# My house setup



## noworky (Sep 17, 2013)

First off I want to say hello from Idaho! Our house has no backup heat source such as a wood burner or even a gas stove so I decided to do something just in case we lose power during one of our cold Idaho winters. I purchased a Westinghouse 7000 watt generator for just powering a few circuits for heat and a little electricity. My house has a main panel in the garage with most of the circuits I would want to power such as my fridge and a few lights and receptacles. I have a 125 amp sub-panel down stairs that feeds of the main in the garage and the only item I want to power downstairs is my furnace. My question is with a Reliance 30 amp 7500 watt 6 circuit transfer switch could I turn off all the breakers in my sub-panel downstairs except for the furnace and run it through the 125 amp breaker in my main panel in the garage? I already have the transfer switch but haven't mounted it I got it for a very good price that's why I went with it and figured 6 circuits will do me. Thanks for and help.


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

The only way you could do this is if your furnace was connected to the main (garage) panel. You can't feed the subpanel with your Reliance transfer switch, it doesn't have the capacity.

You might consider eliminating the Reliance transfer switch entirely. If you can install an interlock on your main (garage) panel, then you could feed the downstairs subpanel, turn off the circuits on it that you don't want to run, and feed the furnace.

An interlock really would give you the flexibility you want here. Check with your panel manufacture for an interlock, some are less than $50. Aftermarket ones cost more.

My house is set up as I described. My interlock is on the main panel which feeds the subpanel. I just select what on the subpanel I want to run.


----------



## noworky (Sep 17, 2013)

*Interlock*

If I were to go with the interlock what else would I need besides the physical interlock? I'm assuming I'd need a receptacle with pigtail for the panel. What kind of breaker would I need for the panel for the generator? The generator is 7000 continuous watts and 7500 starting. My service panel is a new style Cutler-Hammer.


----------



## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

You'll need an "inlet." You can find them at the big box stores.

The generator should have a 30 amp outlet on it, it's based on the continuous not the starting rating. Wire the inlet to the panel with #10 wire (4 conductors) and you'd put a 30 amp breaker in the panel. 

What is the model # of the panel?


----------



## Dqalex (Nov 25, 2012)

An interlock is nice. Like aandpdan said you can pick which circuits to power. This guy did a good job.


----------



## noworky (Sep 17, 2013)

*Interlock*

Thanks guys I already have the interlock ordered for my Cutler-Hammer CH panel it was about $60 and I'll get the 30amp inlet tomorrow and check on the breakers. It's going to be a little different as the panel is upside down to most and my main switch is on the bottom but the interlock will mount the same.


----------

