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    dougw's Avatar
    dougw Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jul 19, 2007, 10:06 AM
    Generator relay switch
    My main breaker panel does not separate ground from neutral. When I connect a (generator) transfer switch panel to it, can I safely assume that I am virtually extending the main panel and thus just connect the tranfer switch's ground and neutral wires to the combined ground/neutral bar in the main panel?. Otherwise how can I treat the transfer switch panel as a 'sub-panel' box?
    Thanks-Doug
    firmbeliever's Avatar
    firmbeliever Posts: 2,919, Reputation: 463
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    #2

    Jul 19, 2007, 10:13 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by dougw
    My main breaker panel does not separate ground from neutral. when I connect a generator relay switch panel to it, can I safely assume that I am virtually extending the main panel and thus just connect the relay ground and neutral wires to the combined ground/neutral bar in the main panel?... Otherwise how can I treat the relay switch panel as a 'sub-panel' box?
    Thanks-Doug
    Electrical Wiring in the Home: Subpanel / Main panel
    labman's Avatar
    labman Posts: 10,580, Reputation: 551
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    #3

    Jul 19, 2007, 11:08 AM
    Doug, I want to thank you for the confidence in me you showed by sending me an email asking me to answer this. Fortunately, we have tkrussel who can give a much better answer to a technical question such as this than I can. Do it exactly the way he says, and you shouldn't have any trouble with an inspector, the power company, or burn your house down.

    I mostly quit answering questions here since he came. I am still looking for a good generator connection set up. I have the same problem you have and if I go with a separate panel like you, I will need his answer.
    tkrussell's Avatar
    tkrussell Posts: 9,659, Reputation: 725
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    #4

    Jul 19, 2007, 11:35 AM
    The neutral and ground wire from the transfer switch will both connect to the neutral bar in the main panel. At the transfer switch there should be a insulated neutral bar for the neutral from the genset and to the main panel. The equipment ground from the transfer switch will connect to a lug attached directly to the box of the transfer switch, and not connect to the neutral in any fashion at the transfer switch.

    The neutral and equipment ground are to be connected together only at the box that contains the main breaker for the service.
    dougw's Avatar
    dougw Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Jul 19, 2007, 12:14 PM
    Great!. Thanks for your quick response... Thanks-Doug
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