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Can you show me a diagram for connecting a 240v generator to the breaker panel in a home?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
A generator, whether portable or permanently installed, requires a transfer switch between it and your panel. The transfer switch is there to keep two power sources from being turned on at the same time (such as the generator and your incoming service). If you didn't have a transfer switch and both sources were connected to the panel at the same time, when the power grid came back up it would be connected to the generator, and that would cause fire and explosion. Also, when the grid was out and a lineman was trying to fix it, your generator would be 'backfeeding' power to the grid, either keeping linemen from working on it or worse, coming online after a worker has started repairing it. For these reasons a generator and transfer switch should be installed by a licensed electrician. If you want to do it yourself anyway, buy a transfer switch. It will come with installation instructions to put it between your generator and panel. DON'T put a 50 amp 'multipurpose receptacle' onto your panel and backfeed the panel. It's neither legal nor safe, and it can get people killed.
<><><> As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power
at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND
always use an electrician's test meter having metal-tipped probes
(not a simple proximity voltage indicator)
to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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If all the breakers in your house added up to 765 amps how big of a generator would you need to buy?
You would size the generator to match the main breaker size rather than on the sum of all the breakers. The main breaker size depends on the specific model of the circuit breaker panel - 100 Amps is typical for a house. The main breaker protects the circuit panel's bus bars from overheating, and the bus bar size is what limits the maximum power through the panel. Power = Volts x Amps, so a 100 Amp panel at 240 Volts could be operated by a 24,000 Watt (24 kW) generator. That's a pretty big generator in household terms, so often only a subset of the circuits would be allocated to the generator. Or, you just be careful not to turn everything on when using the generator. The actual Watts used depends on what's turned on, not the generator size or total capacity of all the circuit breakers. If you turn on too much stuff with an undersized generator, the generator's overload protection will trip and cut it off. Or if you load all the circuit breakers to capacity the main breaker will trip. In addition to these basic considerations there are a considerable amount of electrical codes governing connecting a generator to your house. The major one is to have a switch that prevents connecting your generator to the utility input, which precludes you from inadvertently energizing the utility lines.
What size wire and breaker do you need to run a 9000max watt generator?
If it is a portable generator the breaker should be self contained within the generators panel. If the generator is a stationary standby unit a voltage has to be stated to calculate the conductor size and hence the breaker size to protect the conductor. Amps = Watts/Volts.
Will a breaker trip if it is being fed from the load side to energize the bus in the breaker panel?
A breaker should never be fed from its load side to energize the bus in the breaker distribution panel. This question suggests that you are trying to connect a generator to back feed your electrical panel during a power failure. This setup as killed linemen trying to repair the downed primary lines. If the panels main breaker is not opened, the generator will back feed the pole transformer that the linemen are working on and bring the line potential up to 14,000 volts. There are proper change over switches in the market now that will allow you to run your generator and the switch will automatically disconnect the utility connection before making the connection to the house panel. If this is your line of thought, do a bit of research on the subject. The last thing people in the trade want to hear is another lineman getting electrocuted. If the load exceeds the rating of the breaker and the breaker is functioning properly, it will trip.
Can you connect a 30 amp generator to a 20 amp transfer panel?
Yes, as long as there is fusing between the generator and the transfer panel. This fuse can be no larger than 20 amps. Without this fuse the load that the transfer panel is handling could go as high as the generator output (30 amps) which is a current that the transfer panel is not rated for.
Can a Siemens breaker push on be a replacement breaker for a Westinghouse breaker?
only if listed in the panel board
If all the breakers in your house added up to 765 amps how big of a generator would you need to buy?
You would size the generator to match the main breaker size rather than on the sum of all the breakers. The main breaker size depends on the specific model of the circuit breaker panel - 100 Amps is typical for a house. The main breaker protects the circuit panel's bus bars from overheating, and the bus bar size is what limits the maximum power through the panel. Power = Volts x Amps, so a 100 Amp panel at 240 Volts could be operated by a 24,000 Watt (24 kW) generator. That's a pretty big generator in household terms, so often only a subset of the circuits would be allocated to the generator. Or, you just be careful not to turn everything on when using the generator. The actual Watts used depends on what's turned on, not the generator size or total capacity of all the circuit breakers. If you turn on too much stuff with an undersized generator, the generator's overload protection will trip and cut it off. Or if you load all the circuit breakers to capacity the main breaker will trip. In addition to these basic considerations there are a considerable amount of electrical codes governing connecting a generator to your house. The major one is to have a switch that prevents connecting your generator to the utility input, which precludes you from inadvertently energizing the utility lines.
What size wire and breaker do you need to run a 9000max watt generator?
If it is a portable generator the breaker should be self contained within the generators panel. If the generator is a stationary standby unit a voltage has to be stated to calculate the conductor size and hence the breaker size to protect the conductor. Amps = Watts/Volts.
Will a breaker trip if it is being fed from the load side to energize the bus in the breaker panel?
A breaker should never be fed from its load side to energize the bus in the breaker distribution panel. This question suggests that you are trying to connect a generator to back feed your electrical panel during a power failure. This setup as killed linemen trying to repair the downed primary lines. If the panels main breaker is not opened, the generator will back feed the pole transformer that the linemen are working on and bring the line potential up to 14,000 volts. There are proper change over switches in the market now that will allow you to run your generator and the switch will automatically disconnect the utility connection before making the connection to the house panel. If this is your line of thought, do a bit of research on the subject. The last thing people in the trade want to hear is another lineman getting electrocuted. If the load exceeds the rating of the breaker and the breaker is functioning properly, it will trip.
What type panel does a 4 pole breaker require?
The panel and breaker have to be of the same manufacturer. This way the breaker will fit into the panel. If the panel has a push in bus bar, the breaker must also be the type to accept the bus bar. If the bus bars in the panel are of the bolt in type then the breaker also has to be a bolt in breaker.
You lost a voltage leg by connecting the ground wire to the circuit breaker but com ed wires are still energized?
Yes this could be true. The breaker to the load will have tripped. The main breaker should still be allowing voltage to the distribution panel because it did not trip. If the main breaker tripped then the distribution panel must have been close to maximum amperage and the shorting of the branch circuit was enough to trip the mains.
When a voltage leg is lost by connecting the ground wire to the circuit breaker are com ed wires still energized?
Yes this could be true. The breaker to the load will have tripped. The main breaker should still be allowing voltage to the distribution panel because it did not trip. If the main breaker tripped then the distribution panel must have been close to maximum amperage and the shorting of the branch circuit was enough to trip the mains.
Can you connect a 30 amp generator to a 20 amp transfer panel?
Yes, as long as there is fusing between the generator and the transfer panel. This fuse can be no larger than 20 amps. Without this fuse the load that the transfer panel is handling could go as high as the generator output (30 amps) which is a current that the transfer panel is not rated for.
How do you use a circuit breaker finder?
My unit requires you to plug in the tone generator to the outlet whose corresponding breaker you are trying to locate and turn on the tone. You then go to panel with receiver and hold button in while running the receiver up and down the panel. You will hear a tone once the breaker is located.
What is installing a circuit breaker?
It is inserting a breaker into a service panel.
What are the steps in connecting 120V to a 240V 60A air condition panel?
you should have three wires into the panel. two of them go to the double breakers or pull switch and the last is the ground lead. You can pick up 110 vac from one side of either breaker and that ground connection. DO NOT connect to the both breaker wires as that will be 220 vac
Can a Siemens breaker push on be a replacement breaker for a Westinghouse breaker?
only if listed in the panel board
Will cutler hammer breaker panel fit a GE breaker?
No, a Cutler Hammer will not work in a GE panel or vice versa.
