Let me see if I have this right. First of all, I really appreciate any help you guys can give me. I am old and dyslexic so bear with me. Ok.........am getting ready to wire my 6.5 KW generator that is for well back up, to keep the freezer going, a few lights, and then if there is enough left, maybe the TV etc..................NO COOKING, AC, HEAT, HOT WATER.......
OK........
Here is the situation..........
I have a main breaker box upstairs in the house in a hall closet. It is a 200 amp box with a service disconnect at the top. FROM there, on a 220v 60amp breaker, I feed down in my lower level a 220v 100 amp breaker box that feeds my well, a barn, my shop, and a vehicle storage barn.
In 12 years I have NEVER blown a breaker for overload so feel good about that.
Depending upon the situation of the power loss, and length we can easily move to the Air Stream trailer for LONG TERM living with AC, heat, cooking, etc. OR, we heat the house with wood anyway, despite 2 heat pumps, so we can easily "live" in the house for long term........The Trailer has a Honda 3000 for very adequate power supply........
OK..........THE PLAN: WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP AND ADVICE
I plan to run a 10 guage 3 wire with ground from the generator to a 40 Amp 220 V load center with a breaker...THIS Load center will be mounted NEXT to the 100 amp box that feeds the well, etc....I will run the generator to the input lugs and "common" bar, of this box. FROM the breaker and common bar, I will go over to 100 amp box.
MAJOR QUESTION..........
1. With the generator Load center when I turn OFF the breaker will the "input" lugs of the load center be hot when the generator is NOT running? My common sense says no and only depending upon how I wire it into the 100 Amp box.
2.When wiring INTO the 100A box should I put this INTO a 30A 220V breaker and use it as an in and out switch or just go into the lugs of the 100A box itself, using the various breakers for control of the circuits.
My procedure for power loss will be:
1. Turn OFF the service panel 200 amp master breaker
2. Turn OFF the breaker from the 200 amp service panel that feeds the 100 amp box that goes to the well, etc.......WHEN I WANT LIGHTS IN THE HOUSE ITSELF OR THE REFRIG THAT FEEDS OUT OF THIS BREAKER BOX I WILL TURN THIS ON............LEAVING THE MASTER BREAKER SWITCH OFF AND MOST OF THE OTHER CIRCUITS IN THIS BOX OFF
3. Turn off the 100 amp master breaker.............IF I USE A BREAKER FROM THE GENERATOR LOAD CENTER I WILL TURN IT OFF AS WELL
4. Turn OFF the Generator load center breakers
5. Fire up the generator
6. Turn ON the generator load center breaker
7. Turn on the 100 amp master breaker OR turn on the breaker in the 100A from the generator load center.
8. In the 100A box Turn on whatever breakers that I want to use, well, barn lights, etc
9. Turn on the breaker in the 200A box that feeds the 100A box.
10. Turn ON the 200 amp service breakers to distribute power to the house for frig, lights, tv, etc
NEVER TURN ON THE MASTER BREAKER TO THE 200 amp MAIN BOX
Ok........yes.....I know that this is complicated but for me it would seem to work......yes, this will be posted by the generator load center, my wife and others will be trained on it's use..........
Question...........in the 100amp box.......from/to the generator load center, do I need to use a breaker to isolate the load center or just go directly into the lugs of the 100 amp box?
Yes, this may seem complicated; but PLEASE understand that I have tried to use the language that I understand and use..........
Thanks for your help, patience, and guidance.............Dennis