Transfer panel read

[bones1]

I just came across this post as I was trying to educate myself and wondered what you guys thought about it.About a transfer panel he purchased.

I ORDERED ONE OF THESE FROM MY LOCAL ELECTRICAL SUPPLY HOUSE AND PAID JUST A FEW DOLLARS MORE. IT CAME TODAY AND I JUST OPENED THE BOX TO EXAMINE IT. THOUGH WELL MADE I AM SKEPTICAL OF THE UTILITY/GENERATOR BREAKERS ARE LINKED. I PLAN TO EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN THE TWO. I AM A MASTER ELECTRICIAN FOR 20 YEARS AND HAVE INSTALLED MANY COMMERCIAL STANDBY GENERATORS. HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ABOUT THIS PRODUCT:
#1. THIS "TRANSFER PANEL" HAS NO MEANS OF DISCONNECTING THE UTILITY NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR AND SWITCHING TO THE GENERATOR NEUTRAL. THIS MEANS THAT WHILE THE GENERATOR IS RUNNING ANY IMBALANCE OF LOAD CAN TRAVEL UP THE POWER CO. NEUTRAL BACK THROUGH THE TRANSFORMER AND POSSIBLY ENERGIZE LINE THAT THE POWER CO. BELIEVES TO BE DEAD. YOUR POWER CO. AND LOCAL BUILDING AUTHORITY MAY REQUIRE THE NEUTRAL TO BREAK UPON ACTIVATION OF GENERATOR SET. LINEMEN HAVE BEEN INJURED AND KILLED BY PEOPLE IMPROPERLY WIRING GENERATOR SETS TO THEIR HOMES.
#2. BECAUSE THE UTILITY AND GENERATOR NEUTRALS ARE NOT ISOLATED THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE STRAY VOLTAGE WILL TRAVEL BACK TO THE GENERATOR WHILE YOUR HOUSE IS RUNNING ON UTILITY POWER.
#3. INSIDE THE PANEL THERE IS A GREEN BONDING SCREW NEXT TO THE NEUTRAL/GROUND BAR. INSTRUCTIONS SAY: "IF MOUNTING ON A SOLID WALL BE SURE TO SCREW IN ANT TORQUE THE BONDING SCREW BEFORE MOUNTING THE PANEL." THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT. IF THE TRANSFER PANEL IS NOT BEING USED AS A MAIN SERVICE PANEL THE BONDING SCREW AND JUMPER BETWEEN THE NEUTRAL/GROUND BARS SHOULD BE REMOVED. USE THE BAR ON ONE SIDE FOR NEUTRALS AND THE OTHER FOR GROUNDS. THE NEUTRAL IS ONLY BONDED AT THE FIRST POINT OF DISCONNECT AT THE UTILITY ENTRANCE.
#4. IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT ANY OF THIS HIRE A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN FOR THE INSTALL AND WIRING.

 

[steelandcanvas]

This eliminates a lot of potential problems:

 

[bones1]

Yes it does. I was wondering if he is correct on the neutrals not being switched.

 

[DieselAddict]

Uh.. No. Not true. You can switch neutrals but you don't have to switch neutrals if you have a single point where the neutral and ground are bonded. A switched neutral panel is generally used for emergency sources where you can't isolate the ground and neutral. There are other reasons as well but you won't run into any of them in a residential environment. They are more for 3 phase industrial power.

If you have a floating neutral that means you have a serious problem either with a grossly undersized neutral or you have a defective ground. BUT that still wont energize a power line since a floating ground will stop at the transformer. It will stop at the transformer because there is no return path for the power and a complete circuit is NOT created. Transformers work on flowing current and not voltage. You could charge the secondary side of the transformer with a couple thousand volts but if there is no current flow there will be nothing induced in the primary side of the transformer and nothing going back out onto the line.

 

[KsM715]

I was thinking the same thing on the neutrals. No need to switch them. The neutral does not connect to the transformer and back onto the grid. It's bonded to ground at the first means of disconnect and also bonded to the ground wire that runs down each pole. If there was ever a way for voltage to reach the power line it's going to go to ground at that point and not down the line. I've done a bunch of emergency gen hookups using the two pole interlock and that has no means of disconnecting the neutral nor do the installation instructions that the manufacture packages with the interlock say anything about separating the neutrals.