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Posted by Eric on September 28, 2007, 1:06 pm
John,
With a generator that size, there are actually two types of transfer switch you
could use.
The type you'll see at Home Despot, which is the cheaper of the two, has
individual switches for each circuit (typically
anywhere from 4 to 12 circuits). Each switch can be thrown one way to power its
circuit from the main panel, or the other
way to power it from the generator. The advantage of this type of switch is you
can select the circuits in advance to make
sure you don't overload the generator. The downside is versatility - only the
circuits wired to the switch can be
generator-powered.
The alternative is a single large switch that switches the entire feed for your
breaker panel between utility and generator
power. These switches cost more, and offer more versatility - you can power
anything in the house from the generator,
subject of course to its power output limit. That's also the downside: if
you're not careful, you can easily overload the
generator by trying to power too many things.
If you Google "noise level decibels" you'll find some info on the web about how
loud 76 dB is. One page I found puts it
about halfway between "busy street traffic" at 70 and "vacuum cleaner" at 80.
Eric Law
> I'm considering having a 16 kw generator installed and I'd like to know what
to expect when the generator and transfer
> switch is installed and hooked up. For example to what is the main power
coming from the transfer switch hooked up into my
> breaker panel? What happens to the breakers of the different circuits that
selected for emergency operation. Do I give up
> any of the current open breaker spots I have. The Guardian unit I am looking
at says it operates at 76 decibels. I don't
> know what equivalent noise level that is. At the moment I am planning to have
it placed directly on the other side of the
> playroom wall as that is where the main breaker panel is located. I also have
a suitable spot about 20 feet away from the
> house if the noise would be a problem. I'd like to be able to observe the
process with some sort of understanding. Thanks
> for any input or other comments about the actual hooking up.
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