Installed Transfer Switch in House

[HammaMan]

You'd have to verify w/ a scope. It's not a simple task to both clean up the wave and ensure proper frequency.

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[ReverendQ]

@HammaMan I’m certainly no expert and very capable of getting things wrong. I’m currently using pure sine wave UPS units for the better electronics.
Something like this:

I used to work in UPS as a Test Engineer, but much larger units i.e. 750KVA plus. The rectify utility AC-to DC battery bus - back to AC for loads process usually produced a dirtier wave. And consider the load switching may be causing noise on the source. Really, you have to see it to know if it cleans it. O-Scope time.

 

[Samson16]

I used to work in UPS as a Test Engineer, but much larger units i.e. 750KVA plus. The rectify utility AC-to DC battery bus - back to AC for loads process usually produced a dirtier wave. And consider the load switching may be causing noise on the source. Really, you have to see it to know if it cleans it. O-Scope time.

I do have an O-scope. I’m thinking my non inverter generator gets even trashier when the 4.5 ton compressor kicks on. I use a MicroAire easy start which helps but I bet the frequency and voltage struggle momentarily lol. I’ll see if I can capture it

 

[Gros Ventre]

Interestingly, after being critical of the Generac Manual transfer switch box, I ended up installing one in my house. Reason: I needed more breaker slots than the main panel I installed years ago. The Generac Panel gave me the 10 more slots I needed without having to buy and install another main panel. Observation: when you power up the Generator Source and then switch to it, it trips the trucks ground circuit dumping the generator. It then restarts and runs just fine as the alternate power source. It's just really odd that the act of transferring power trips it. I'll try it from both a dead utility condition and a manual shift to see if it still trips the truck.

 

[rdmjr]

I am having a similar issue. When I have the 50A transfer panel supply breaker in the main panel turned on when I power the generator I get power shown on the orange panel light, but the generator GFCI trips out when I hit the transfer button. This is with all the transfer panel breakers turned off.

If I turn off the 50A supply breaker in the main panel the transfer occurs properly.

After I have the generator supplying power to the panel, I can turn the 50A supply breaker in the main panel back on and things continue to run properly with the green utility light now illuminated. When I press the transfer button to go back to utility power the transfer happens properly, but the generator GFCI trips out again.

I installed the Generac 9854 according to the instructions. I moved all the neutrals, and I do not have a connection between the N and G bus bar in the transfer switch panel. I have the ground and the neutral cables from the individual transfer switch bus bars going to the main panel on separate cables to the G/N bus bar. All my circuit grounds are still wired to my main panel, I only moved the hot and neutral wires.

I do not have any additional grounding rods added, I depend on ground in the cable connector to connect back to my main panel ground system.

Has anyone had a similar experience, and how was it resolved?

 

[Gros Ventre]

I believe that tripping occurs because the actual switch in the panel is a make before break type switch. Thus the truck's GFCI senses the additional neutral-ground bond and trips. Then, since they are in fact then broken, it comes back on line and operates fine. There's nothing wrong with any of your wiring, the issue lies in the switch itself.

 

[Hullguy]

I am having a similar issue. When I have the 50A transfer panel supply breaker in the main panel turned on when I power the generator I get power shown on the orange panel light, but the generator GFCI trips out when I hit the transfer button. This is with all the transfer panel breakers turned off.

If I turn off the 50A supply breaker in the main panel the transfer occurs properly.

After I have the generator supplying power to the panel, I can turn the 50A supply breaker in the main panel back on and things continue to run properly with the green utility light now illuminated. When I press the transfer button to go back to utility power the transfer happens properly, but the generator GFCI trips out again.

I installed the Generac 9854 according to the instructions. I moved all the neutrals, and I do not have a connection between the N and G bus bar in the transfer switch panel. I have the ground and the neutral cables from the individual transfer switch bus bars going to the main panel on separate cables to the G/N bus bar. All my circuit grounds are still wired to my main panel, I only moved the hot and neutral wires.

I do not have any additional grounding rods added, I depend on ground in the cable connector to connect back to my main panel ground system.

Has anyone had a similar experience, and how was it resolved?

That’s how mine works as well. I don’t believe there is a work around.

 

[dochawk]

Another option instead of the transfer switch.

???

 

[Gros Ventre]

???

I had one of those installed in my panel. It worked well except the Truck's Ground Fault Sensor detects the panel's neutral ground bond and shuts down its generator. If you cannot open up that neutral ground bonding, you cannot run the Truck's generator on the house. At least until Ford gets around their refusal to remove or deactivate the Truck's programming that shuts down the generator when it senses the house's bond.

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