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Generator Transfer Switch?
- Thread starter Oddbod
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Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:
Hi Chaps,
According to the neighbours the road used to get half a dozen powercuts a year, often lasting for hours at a time. So there would have been some sense in having a generator hookup. This would almost certainly have been done in the early eighties. The guy who owned it then was not short of a bob or two and while he seems to have gone to extremes in some places none of it looks DIY. About 8 years ago something got upgraded and since then powercuts have been rare so its no longer an issue.
I had a prod around the socket with a multimeter and there is no voltage across the live and neutral.
Everything is pointing to a generator hookup but with a socket where there should be a plug. That makes no sense but maybe the rules were different in the eighties.
I've also found a number for B&D so I'll give them a ring and see if they can id the switch box.
Prodave, I haven't tried the switch to see what happens yet. Now I know where the SWA goes I'll find a time after I've talked to B&D and give it a go. Assuming all the house power goes off when I flick the switch Is there anything I could safely test? Continuity between the commando socket live and a standard 13A socket live for instance?
Thanks for all the comments & help guys, have a good weekend whatever you are up to.
Oddbod
According to the neighbours the road used to get half a dozen powercuts a year, often lasting for hours at a time. So there would have been some sense in having a generator hookup. This would almost certainly have been done in the early eighties. The guy who owned it then was not short of a bob or two and while he seems to have gone to extremes in some places none of it looks DIY. About 8 years ago something got upgraded and since then powercuts have been rare so its no longer an issue.
I had a prod around the socket with a multimeter and there is no voltage across the live and neutral.
Everything is pointing to a generator hookup but with a socket where there should be a plug. That makes no sense but maybe the rules were different in the eighties.
I've also found a number for B&D so I'll give them a ring and see if they can id the switch box.
Prodave, I haven't tried the switch to see what happens yet. Now I know where the SWA goes I'll find a time after I've talked to B&D and give it a go. Assuming all the house power goes off when I flick the switch Is there anything I could safely test? Continuity between the commando socket live and a standard 13A socket live for instance?
Thanks for all the comments & help guys, have a good weekend whatever you are up to.
Oddbod
Sounds like a cunning plan to me considering "they" are saying we will have random blackouts I'd be getting my a genny as half the work has already been done 
all you need to do now is swap the socket for a plug
I could have dropped in today, was out at Mortimer.
Paddler is bang on, I never say no to a decent brew..........none of that wishy washy milky stuff, a good strong stand the spoon up brew is the order of the day.
Paddler is bang on, I never say no to a decent brew..........none of that wishy washy milky stuff, a good strong stand the spoon up brew is the order of the day.
Definitely sounds like NAFFI standard. Often wondered how they make it. Sack of tea, couple of squaddie socks for flavour and boil for 24hrs. None of peppermint flavour decaf muck here!
This mornings storm shenanigans and subsequent power cut provided the perfect opportunity to test things out. Results as follows...
Switch knob (replacement?) is upside-down. When put on right it'd clearly read 1 - off - 2.
Position 2 (normal) - no connection between commando socket live and ring main live.
Position 1 (genny) - <1ohm between commando socket live and ring main live.
Presumably I'll need to arrange for proper earthing of the generator and a neutral earth linked cable before just plugging in a generator?
Not today tho - I have one or two trees to go fight after the storm...
Many thanks all.
Oddbod
This mornings storm shenanigans and subsequent power cut provided the perfect opportunity to test things out. Results as follows...
Switch knob (replacement?) is upside-down. When put on right it'd clearly read 1 - off - 2.
Position 2 (normal) - no connection between commando socket live and ring main live.
Position 1 (genny) - <1ohm between commando socket live and ring main live.
Presumably I'll need to arrange for proper earthing of the generator and a neutral earth linked cable before just plugging in a generator?
Not today tho - I have one or two trees to go fight after the storm...
Many thanks all.
Oddbod
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