot be "un-bonded" is not accurate... It's just that Ford won't provide a method of doing that. With wiring diagrams a licensed electrician could do that.

 

[BLoflin]

Cannot be "un-bonded" is not accurate... It's just that Ford won't provide a method of doing that. With wiring diagrams a licensed electrician could do that.

Gros Ventre, there has been (from the beginning) a lot of confusion on this issue, so I was just trying to make it clear for the person.

Generators you buy (not trucks) come in bonded and unbonded and some allow you to switch. Electricians should be familiar with that. Most do not know anything about a PowerBoost.

So if you tell the Electrician it is a bonded neutral generator that can NOT be unbonded, then the Electrician will understand why the regular (cheaper) Transfer Switch will not work.

The PowerBoost 7.2KW absolutely is bonded and does not have a mechanism to un-bond. No one knows, even with wiring diagrams and locations if it could be unbonded, nor whether it would still work.

 

[imnuts]

You are very likely to need new module programming and a new inverter to get the Powerboost to be a floating neutral versus bonded, effectively making it impossible.

 

[Gros Ventre]

You're wrong.

 

[imnuts]

You're wrong.

Who's wrong? While you've posted several times to suggest that this is something simple to do, but there is zero indication that is actually the case anywhere. Given that it is a DC to AC inverter supplying the power, the bonded neutral is very likely to be internal to the inverter and not a simple wire to be lifted.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Go run a test: connect your house without a neutral switching setup. Open the ground between the house and the truck. Then put a load on the generator. If it doesn't trip off the line because of a ground fault detected, you just effectively made it into a floating neutral generator. Do not operate this way, it is unsafe. But it shows the capability to do a conversion into a flaoting neutral generator.

 

[BLoflin]

Go run a test: connect your house without a neutral switching setup. Open the ground between the house and the truck. Then put a load on the generator. If it doesn't trip off the line because of a ground fault detected, you just effectively made it into a floating neutral generator. Do not operate this way, it is unsafe. But it shows the capability to do a conversion into a flaoting neutral generator.

?

Well, for everyone else, don't be confused and hold out any hope Ford will make this function available on the F150 PB.

Reasons:
1. Ford NEVER marketed the PB as a "whole house" generator (unlike the positioning of the Lightning). It only showed and talked about using extension cords to power tools, individual appliances and RVs. All of which work with the Bonded Neutral design.

2. For those who want to go further and actually incorporate a PB as an emergency generator for house circuits (vs individual extension cords) there IS a solution and that is a Switch Neutral Transfer Switch

3. Ford designed, tested and built the PB 7.2KW the way it is. They are not going to publish a method to defeat the Bonding and they are not going to be liable if people try and they are not going to warranty any "deconstruction" to achieve.

So while there may be wants/desires/dreams speculation on what is possible, don't count on it, when you are buying parts for your Transfer Switch.

 

[Gros Ventre]

Well, bloflin... maybe if enough people go after ford to do something maybe they'll get up and do it... From my perspective there is a generator that is capable of running one's house. Ford's advertising did not specify contractor only. Do you, or Ford, really expect one to run their house thru 4 120v extension cords... really? Oh come on... The point is simple: get enough people to ask Ford and maybe they'll do something. The fix is easy.
In the meantime, back to you... ?

 

[BLoflin]

Don't know what you mean... "back to you?"

I laid it out as succinctly as I could in post #294

I did NOT say they said "contractor only", I said they never marketed PowerBoost as a whole house back up power as they are doing on Lightning (with a LOT more required equipment to be installed at the house).

Finally, as I ALREADY STATED this specific topic (PowerBoost and Transfer Switches) has a lot of confusion (look at the size of this thread).

I'm attempting to be clear for people who may not understand or read thru it all, what is needed.

Meanwhile, I feel you are just confusing the issue for them, with your "campaign" to get Ford to do something they will never do.

Carry on, with your campaign, but lets be clear what people today and tomorrow need to do to use PB with a transfer switch.

 

[don.mullins]

Yea i was talking about a transfer switch box. I'm not a electrician and i looked on reliance website and there are a ton of transfer switches. Is there a particular 10 circuit one that would be recommended? Another question i have is with a transfer switch installed do you still need to put a interlock on your main box?

I can’t seem to fine the Reliance website for this company - I see a lot of similar named things in Google that are obviously not them. Could you post it?

 

[UGADawg96]

We have an electrician coming Friday to install the Generac 6852 transfer switch. We just need to figure out which circuits to move over. Also having him run a circuit for our TT for when we bring it to the house from storage and an additional outlet in the soffit on our patio for some patio string lights.

Generac 6852 installed today in JAX, FL. The inlet is on the backside of the three car garage. He also installed an outlet for our Travel Trailer. The mini-split in the pic was installed earlier this week for the garage.

10 circuits were moved over. Kitchen Fridge, Kitchen Outlets, Microwave, Garage Fridge, Garage & Laundry rooms, Water Heater, Washing machine, Master Bed and two Baths, and Family Room.

We tested it multiple times failing over and back and it successfully works with the Powerboost 7.2kw bonded neutral generator as seen in YouTube videos.

Using this cable to go from truck to inlet:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079D2Q47T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[BLoflin]

I can’t seem to fine the Reliance website for this company - I see a lot of similar named things in Google that are obviously not them. Could you post it?

Not sure what you mean.... just google: reliance transfer switch

Anyway the website is: http://www.reliancecontrols.com/

In particular for the Switched Neutral ones: http://www.reliancecontrols.com/x-series-panel-link.aspx

 

[UGADawg96]

Not sure what you mean.... just google: reliance transfer switch

Anyway the website is: http://www.reliancecontrols.com/

In particular for the Switched Neutral ones: http://www.reliancecontrols.com/x-series-panel-link.aspx

When researching this weeks/months ago, we couldn't find any reliance units for sale online. That plus no confirmed installs here nor videos for them with the PB. So that is why we went with the Generac 6852. There are multiple verified installs here and youtube.

 

[jdecoons]

Generac 6852 installed today in JAX, FL. The inlet is on the backside of the three car garage. He also installed an outlet for our Travel Trailer. The mini-split in the pic was installed earlier this week for the garage.

10 circuits were moved over. Kitchen Fridge, Kitchen Outlets, Microwave, Garage Fridge, Garage & Laundry rooms, Water Heater, Washing machine, Master Bed and two Baths, and Family Room.

We tested it multiple times failing over and back and it successfully works with the Powerboost 7.2kw bonded neutral generator as seen in YouTube videos.

Using this cable to go from truck to inlet:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079D2Q47T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Nicely done with this set up. UGADawg96 - did you have a chance yet to see if the on-board power could handle the full load of these 10 circuits or do you need to use circuits selectively? I ask because I'm thinking about a similar set of circuits for my upcoming Generac 6852 install. Thanks for sharing - good stuff!

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