@MushCreek
I'm a bit late to this discussion, my apologies if reviving a couple week dead thread is bad forum etiquette.
With that written?
It sounds like I have a similar generator, a Honda eu6500. I've had it for several years. For our power outages I needed something simple that can be EASILY operated by my wife if I'm not home. This is about as simple as I could get:
APC UTS10BL Transfer Switch
Price has gone up since I bought, and they do have a smaller (less $$) version. It's a generator transfer panel that load sheds, so it's self-regulating with regards to load control. When you install it, you program/prioritize the various circuits. Example, if my well pump kicks on, and if that load will overload the generator which might cause the generator to kick off and the whole house to go dark, I can program (for example) the panel to load to shed my fridge/freezer circuit. Because I don't want my fridge/freezer to short-cycle, I program that circuit so if it DOES shed, it stays off for say 5 minutes. Then when it does repower, I can program the fridge/freezer circuit to not be shed for 10 minutes minimum.
Sounds more complicated than it is. Essentially, you prioritize circuits. This circuit over that. Minimum ON times for when they are powered and minimum OFF times if something has to be shed.
Without a doubt there are other ways to do this. Again, I needed simple and easy for my wife, as she has zero interest in flipping breakers.
When our power goes out, all she has to do is turn the key and power up the generator.
When the grid power comes back up, the generator continues to power the house for 30 seconds. If the grid power is stable, the panel allows the grid to power the house. She then goes outside and turns off the generator.
The panel does have the ability to auto-start the generator if the grid goes down. I don't have that enabled as I don't want the gas-powered generator to run if the house is empty.
My generator stays outside the house under a small shelter that protects it from weather but that affords it access to free air. I have a maybe 30' cable that connects the generator to an outlet I installed on the side of the house. Installation of all that, the panel, and then programming the panel took me about half a day.
The only negative I can write about the panel is that each circuit inside the panel is protected with a fast-blow fuse. An occasional power surge, usually when the grid comes on/off, can cause one of those fuses to blow. I've had this set-up for maybe 10 years and it things usually run smoothly. But I've had maybe 3 fuses blow over those years. Pretty easy to replace, my wife even did one once, I talked her through it over the phone.
You can get creative with the wiring. House is somewhat large but with the eu6500 and the UPC panel I can power most every convenience:
1) 220v circuit powers my well pump so we have water.
2) Oil burner so we have radiant floor heat and domestic hot water.
3) Powder room downstairs as well as master bath and kid's bath upstairs are powered.
4) All first floor rooms in the house are powered (My office, my wife's office, living room, basic kitchen circuits).
5) Microwave
6) Fridge and freezer
7) Kitchen outlets and gas (propane) cooktop
8) Master bedroom is powered.
9) Attic is powered (home theater and game room).
Significant things that are not powered:
1) Electric wall oven
2) Whole house central air conditioning
3) Electric clothes dryer
4) Kid's bedrooms. We are empty nesters. But with a flip of a switch I can depower the attic game room and power the kid's bedrooms.
5) My basement workshop.
Anyhow, just another idea.
