Generac Load Manager

[Kubota L5030]

I hope someone can tell me how to use my backup power system. My house came wired with a backup power system consisting of an outside 50amp recepticle/plug and 2 Generac Load Manager "boxes" inside. I have a 5000w generator and a cord that connects to the house. When I plug the generator into the house recepticle, nothing registers on the Generac Load Manager watt meters. When I flip the switches on the Load Manager boxes from "line" to "gen", nothing happens. Even without the generator connected, flipping the Load Manager switches from "line" to "gen" has no effect on appliances, etc.

I do not have a separate manual switch for the main house power other than the main breakers in the circuit panels. Do I need to shut the main breakers off in both panels to make the generator power feed through the Load Manager boxes?

 

[RobS]

I can't comment on your specific installation, but with my load center I just hook up the genny to the outside recep, fire it up and then switch the load center circuits from line to gen. That's it. No need to pull the main or anything. The load center should completely isolate the genny from the main service. Is there a switch on your generator to power the correct output? Mine has a switch to go between the 110 outlets and the 220 that I use for the house.

Also, on my load center the meters only register power being used. Are you sure the circuits being powered are drawing anything?

 

[Willl]

Which appliances are hooked through the Load Manager ?

 

[Kubota L5030]

I can't comment on your specific installation, but with my load center I just hook up the genny to the outside recep, fire it up and then switch the load center circuits from line to gen. That's it. No need to pull the main or anything. The load center should completely isolate the genny from the main service. Is there a switch on your generator to power the correct output? Mine has a switch to go between the 110 outlets and the 220 that I use for the house.

Also, on my load center the meters only register power being used. Are you sure the circuits being powered are drawing anything?

Thanks RobS, your setup works like I thought mine should. I don't have a switch on my generator (not that I know of) to go from 110 to 220, but the thought did cross my mind. I checked to see that the cord running out of the generator had power and it was putting out 220v.

I am not sure which circuits are powered by the load center because its not marked. Don't you love quality workmanship! I turned off most of the house breakers with the generator running to see if it would start drawing power and got nothing.

 

[RobS]

One thing you could to is turn on some lights and such, fire it up and purposely disconnect your mains. With all the load center switches to line, you'll have nothing (hopefully). Flip them to gen and you should get lights or whatever, on the powered circuits. Let your water run until the well normally kicks on, that's almost always a generator circuit.

If you still don't get anywhere, it might be time to call someone to have a look at how it's wired. If you're comfortable pulling your panel covers, you should be able to tell which circuits are tied in.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

Here is a link to the manual for the Load Manager:

http://www.generac-portables.com/data/pdf_files/gen/1276_1en3w.pdf

 

[tommu56]

Kubota L5030

1st thing I would do is label the switches with the load description.
2nd start gen then normal loads on in the house
3rd switch one switch and write down the load from the meter.
continue with all switches.
add all these up to see if generator can handle all the load.

tommu

 

[Kubota L5030]

Here is a link to the manual for the Load Manager:

http://www.generac-portables.com/data/pdf_files/gen/1276_1en3w.pdf

CinderSchnauzer,
How did you find the manual? You must be an expert googler! I searched tbn, generac, and several other generator sites looking for that. Thank you. Confirms that my setup should be working like RobS'. Maybe I didn't have any of the backup circuits actually kick on when I was running the genny and testing. You'd think out of sixteen, one would be drawing power.

 

[tommu56]

Kubota L5030

Did you throw any of the switches to from normal to generator?

it is a manual transfer switch

tuen every thing in your home on and flip switch to off to see what it controls generator dosent have to be on/

tommu

 

[Reg]

Not quite the topic I thought it would be, but are there any (semi) intelligent load managers ?
I'm thinking about the rules of adding up all the resistive loads, then adding the motor loads separately and multiplying those by some factor for starting current.

Do the fridge, freezer, furnace blower, air conditioners ALL start at the same time ?
I doubt it, but there is a finite probability that they could.

I can imagine a design for a panel with some control electronics that detects start-up current on each circuit and denies starting current to all lower priority circuits.
They would continue to run if already running, but would not be able to start if not already running.
Yeah, this is not completely thought through, but if there is something like it already on the market I'd rather buy it than invent it (-:

 

[ray66v]

Sounds too me like something is not hooked up.

Do you know for sure your generator cable is good? Check that for continuity.

Check the outside receptacle wiring for possible bad connection or broken wire.

Or, If your capable, check the wiring in the basement and see if you have 220V coming from the generator.

Make sure the transfer switches are wired into the circuits. There should be a bunch of extra wires running from the transfer switches to the load centers, and they should be spliced into the circuits they serve.

I have put these in, and they are very basic and simple, they should work fine when you find the problem.

 

[Travelover]

I installed this same system at my house and it is a simple installation and works well.Most likely the center two circuits power a 220v device like a well and two of the other circuits are the furnace and refrigerator.

I'd first confirm that the generator cord is wired correctly to deliver 220 volts to the transfer switch box, especially if it was wired for a different setup in the past.

 

[Kubota L5030]

Sounds too me like something is not hooked up.

Do you know for sure your generator cable is good? Check that for continuity.

Check the outside receptacle wiring for possible bad connection or broken wire.

Or, If your capable, check the wiring in the basement and see if you have 220V coming from the generator.

Make sure the transfer switches are wired into the circuits. There should be a bunch of extra wires running from the transfer switches to the load centers, and they should be spliced into the circuits they serve.

I have put these in, and they are very basic and simple, they should work fine when you find the problem.

I am starting to think something is not hooked up also. I threw all the switches on the load manager to "off" and "gen" (without the generator running) and nothing in the house went off. I'm sure the refrigerator or sump pump outlet would be on the load manager, but both of them were still running. I will pull the panel to see if anything is wired.

 

[MrJimi]

A 5000 W generator is small for a house, how large is you circuit breaker panel?

 

[ray66v]

A 5000 W generator is small for a house, how large is you circuit breaker panel?

I have a good sized house, with 2-40 circuit panels, (75% full) and if I told you what I can, and do, run off of a 5500W heavy duty Generac, you would not believe me.

 

[ray66v]

I am starting to think something is not hooked up also. I threw all the switches on the load manager to "off" and "gen" (without the generator running) and nothing in the house went off. I'm sure the refrigerator or sump pump outlet would be on the load manager, but both of them were still running. I will pull the panel to see if anything is wired.

They are not wired if they do not go dead when you switch them like that.
That is not a big problem, you simply run the circuit you want to transfer through the transfer panels, they are prewired so it goes pretty fast.

 

[RobS]

I am starting to think something is not hooked up also. I threw all the switches on the load manager to "off" and "gen" (without the generator running) and nothing in the house went off. I'm sure the refrigerator or sump pump outlet would be on the load manager, but both of them were still running. I will pull the panel to see if anything is wired.

Yeah, something doesn't sound right if that's the case. Easiest is if it's not hooked up at all. If someone hooked it up, but did it wrong it could be challenging to sort it out. Let us know what you find.

 

[MrJimi]

Here is a chart to figure wattage
Troy-Bilt Generators and Pressure Washers - Determine Your Wattage

 

[RonMar]

The Generac load center switches are wired BETWEEN select circuit breakers in the main panels and the loads in your house. If you flip the switches in the load centers to "Gen" without the generator connected, and nothing happens, then they are not wired into the main panels between breaker and load. If they were, as you surmised, those items wired into the load centers would stop operating when you switched.

I would guess that if you pull the front covers off the two main breaker panels, you might find a coil of multi-colored wires just setting there that come from the flexible conduits that connect the main panels to the generac panels. This would indicate that It was a project that was started but never finished. Or you may find the wires routed to the vicinity of certain breakers and they are setting there with a wire nut on the conductor end, or two colored wires nutted together. This would indicate that it has been deliberatly disconnected by the previous owners to limit their liability. IE: If you want to use it, you need to re-wire it, which now makes it YOUR responsibility...

 

[MossRoad]

You'd think out of sixteen, one would be drawing power.

I may be wrong, but it looks like each panel has 6 single pole circuits. That means you have a maximum of 12 with the two panels, not 16.

It also looks like the installer used the factory cable to feed two units from the outside plug. It is meant for one unit. I think that exceeds the factory cable rating. The factory cable could melt before any of the breakers trip, especially if you use a generator that exceeds the cables rating.