Transfer of Power

By: Joseph Truini (Page 1 of 5)

photo by: Ron Chapple

Photo courtesy Campbell Hausfeld

A six-circuit transfer switch is designed for a 5,000W generator, like this Campbell Hausfeld unit (Model GN5031, $899).

Photo courtesy Makita

This 4,800W Makita generator ($2,229) has four different receptacles and push-button electric starting.

Photo courtesy Generac

This powerful 7,500W Generac unit ($1,899) creates enough juice to power a 10-circuit transfer switch.

Photo courtesy Craftsman

The 7,500W, 15-hp Craftsman generator ($1,799) runs for more than seven hours on its 5-gallon tank of gas.

Photo: Geoffrey Gross

Photo: Geoffey Gross

Step 1: The transfer switch is placed beside the main service panel; its wires are pulled up through the bottom of the panel.

Photo: Geoffrey Gross

Step 2: Each wire from the transfer switch is connected to an existing circuit breaker inside the main electrical panel.

Photo: Geoffrey Gross

Step 3: At a junction box, a power cord is joined to a nonmetallic cable that runs to an outside wall and the power inlet box.

Photo: Geoffrey Gross

Step 4: A hole saw cuts an access hole for mounting the power inlet box to the cable running from the junction box.

Photo: Geoffrey Gross

Step 5: The Generator is plugged into the power inlet box. Power flows through the transfer switch to the designated circuits in the house.

Browse Images

Browse Electrical & Lighting Galleries:

Home Technology

View All

How-To Video

Browse More

How to Install Electric Radiant Heating

In this how-to video, This Old House plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey explains the warming attributes of electric radiant heat

Watch The Video

On Newsstands Now

In the Magazine

Easy Upgrades That Say Welcome Home

What You'll Learn:

A bright flash of lightning, a loud clap of thunder, then suddenly your home is plunged into total darkness. The electricity is out, the silence is deafening, and all you can do is sit and wait.

Sound familiar? Power outages are unavoidable and indiscriminate. Fortunately, in most cases, the electricity is restored in less than an hour. But if you live in an area where power outages occur often or if they last for prolonged periods, losing power is much more than just an occasional inconvenience.

An outage of more than a few hours can spoil refrigerated foods and cause frozen items to thaw. In a very short time, a house can become bitterly cold in winter and suffocatingly hot during during summer; both are potentially dangerous conditions for infants, the elderly, and the infirm. And for a household that relies on a well pump, a loss of electricity means no water for drinking, bathing, or flushing the toilet.

Perhaps the worst part is that a power outage leaves you feeling helpless and vulnerable, especially when it strikes at night. But there is a way to take charge of the situation and keep much of your home up and running until the power is restored. The most practical way to beat the blackout blues is to create your own power with a portable gasoline-fired generator. The next step is to hook the generator directly to the circuits in your home with an electrical-transfer switch.