Automatic Transfer Switch installation

[purplewg]

Ok bear with me here I am a newbie. lol So, I am in a hurricane prone area (FL). I recently purchased a new diesel powered generator as I live in the boonies and have diesel storage tanks for my farm equipment.

I had my house built with a pad around back for water pumps and stuff and for a future generator. I had the electrician place an outside panel box for generator input to my breaker panel box inside my home. I have an outside main disconnect which feeds the in house breaker panel located on the other end of the house..

Now, this where I show my stupidity. My thought was to put an ATS beside this main disconnect panel outside the house. The ATS would just to autostart my generator(autostart feature installed). Once the generator is started it would send power into my breaker panel box inside the home(dedicated breaker for the gen). The ATS should have turned off the incoming power from my power company. My panel box will then be powered by the generator. Once power is restored by power company the ATS will turn off my generator and switch back to the main power.

Should this work or am I just missing some real issue by doing this?

I know probably the best way to do this is to run the generator output to the ATS but it would be a long haul with expensive wire (buried) when I already have wire feeding my inside panel box. It would require I pour a pad and move the generator near my outside disconnect to easily make that type of connection.

Thanks, Tom

 

[txvwnut]

The ATS will need the generator wired through it as it will sense the generator voltage on the back up side of the ATS. If the gen voltage is not present the ATS will assume there is an issue with the gen and error out and shut the gen off.

 

[purplewg]

The ATS will need the generator wired through it as it will sense the generator voltage on the back up side of the ATS. If the gen voltage is not present the ATS will assume there is an issue with the gen and error out and shut the gen off.

Thank you so much. I knew I had to be missing something. Seems like the easiest way to handle this is to move the generator over by the entrance main. Not that big of a deal. I can either pour a slab or set it on some big patio stones.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What you propose wont work.

The ATS is switching the source feed to the inside subpanel. The fedd to the enerwtor needs to connect to the ATS.

What type of main service do you have? Separate meter pan and disconnect or combination meter main? If the latter, then you would need to change it to a meter pan and then the ATS would go after the meter pan.

 

[purplewg]

What you propose wont work.

The ATS is switching the source feed to the inside subpanel. The fedd to the enerwtor needs to connect to the ATS.

What type of main service do you have? Separate meter pan and disconnect or combination meter main? If the latter, then you would need to change it to a meter pan and then the ATS would go after the meter pan.

Thanks for the reply. What I have is a combination meter pan and main disconnect on my shop exterior wall about 15 feet away. This main disconnect feeds another main disconnect on the outside of my home. My new plan is to mount the ATS next to the main on my home and move the generator over to this location.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Is there 2 disconnects on the meter main? Shop and house? If so, do you want the shop to have generator power? If so, you wont be able to do so in the current setup without some major changes.