Indicator Light For Home Power Panel

[sourdough]

I need a source/supplier for an indicator LED/small incandescant to alert me when the home power provider is on line when I am on genset power during a power outage.

I am a competent elecrician and can install/wire-in a box for the indicator adjacent to to the panel which is indoors. The home has already been wired for the genset with a down-and-dirty 2-pole breaker to separate the genset from public power.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[Gary S]

I'm old school. We always used neon indicators across the incoming legs to tell us what had power and what didn't. None of the newer high tech stuff works any better than the 60 year old Neon indicators. Consider looking for some.
A lot of commercial installations built from the 50s to the 90s have them standard equipment on incoming power boxes.

 

[ishiboo]

Just google for "120v indicator" and you'll get a bazillion responses.

 

[rlitman]

Just go to Radio Shack, and pick up some 120V indicator lights. They make them in red, yellow and green, among other colors. The round ones are the easiest to install.
You drill a hole and push it in until it snaps in place.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The issue with all of these suggestions is safety. There is no good way to connect the small wires to the incoming power (Power Company) before the main breaker. This was asked on another board I participate in. One suggestion was, if you have a smart meter, to look at it, as the display will be powered and working if the POCO is online.

Another suggestion was the POWERBACK by Reliance Controls, but it apparently has been discontinued. It is a Capacitive pick up sensor system that can sense when power is sitting in the wires (but not flowing) (this is opposed to an inductive pickup that requires flowing current to sense).

Reliance says they are introducing a new version very soon however.

Here are quotes from a couple of the posts in the thread...................

On the rare occasions I'm running off of my generator, I just check the meter once an hour or so to see if it's digital display is on. I have thought of putting a fused neon indicator light on the front of the breaker panel on the meter side of the main disconnect switch. But I really don't lose power very often any will only start the generator if the power is out for hours. Red...

I may do the same by just hanging a mirror off the power meter so I can see it by looking out the living room window.

I was hoping for an "interrupt-driven" solution rather than a "polling" model. grin Especially if the power is restored at night while I'm asleep.

Which reminds me of an early computer lesson on the difference between "interrupts" and "polling". An interrupt is like a telephone ringing - you have to stop what you're doing to answer it. A polling method is when you pick up the telephone every five minutes to see if someone is calling you. Kirk.....

Charles

 

[sourdough]

Thank you all for your replies! The Powerback unit would be great if available. I will investigate further.

Edit: This unit is available online at Home Depot for $40.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

My understanding is the Powerback unit was not loud enough to be heard any distance from it. Seems they would incorporate connections on it to drive a door bell or the like, and that may be what the new and improved version does.

I am planning to connect my generator using a back fed breaker and an interlock, However, I have the luxury of a shop on a separate meter just behind my house, so all I need to do is leave a light on in the shop that I can see thru the window.

Charles

 

[rlitman]

The issue with all of these suggestions is safety. There is no good way to connect the small wires to the incoming power (Power Company) before the main breaker.

Please explain why not. Have you looked at the innards of a large automatic transfer switch?
The main poles will usually have QD connections and tiny 18 gauge (and smaller) wires coming off of them, running to the indicator lights and electronics.

Then there is a small fuse on the line. For a household service, a small ceramic fuse (not glass) would do the trick. One rated for at least 250V, and no more than 5A (but under 1A would be even better).
Something like this would be ideal:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12536293
wired with an inline fuse holder.

I've attached pictures of how Generac does it on a small (200A, 480V, 3phase) transfer switch.

 

[pattenp]

Charles correct me if I'm wrong. I think Charles was eluding to the fact that there was no easy way that was safe to hook up an indicator light to the POCO side of the mainbreaker without the power being disconnected by the POCO. Obviously it can be done, but you should disconnect the power to do it safely.

 

[Maine]

A guy I work with has a wire coming off the line side of the maine breaker, with a fuse, going to a cord cap. He plugs in a radio to it and knows from anywhere in the house when the power comes back on.