# Transfer Switch Installation



## KC Rock (Oct 28, 2021)

Thinking about getting a small...10k watt..portable generator. Would need to get a transfer switch

installed. That doesn't look too complicated but I'd rather have a pro do it. A quick call to an area

electrician was talking in the 7 - 800$ range. How does that sound to everyone? tia....


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

About right. Although your area also dictates price. Changes have to be made to the panel and your electric provider has to come out to disconnect power and then reconnect when the changes are done. 

I had someone do mine but he wasn't a licensed electrician.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I did mine but it was a 100 amp. Your local codes may require that a licensed sparky do the work and then an inspector sign off on the permit/work.
Is your quote including materials, labor and permits or just the guy showing up and putting your stuff together?


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I did one for my brother a few years back 

if you have every circuit you want on the transfer switch labeled and the conduit run to the outdoor box and all the electrician has to do is hook it up you could save yourself the money time.


it took me about 5 hours most of that was figuring out what circuits everything were on and drilling through the brick, mounting the box inside and out once I had all the circuits labeled actual connections took me 30 minutes then we did testing 

the transfer switch at the time was around 300 dollars 

his box could do 10/120 or if you used 2 of those you could do a 240

so he has 2/240 and 6 120 circuits on the transfer switch 

well pump is a 240 
lift pump for his septic is a 240
freezers , refrigerators , furnace , were 120
we had one extra circuit left when we got all that important stuff done so we did the master bed room that has a ceiling fan so that if it was due to a summer storm they could still get some sleep at night and have the tv for weather and updates and such. the maser bed is also the furthest spot from the generator so it would be the quietest to sleep or stay in 

in most areas homeowners can pull a permit but are required to have inspection , if your not experienced with electrical , your never not working around hot lugs when your in a main breaker box so you should know what your doing.


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## KC Rock (Oct 28, 2021)

GTX63 said:


> I did mine but it was a 100 amp. Your local codes may require that a licensed sparky do the work and then an inspector sign off on the permit/work.
> Is your quote including materials, labor and permits or just the guy showing up and putting your stuff together?


Total cost...labor and materials.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

KC Rock said:


> Total cost...labor and materials.


That really isn't bad at all 
the switch is at least a couple three hundred typically so for all installed that isn't bad Reliance Generator Transfer Switch Kit 6 Circuits, Model# 306CRK | Northern Tool


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

When the power goes down, I switch off my main breaker, disconnecting from the grid. Start the generator and let it warm up. Plug pigtail into generator, switch on breaker attached to pigtail. Done. Total cost $12.00 for the 150 amp breaker. Installation time five minutes.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

muleskinner2 said:


> When the power goes down, I switch off my main breaker, disconnecting from the grid. Start the generator and let it warm up. Plug pigtail into generator, switch on breaker attached to pigtail. Done. Total cost $12.00 for the 150 amp breaker. Installation time five minutes.


That sounds like how mine is setup.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

muleskinner2 said:


> When the power goes down, I switch off my main breaker, disconnecting from the grid. Start the generator and let it warm up. Plug pigtail into generator, switch on breaker attached to pigtail.


I've done that myself, but I'd never recommend it to anyone I didn't know, and in whose common sense and knowledge of electricity I didn't have full confidence. One hears it's illegal; I don't know if it actually is, or if folks just say that because it's so dangerous if you forget to turn off the main breaker. Dangerous as in, linemen can die if they happen to be working on lines close enough to you when you power it up. You're supposed to have either a transfer switch or an interlock, which is basically a stamped piece of sheet metal that makes it impossible to have the main and the breaker to the generator turned on at the same time.

When I do it, I double- or triple-check to make sure I turned off the main breaker, meaning walk to the breaker box at least 2 separate times and look at it before starting the generator. You can also clip-lead a clamp light to the main line upstream from the main breaker and put it somewhere you'll see it, so you know when the power comes back on.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

The guy that set mine up put a slider on the panel. In one position it's the main and I can't turn on the breaker for the generator. Release the slider and move it, I can turn the breaker on for the generator but not the one for the main.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

backwoodsman7 said:


> I've done that myself, but I'd never recommend it to anyone I didn't know, and in whose common sense and knowledge of electricity I didn't have full confidence. One hears it's illegal; I don't know if it actually is, or if folks just say that because it's so dangerous if you forget to turn off the main breaker. Dangerous as in, linemen can die if they happen to be working on lines close enough to you when you power it up. You're supposed to have either a transfer switch or an interlock, which is basically a stamped piece of sheet metal that makes it impossible to have the main and the breaker to the generator turned on at the same time.
> 
> When I do it, I double- or triple-check to make sure I turned off the main breaker, meaning walk to the breaker box at least 2 separate times and look at it before starting the generator. You can also clip-lead a clamp light to the main line upstream from the main breaker and put it somewhere you'll see it, so you know when the power comes back on.


I am not recommending that anyone do this. It is what I do at my house. Any time someone operates equipment, or handles electricity they need to be smarter than a switch, or a breaker. If someone isn't smarter than the equipment, they should stay inside and sit in the dark.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

muleskinner2 said:


> I am not recommending that anyone do this. It is what I do at my house. Any time someone operates equipment, or handles electricity they need to be smarter than a switch, or a breaker. If someone isn't smarter than the equipment, they should stay inside and sit in the dark.


Well you're certainly right about that last part. With things like electricity, those who think they know but don't are the most dangerous. The problem is that, posting on an open forum like this, one has no idea who is going to read it, possibly many years from now, and be encouraged to do something really stupid because they don't know what they're doing. That's why, if I mention things like this at all, even though it's perfectly safe if one knows what they're doing and is reasonably careful, I try to discourage folks from doing it, and encourage paying someone qualified to set it up right. If they do know enough to do it safely, they can easily figure it out themselves without my help. For the rest, of course they can simply use extension cords rather than connecting the generator to the breaker panel.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Pretty simple to do. . Installed one in the shop. Hook the breaker box to the middle.. Top connection to highline and the bottom one to the genny. All you have to do is flip the switch up or down.


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## furnacefighter15 (8 mo ago)

KC Rock said:


> Thinking about getting a small...10k watt..portable generator. Would need to get a transfer switch
> 
> installed. That doesn't look too complicated but I'd rather have a pro do it. A quick call to an area
> 
> electrician was talking in the 7 - 800$ range. How does that sound to everyone? tia....


Sounds reasonable


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