Electrical panel question- no interlock?

[Exmasonite]

Hey everybody...

Looking for a little advice on new home purchase. Was doing the final walkthrough today, we close tomorrow, and noticed that there is a generator hookup wire coming out of the wall by the main panel. I somehow missed this on the home inspection.

So, inspecting the panel further, it looks like there are two 30amp breakers (200A panel btw), each at the bottom of one of the rows of circuits. Each of these are labeled generator.

So, my electrical skills are rudimentary at best but I guess I am assuming that these are back feed breakers. I am also not thrilled with the fact that there is no interlock plate to lock out the main breaker... so I can say this is a long way from being to code.

Is there any other scenario that explains what I am seeing? (I will get pics up tomorrow once I actually take possession of the house).

At best, I can see if they make an interlock setup for that panel. Worst case, I see a new panel with appropriate interlock needed to be purchased. Sound about right?

 

[velvetfoot]

It's been a while, on my interlock setup, but on mine the upper two slots on the right had to be open. I had to move the breakers that were there, but there was enough wire to do this. Here is my thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/squared-generator-interlock-kit.17345/

 

[Exmasonite]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, that's the sorta interlock kit that I have on the current house that we had the electrician put in when they updated the panel for a bathroom and kitchen remodel.

The new house has nothing like that. I will have to work on getting an electrician out to see if it's something we can retrofit with current panel (shuffling the generator breakers as they aren't close to the main) while keeping to code or if I need a new panel.

From doing some reading, the code can be pretty specific as to using the proper interlock kit for the panel. Not sure what it is here in michigan but it's a new house we may have for 20+ years and we want to do it right. Besides, this is beyond my measly electrical skills so by getting a pro involved, it will have to be to code anyway.

 

[fbelec]

if i picture what your telling us here the set up on the new house is not code what you describe in your house you are moving out of sounds right. there are a few panels out there that kits are not made by the company that made these panel but there is a company out there that makes kits for some of the panel that their maker does not make and they take the liability. of course they cost 3 to 4 times the normal kits but if you do it yourself it's cheaper than changing a panel

 

[maple1]

There is just a wire coming out of the wall? No receptacle thingie?

If this is really a new home as you say (or did you mean, new to you?), I think I would be worried about what else wasn't done right (even if it isn't new) - as this sounds like a very bad thing for someone to do. And then leave behind.

 

[Highbeam]

Hey everybody...

Looking for a little advice on new home purchase. Was doing the final walkthrough today, we close tomorrow, and noticed that there is a generator hookup wire coming out of the wall by the main panel. I somehow missed this on the home inspection.

So, inspecting the panel further, it looks like there are two 30amp breakers (200A panel btw), each at the bottom of one of the rows of circuits. Each of these are labeled generator.

So, my electrical skills are rudimentary at best but I guess I am assuming that these are back feed breakers. I am also not thrilled with the fact that there is no interlock plate to lock out the main breaker... so I can say this is a long way from being to code.

Is there any other scenario that explains what I am seeing? (I will get pics up tomorrow once I actually take possession of the house).

At best, I can see if they make an interlock setup for that panel. Worst case, I see a new panel with appropriate interlock needed to be purchased. Sound about right?

So a "wire coming out of the wall" sounds terrible. That shouldn't happen. Maybe you miswrote? Is there anything on the end of said wire? like a receptacle, inlet, wirenut, etc.? Seems pretty easy to remove this wild wire by disconnecting it from the breakers in the panel and removing the breakers.

 

[maple1]

Even if there is something on the end of the wire, a non-interlocked suicide setup in a new house would sound all kinds of alarms in my head.

 

[velvetfoot]

Perhaps a temporary construction thing?

 

[Kevin*]

Interlock and move breakers around or put in a transfer panel. Either way it should be fixed though I think most people in the sticks don't use either.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Highbeam]

Even if there is something on the end of the wire, a non-interlocked suicide setup in a new house would sound all kinds of alarms in my head.

What he may have is an outlet on a dedicated circuit. What makes it a suicide setup is the double ended male cord. I know a guy..... that installed a welder outlet near his panel. Regular 50 amp female outlet. He had no intention of welding. He even labeled it as a welder circuit. He used that circuit with a suicide cord to backfeed his panel.

Nothing about the wiring was illegal, it was the use of the outlet that made it risky.