LordStanley10
New member
My house has a 100 amp box. The generator came with a 200 amp switch. Do I need to upgrade to a 200 amp box or will the 100 work just fine? Thank you in advance for any advice.
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Home Generater Install
- Thread starter LordStanley10
- Start date
pattenp
Well-known member
What is the output watts of the generator? I assume the 200A switch is a transfer switch?
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
post the make and model of generator
Fasthotrod
Well-known member
As WyliesDiesels said, make and model are important to know for sure.
The one I installed for my in-laws is a 20kW Kohler unit with an automatic transfer switch. They typically come with a 200A ATS but without any breakers... and that didn't work for what we wanted to do. So instead I changed the order from a 200A ATS to a 100A Service Entrance Rated ATS that comes with a 100A main breaker. That way power comes from the meter, into the ATS, then feeds the house as a sub-panel.
The E/G is only good for about 85A so we're not even close to the limits of the rest of the system... but again that's based on this particular project. Yours may be different.
My question would also be: Do you intend on feeding the whole house and installing the ATS between the meter and the main, or installing it after the house panel to feed a sub-panel with specific loads designated in your house and moving those circuits over to a new panel?
What would you ultimately like to accomplish?
Best regards,
Mark
The one I installed for my in-laws is a 20kW Kohler unit with an automatic transfer switch. They typically come with a 200A ATS but without any breakers... and that didn't work for what we wanted to do. So instead I changed the order from a 200A ATS to a 100A Service Entrance Rated ATS that comes with a 100A main breaker. That way power comes from the meter, into the ATS, then feeds the house as a sub-panel.
The E/G is only good for about 85A so we're not even close to the limits of the rest of the system... but again that's based on this particular project. Yours may be different.
My question would also be: Do you intend on feeding the whole house and installing the ATS between the meter and the main, or installing it after the house panel to feed a sub-panel with specific loads designated in your house and moving those circuits over to a new panel?
What would you ultimately like to accomplish?
Best regards,
Mark
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
keep in mind. An ATS vastly changes what is required vs a manual TS.....
OP
LordStanley10
New member
Thank you all for your input. It is a 17 KW Honeywell from Costco. 200 watt TS.
Model 0062600. I am not sure what my electrician had in mind for the install Mark, but I do want to feed the entire house. He came in way less than 3 others that bid the project so I am a little concerned. And yes he is a master electrician.
Model 0062600. I am not sure what my electrician had in mind for the install Mark, but I do want to feed the entire house. He came in way less than 3 others that bid the project so I am a little concerned. And yes he is a master electrician.
The fact that your sparky came in significantly lower than 3 others is concerning. You need a scope of work from each to be able to compare price against details and confirm everybody’s understanding of the job. It gives you info to question each one if you see points missing from one or another.
Based on the Honeywell gen pkg I found on Costco website (20 KW btw), is includes a service rated 200a xfer switch that includes a 200a main cb.
The xfer sw typically becomes your new main panel. Your former main panel becomes a sub-panel fed thru a 4-wire cable. Grounds and neutrals must be separated in this "new" sub-panel.
The new main panel needs grounding electrode conductors re-routed to it and bonding jumpers to interior metallic piping systems. Depending upon build date of your house, the new “main panel” could require adding 2 ground rods. You may already have 1 or 2. Somebody needs to check what is present.
Since the xfer sw contains a 200a rated cb, you will need to upgrade the service entrance conductors and meterpan (most likely) if you don’t already have a 100a cb upstream of the xfer panel such as in a separate metermain enclosure.
If you do have a separate metermain setup and plan to keep it, then the new xfer sw is going to be only a sub panel.
I would call each sparky and request a written paragraph of installation details each plans to include. You will also need a load calculation to submit with the permit application. This could possibly indicate load management is needed.
Then you have fuel source to consider – who’s responsible for that? Generator pad? Battery? Trim kit? Load shed modules(possibly) – is that installation cost extra or included?
Verify your xfer sw is service entrance rated.
Based on the Honeywell gen pkg I found on Costco website (20 KW btw), is includes a service rated 200a xfer switch that includes a 200a main cb.
The xfer sw typically becomes your new main panel. Your former main panel becomes a sub-panel fed thru a 4-wire cable. Grounds and neutrals must be separated in this "new" sub-panel.
The new main panel needs grounding electrode conductors re-routed to it and bonding jumpers to interior metallic piping systems. Depending upon build date of your house, the new “main panel” could require adding 2 ground rods. You may already have 1 or 2. Somebody needs to check what is present.
Since the xfer sw contains a 200a rated cb, you will need to upgrade the service entrance conductors and meterpan (most likely) if you don’t already have a 100a cb upstream of the xfer panel such as in a separate metermain enclosure.
If you do have a separate metermain setup and plan to keep it, then the new xfer sw is going to be only a sub panel.
I would call each sparky and request a written paragraph of installation details each plans to include. You will also need a load calculation to submit with the permit application. This could possibly indicate load management is needed.
Then you have fuel source to consider – who’s responsible for that? Generator pad? Battery? Trim kit? Load shed modules(possibly) – is that installation cost extra or included?
Verify your xfer sw is service entrance rated.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Expanding on my comment in #5, if the 200a TS you have is automatic, you will need to have load shedding capabilities unless the generator can power the entire switched load. This is what mm08822 was alluding to above...