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A transfer switch prevents electricity from flowing simultaneously amid your portable generator and the utility grid. It is mounted next to your home circuit breaker box and may operate manually or automatically.
In the event of a blackout, you may power various gimmicks to include the refrigerator, television, lights and even your sump pump. However, you ought to original position the generator into place no less than 15 feet from your home to prevent carbon monoxide consumption.
One way to provide power is to run extension cords from the generator to your lights and appliances. This may be inconvenient and unwieldy while making it difficult to operate some critical circuits like the furnace fan or well pump.
Another way is to connect the portable generator directly to your household wiring by installing a manual transfer switch. This will permit the use of only one cord to provide electricity to various or all of your most crucial household circuits, including the furnace fan and well pump. Bear in mind the National Electrical Code mandates that a transfer switch be decently installed for safety precautions.
By way of comparison, permanently installed standby generators come with transfer switches that mechanically kick in when the utility power goes down. Conversely, the transfer switch for portable generators is an further and added cost item that may intermediate $200 to $500 depending on the total circuitry and wattage requirements.
It is highly commended that you engage the services of a licensed electrician to install the transfer switch and connect it with the main breaker box. Although most transfer kits come with splendid instructions for the do-it-yourself person, you always run the danger of creating a back-feed through the utility lines must you innocently make an error while wiring. This may cause severe harm to equipment, as well as death to those who might be working to restore power in your vicinity.
The transfer switch holds various circuits and the electrician may assign each circuit to a dissimilar load. This provides effective management of usage and extends the effectiveness of the portable generator. When the utility power goes out, you plainly plug your generator into the transfer switch, get started it up, and flip the transfer switch from the Utility position to the Generator position.
For convenience, you might wish to buy a remote power inlet box to be installed in a emplacement away from the actual transfer switch unit itself. This would permit plugging into a distinguished receptacle that is positioned closer to the operating generator. You may then have a shorter and less cumbersome master cord running from the generator all the way to the switch panel inside the house.
In summary, the procedure works like this:
When the utility company power goes out:
- Plug the generator cord into the transfer switch or optional power inlet box.
- Turn all circuit breakers in the transfer unit to the off position.
- Start the generator and give it time to warm up.
- Flip the main breakers in the transfer unit to the Generator position.
- Turn on the desired circuits on an individual basis to prevent overloading the generator.
Once power is restored:
- Turn the main breakers in the transfer unit back to Utility Power.
- Turn on any other circuits that were turned off.
- Turn off the generator.
- Disconnect the cords.
The Reliance Controls 30 Amp power inlet box is designed for outdoor use and may be hardwired directly to Reliance Controls transfer switches or panels, eliminating need for cords running through windows or doors. This rain-tight, rust-proof unit includes an NEMA L14-30P inlet plug, six knockout holes, and push-in wire connections. Using one of the four combining 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch knockouts (one on each side, bottom and back), the power inlet box may be wired directly to the transfer switch or panel. The exclusive patented design provides generous wiring space and facilitates rough-in. The face of the box is removable for easy placement and wiring. It is cUL 1008 listed and covered by a 5-year warranty.
Portable Generator Transfer Switch Installation 2 Pic
Portable Generator Transfer Switch Installation 2 Picture
Portable Generator Transfer Switch Installation 2 Picture
Portable Generator Transfer Switch Installation 2 Picture
Most helpful customer reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
 Excellent product
By Victor H. Agresti
Reliance Controls PB30 L14-30 30 Amp Generator Power Cord Inlet Box
Product Review:
This Reliance Power Inlet Box is excellent quality. It has easily removable knockouts on the back and sides; ½” or 3/4″. Since it was to be mounted on a cinder-block wall, I used PVC conduit from the back of the box through the wall, and ran 10/3 (w/ground) from the Inlet Box to a 30-amp 240 volt receptacle on the home’s interior. (See Images.)
Three Tapcon 3/16″ x 1 3/4″ masonry screws securely attach the box to a cinder block wall. Once mounted, there is a 1/8″ air gap between the back of the box and the wall; that air gap allows the unit to dry-out after rain. The gap also allows the cover assembly to be easily slipped over the box frame and be secured with the single stainless steel screw shown in the photo. Do NOT caulk where the box meets the wall or the cover won’t be removable. DO caulk where the wire or conduit goes through the wall, to prevent insect and water infiltration.
The unit’s screw-down wiring connectors tightly hold 10-gage (or 8-gage) wires.
The integral hinged receptacle door acts as a rain guard when the receptacle is in use, and when it isn’t, seals the inside from weather, bugs, and dirt.
Excellent product!
Product Use:
Consumers typically use portable generators to power their homes in one of three ways.
1. The least expensive and most common method is to simply run long extension cords through open windows or doors directly to where power is needed inside the home.
2. The best (and costliest) approach is to connect the generator’s output power to a “transfer switch”; a device that switches electrical circuits between main power (i.e., from a utility company) and a backup generator. These switches can be automatic, monitoring incoming power from the utility and switching to a backup when the utility power goes out, or manual which requires you to physically make the changeover. Whole-house permanently installed (e.g., natural gas) generators utilize automatic switches, while portable gasoline-powered generators commonly employ a manual cut-over switch. This Power Cord Inlet Box is often used with a manual transfer switch.
3. An intermediate approach avoids running cords through windows or doors and the high cost of installing a transfer switch. It requires one or more 110v and/or 240v Power Inlet Boxes mounted on the dwelling’s exterior, directly wired through the wall to receptacles in the dwelling’s interior, with no connection to house wiring. From those interior (generator-powered) receptacles, extension cords go where the power is needed.
I chose the intermediate approach.
During a power outage, our generator is wheeled into place and three cords are run from the generator to the house, as follows. Takes under 10 minutes to set up.
- A 30-Amp L14-30 240v Generator Power Cord connects to a Reliance Controls PB30 L14-30 30 Amp Generator Power Cord Inlet Box (product being reviewed)
- Two 20-amp (12-gage) 120v cords connect to Leviton 5278-CWP 120v Power Inlet Receptacles
- A grounding cord is connected.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
 Nice box but a little cramped
By Stephen T. Vineski
Nice box for what it does. It is cramped though when working with four x 8 awg wire. I agree with other reviewers that it is difficult to get the lid on with the unit box flush to your exterior siding. Plan it’s location ahead, becuase if you have lapped siding you need to place the far enough below the lap to get the lid on.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
excellent product
By Kopperhed
very sturdy box, easy to mount, and the plug will accept 8 gauge wire if you are so inclined (as I was).
See all 25 customer reviews…
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Great Product – Works great for a 4 BR House with Well
Fire Hazard with this machine
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Not as expected.
