# Transfer Switch and Inlet Box help



## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

I recently got out my old 5000 watt propane generator that I had in Florida. (See pics) It helped me many times through a few hurricanes.
I’m now a Tennessean and would like to install a 30 Amp inlet box on the exterior of my house and a 30 Amp 6 circuit manual transfer switch along side my main panel in the basement. Installing the inlet box and transfer switch seems pretty simple. I’m just unsure as to the size and type of Romex that goes between the inlet box and the transfer switch... I see on the web that this run of romex is orange. Not sure what to get....Thanks!



















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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

You run the same size wire that is connected to the breaker that you want to supply with the generator feed.
Most 30 amp eight pole Transfer Switches have six breakers that are either 15 amps (14 gauge wire)or 20 amps (12 gauge wire) and two that are 30 amp breakers (#10 wire). From my experience the 30 amp TS comes with a bundle of marked wires that are sized for the breakers supplied with the TS and are color coded.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Thanks for the info. I’m not real experienced with this stuff. Yes, my 6 circuit transfer switch is exactly what you described. Will this wire work then? see pic....










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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

The roll of wire you pictured is 10/3 Romex and is good for up to 30 amps.
What you will need for this 6 circuit switch are single wires to connect the sub panel.
Two #10 wires will be needed from the male mounted plug to the side of the TS that is marked for the generator input. They should be already installed in the TS. But to keep things in order, you will need 12 color coded wires to enable the correct installation. Don't screw up!








The wires that return to the selected circuits need to be marked for identification, otherwise you will get lost on install. Even an experienced electrician can get lost doing this.
Sorry for the haphazard drawing. but is it early in the morning.
I failed to mark the center conductors, but they go to the circuits you wish to feed.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Thanks for this but man I’m lost! I found this
video “This Old House” This is exactly what I want to do.






I will install the 6 circuit 30 Amp transfer switch pre-wired design next to the electrical panel in my basement

I will also install the 30 Amp inlet box on the outside of the house. I will drill a hole through the concrete block to run a line to the transfer switch.

I will have an electrician do the final wiring but I want it all ready for the final wiring.

So my question is, at 6:18 of this video the electrician runs an orange 10/3 non metallic wire to the transfer switch from the inlet box. Is this the proper wire for me to run so all the electrician has to do is the final wiring? I hope the answers is yes....lol Thanks again for your patience!



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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

how long is the romex run to be in feet?
i like at least 8/3 with ground for med gens.
and always run 6/3 with ground on my systems to leave room for larger generator expansion later. (that buy the wire once thing)
most of the time it is a pain to run the wire... and so i like to run the good stuff once.
and never have to look back!
lol!
in this case bigger is better!


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

@ 618 you say nonmetallic wire. Explain that please.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

At 6:18 of the video that I linked the electrician stated he used 10/3 non metallic wire/cable


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

they are just saying romex.
i still would use 8/3 with ground at the min unless it is real close to the main breaker panel.
i do not like wires that heat up.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Ok thanks. I have a 25 ft. run from the outside
Inlet box to the transfer switch. Still use 8/3?



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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yup i would run 8/3 with ground.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Another question thanks...when I run the Romex to the transfer switch from my inlet box, can I staple the romex to the floor joists? Or does it need to be in a conduit? And when it reaches the concrete block wall coming down to the transfer switch, does that need a conduit for the short 4ft span?


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

If the Romex is up inside the floor joists you can staple it.
If the Romex is under the floor joist (Bottom) and exposed to possible damage it has to be in conduit.
As for the exposed run down the wall, it has to terminate at a Junction box then it definitely has to be in conduit and properly strapped no more that 12" from the boxes.
As to size, the Romex will require 1 inch pipe unless it is the flat type Romex. That will require a larger pipe, but if I were going to install this project I would go another way.
Drop the Romex idea and buy enough stranded number 6 for future upgrades for a larger generator.
I would connect a 1 1/2" pipe to the inlet box and continue with conduit to the TS.
I would use the above mentioned #6 stranded THWN rated at 65 amps.
Two 6 gauge black wires, another 6 gauge black wire marked with white tape for a neutral and a #10 ground.
There are numerous types of #6 gauge wire and you should use the type that has the best coating and is stranded,
You can google that and find which THHN is best. https://cityelectricsupply.com/downloads/Ampacity Chart.pdf
The best grade #6 stranded is capable of carrying 75 amps. look at the chart.
Then there are other issues: There may be control wires that need to be run from the generator to the transfer Switch.
Those wires cannot be run in the same conduit as the #6 wire.
Properly done, I assure you that if a fire occurs your insurance company will not balk at paying a claim.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Wow! Thank you for that great information. Is location of the transfer switch box critical?
See pic....










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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

My TS is next to the breaker box.
Here is my set up.....
200 amp Main breaker panel. 100 amps feeds to the TS
To the right is the TS. The TS has 16 breakers in it and I feed 50 amps to a sub panel from the TS.
To the left of my main is my sub panel. I chose to breaker it at 50 amps and breakered that to feed the necessary circuits I wanted the generator to run.
My TS is rated at 100 amps so I installed a 100 amp breaker and fed the TS with 100 amps.
However the generator can only feed 65 amps but that was my choice.
The generator amperage has no bearing on the feed from the breaker box. It only allows you to feed so much amperage to the circuits and is limited to the breakers in a sub panel that you install.
You can then run the power feeds and the control wires to the generator connection from the TS.
I made the mistake that you are about to make.
I bought a 14 KW Generac and wired it with #8.
The when the generator died I was stuck with a limit of 65 amps so as to not over load the wiring. I had to go with no more that 16 KW as a replacement or rewire the entire system.
Plan ahead or pay for it later.
I did put the hot water heater on the 16 circuit panel, but I have to be careful to turn it off and use it sparingly when the generator is running as it is 2200 watts. I will replace the HW heater with an instant on gas unit in the future.


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

I wanted to add a further comment.
When I bought this house I had a Harbor Freight generator and it sat in the garage.
When I wired the garage I made arrangements to use the Harbor Freight generator as a back fed system.
So I installed a sub panel to enable the back feed.
Later I decided to install the 14 KW Generac as if the need arises my wife could not manage the back fed system.

Now as to your picture: It appears that the right panel is the main and the left panel is a sub panel that allows additional breakers for the necessary circuits you chose to breaker.
You have a good set up and it can be easily adapted to a generator. Just do not make the mistake most make.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Ok thanks. I’m going with a 30 Amp 6 circuit TS. All I want are a few lights, a PTAC wall air conditioner and a TV. I think my 5000W generator can handle that....


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## JohnNY (Apr 27, 2020)

Groverson said:


> Ok thanks. I’m going with a 30 Amp 6 circuit TS. All I want are a few lights, a PTAC wall air conditioner and a TV. I think my 5000W generator can handle that....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Probably not when the AC attempts to start the compressor, but it will let you know right away if it can or not thats for sure, just be there to shut the AC off


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

link for the page with the soft start unit below
Micro Air soft start link is on this page
yea after using them for the last couple of years.
they are the trick setup for sure.

the state fair folks swear by them.
they can run one eu2200i on a camper and fire one ac unit!

they help on the home stuff to stop the light dimming when the big units kick in as well.
i had the window ac units that had a bit over 100 amps in rush..
now they are below 18 amps. and that is a split second in rush.

120 vac as well as 240 vac they are the trick setup!


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Ok, will only running my wall ac unit with my 5000 watt gen work? - nothing else. Here’s the specs...










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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

@ Groverson: That six circuit manual TS will cost you in the neighborhood of $300. That said, a 100 amp automatic TS will cost in the neighborhood of $400 or more depending on the model. Consider that your wife might be the one that needs to fire up the Gen and you might be elsewhere when it is needed. And then there is the future needs to consider.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

i make it as 1600 watts running.
what is the in rush?

and what make and model on the gen set?
depending on the real gen ratings
you could be as low as 3500 watts.
and that is still ok if you in rush is not over 18 amps..
look in to the soft start for the ac unit!
link for the page with the soft start unit below
Micro Air soft start link is on this page


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

snap some pix of what you have and what you need to do.

place the surge protector inside the rv.
most have space behind the panels under in the basement storage area.
you do have to remove panels to get to these wiring areas.
and is a pro deal.... some one who is good with rv wiring is a good idea to work on these!
we mount them inside where they can be changed out.
and make sure to disconnect any and all ac and dc power before wiring on the internals of any rv.


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## AP514 (Nov 8, 2020)

Late to the Party.... but 8/3 is overkill for a 25 ft run @ 30Amp 10/3 #10 wire is all you need.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

So I have my 30 Amp 6 circuit transfer switch all setup along with the inlet connection on the outside of my house. What do all think of me getting this Champion dual fuel generator? 9375 starting watts and 7500 running watts. Will it work ok with my 30 Amp transfer switch. Tractor Supply down the road from me has a bunch of them on display good price..


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

Groverson said:


> So I have my 30 Amp 6 circuit transfer switch all setup along with the inlet connection on the outside of my house. What do all think of me getting this Champion dual fuel generator? 9375 starting watts and 7500 running watts. Will it work ok with my 30 Amp transfer switch.


Looks like it would work just fine. That's basically your maximum 30Amp unit. Anything bigger is overkill.


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## Groverson (Sep 15, 2018)

Thank you!!!


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

If your home has Natural gas or LPG for the furnace, water heater, and range then you may want to consider a smaller generator for fuel consumptions purposes. Especially with only a 6 circuit transfer switch.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

click here for the tsc gen deal in question and docs
mpn 100296 
run hours at rated on grill tank Propane: 2.75 hrs
run hours at 50% load on 20 lb grill tank Propane: 5.5 hrs

15 hp engine, 439 CC, 74 db at 23 feet, open frame 200.6 lbs
run fuel rate at rated output one gallon per hour on gasoline.
and is 49 state.. sorry cali bunch!
3 year limited warranty
just some numbers for the group.

they mention some sort of "volt guard" surge protector.
but they also say "Champion portable generators will output an industry standard THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) rating of about 12%-20% depending on load applied "
but on the Champion inverter units they say " If you have a specific item that requires less than 5% THD such as a UPS style battery backup, a pellet stove or high efficiency furnace control board, we recommend purchasing a Champion Inverter Generator (sizes from 1600W to 3500W); Champion Digital Hybrid Series Open Frame Inverter (sizes from 3500W to 8750W) or a Champion Home Standby Generator (range from 8.5KW to 14KW); all units provide less than 5% THD. Please consult you specific appliance manufacturer to determine if the appliance requires low THD (less than 5%) to operate properly. "

wow!
so this validates from one of the year 2020 leading active gen mfg's what I have been saying for years on using good inverter gens with all of the latest electronics gear!

so if you have older furnace units, go for it.
but if you have the later model computer controlled furnace or other hvac units.
you might want to look at a good inverter unit.
this is exactly why I like the honda eu series of gens.


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## Bluwolf (Nov 8, 2020)

Groverson said:


> So I have my 30 Amp 6 circuit transfer switch all setup along with the inlet connection on the outside of my house. What do all think of me getting this Champion dual fuel generator? 9375 starting watts and 7500 running watts. Will it work ok with my 30 Amp transfer switch. Tractor Supply down the road from me has a bunch of them on display good price..
> 
> View attachment 8490


I have the exact same generator, model 100296. I got mine at Tractor Supply too. I've had it since March 2018. I've only run mine on propane so far. I built a generator shed for it so it can be up and running in 5 - 10 minutes. I would definitely buy it again.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

It’s nearly the same generator I bought back in 2012. It got a fresh look and dual fuel. I really liked my old champ, only sold it cause I went with an EU7000. 

The waveform was much cleaner then similarly priced generators I’ve tested. Other gens had very distinct bumpy sawtooth waveforms.


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