Generators are one of the prime household goods. It provides electrical power back up at the time of emergencies. When the main power source goes out, you can use a generator to provide power to all the home appliances like TV, refrigerator, air conditioners, lighting and so on. This guide will share step-by-step information about how to wire panel for generator.
There are various kinds of generators available in the market and you should be able to get the right one for your home. The rated power of a particular generator is mentioned on the body of the generator and it is the power that a generator can deliver continuously for around 12 hours on a single fuel tank. To get the right generator for your need, you should list the appliances and the electrical devices that you plan to use during a power outage.
To total sum of power would tell you which generator would be perfect for you. After you have decided on the type of generator, you would have to make efforts to get it set up in your house. The wire panel of the generator requires you to be careful while you do the work. Today, we would mention about the wire panel of the generators.
Choose A Wiring System
There are various wiring systems that can be used to connect a generator to your home. Here we have discussed about two of them. You can contact the Power Company or local Department of Labor and Industries to find out which one is legal in your area.
Interlock Kit
The interlock kits are fairly simple to install and you can do it yourself. They are one of the cheapest options available in the market. Interlock kits need to be installed correctly to prevent any kind of hazards. For safe installation, you would require some extra spaces in your existing wire panel or you can install a new one. You should also get a kit that is approved for the specific wire panel. Make sure the brand is the same for both.
Manual Transfer Switch
The transfer switch is expensive than the interlock kit and it requires a professional to install. However, this is a legal option and the safest. This will help to keep away from accidentally electrocuting yourself or someone else. A manual transfer switch requires an operator to change the power source manually.
About The Wiring Concept
It is important to understand the wiring concept before you start off with the wire panel for your generator. Let us assume you have a 240-volt circuit. A couple of wires would work together for 240 volts. Each of the wires would carry 120 volts. There would be a copper or green-colored wire, which is known as ground.
When you deal with the 240-volt circuit, you would not find any neutral wire to use. You can use a circuit of 240 volts for both 240 volt and 120-volt applications. If you have a generator with a 240-volt connection, you can wire it directly. Make sure you keep the wiring dedicated to the need of the generator. This is because generators would be used for emergency power backups.
Things you need to wire panel a generator
To connect a generator to the wire panel, you would require few things, which include:
- Stripper Tool
- Double pole breaker with 40-amp power
- Screwdriver (with flathead)
- Eight-by-three cable
- Voltmeter
Steps involved to set up wire panel for generator
The mandatory steps to set up the wire panel for the generator are as follows:
Disconnect all the connections –
Before you start with the work, you should ensure that the main power source of your house is turned off. You can even use a voltmeter to check. Double-check if the electricity connection is terminated rightly. If it shows that the electricity is flowing, you should start working only after it stops.
Stripping –
For executing this step, you would require an eight-by-three cable. Expose around half an inch from the end of the wire. You can use the stripper tool to make the cut cleaner and expose it. You should strip the ends on each side of the cable.
Screw Wires –
No get hold of the two black wires and screw them gradually to the wire panel. There would be two screws inside the panel. These are there with the intention to hold both wires perfectly. Use the wires and insert them into the terminals fully. Next, you need to tighten the screws securely and ensure that they don’t come out easily.
Fix the breaker to survive panel –
Now it is the time to fix the breaker into the service panel. First, confirm a spot where you can place the circuit. Then, just set the breaker inside the housing of the panel. For the circuit, use a back and forth rocking motion.
Check The Double Pole Breaker –
You should check the double pole breaker and make sure it fits in tightly. The double pole breaker is suitable for 240-vol installation. It is available with two hot wires each of 120-volt that sum up to 240 volts.
Wiring –
The wire for the ground requires running through a similar bar. It should run until the end of the receptacle inside the breaker box. After you have inserted the ground wire to the end of the receptacle of 240-volt, screw it tightly. Now insert the eight-by-three cable to the outlet of your generator. There you would find two screws without any color. Fix the black wires into the screws. You need to put the ground wire into the green-colored screw. Fix them tightly so that they do not come out.
Attach the outlet –
After securing the eight-by-three cable, it’s time to attach the outlets to the wall. Go to the main power source of your house and turn it on. Turn on your breaker box and plug the generator into this outlet.
Important Tips
There are few things you should take care of while setting up the wire panel. Make sure that the two-line voltage wires are of the same color. This will help to comply with codes easier. Red and black colors are the best for this task. If required, you may even use tapes to mark the,. For a breaker of forty-amp, an eight-by-three cable is perfect. At times, just shutting off the breakers is not the only reason for panel de-energizing. Use a voltmeter to ensure that the electricity termination has been positively done.
Conclusion
A generator would be of no use if you are not able to connect it to your house efficiently. The connection requires respect and skill of the National Electric Code. An incorrect connection can electrocute anyone who is working on the lines that can cause death. You should prevent the back-feed as it can damage the generator or cause fire at home. Using an automatic transfer switch can prevent such hazardous situations. It will start your standby generator automatically when it is able to detect a power loss. Nowadays, the cost of these types of equipment is affordable. If you have to power a house, you can install 9KVA, 6KVA or 4KVA automatic transfer switch. Each segment has its own particularities. It depends on the domain that you work with. I hope after reading this article, you got to know about How To Wire Panel For Generator.
