Help with Reliance/Generator hookup

[ohiohearthstone]

I currently use a Honda Eu2000 with cords (getting old dragging them out)
No, I am not interested in doing a backfeed. (Illegal, Risky, and can be a pain)
I am researching/pointing to a Honda Eu6500 with a Reliance transfer switch.
I cannot do whole house (all electric with Geo-Thermal). We heat 2000 sf with the Clydesdale to 68 just fine
Reliance Transfer Switches usually only have 2 220 breakers in them (without moving to a higher box)
I plan on powering well pump, and water heater. I'm still trying to learn how long it takes to heat a water heater/how long the water stays hot. I assume well pump will fill water heater and then I will shut well off.

My main question is that I have a 60 amp 220 breaker that feeds a shop. I would like to send power to the shop without having to use a 220 switch in a transfer box. My question is can I use a single circuit from the transfer switch and power half the 220 breaker-thus supplying 110 to a
shop breaker?


If this is possible I noticed the 220 shop cables are thicker ...does anyone know if the 220 cables in the reliance are also thicker? -because the reliance black wire is what goes back to the breaker.

If not possible, I can either forgo plans (and use keys to get in)..Problem is that the man door freezes shut.

If I move up to a larger transfer switch, I might hook up the range as well. I don't think 1 burner pulls all that much.

Other than that, I understand how it hooks up. I understand that I can't power everything and I plan on giving things a break. Just wanted to see if anyone else had done such a setup.

 

[seige101]

If i were you i would use an interlock kit with a generator that big. You would just shut off your geo thermal and other large loads. You probably won't be able to find a transfer panel kit with a breaker large enough to properly feed the workshop. The 2 pole breakers are usually 1 2 pole 20 and 1 2 pole 30, sometimes 2 2 pole 30s.

Also an interlock kit will be a little cheaper.

/Electrician is my day job

 

[velvetfoot]

Ditto on the interlock. I paid something like 110 for one for a Square D panel. Also, you want to make sure that expensive Honda will power that well pump.

 

[ohiohearthstone]

I'm trying to set this up to make this easy for my mother.
Another possibility I came up with was to use a 120 Reliance transfer kit to use with the eu2000 (sips gas)
and then possibly another transfer switch just for the 220.
I was also curious if you could have 1 transfer switch with 2 inputs..1 input being the 120 and one being the 220?
sorry for "jumping" around..just exploring options

 

[seige101]

I have only seen a tri input transfer switch a couple times. It was at a hospital. There was utility voltage, generator a and generator b. The generators alternated for backup. So if one failed the other one spun up almost instantly.

Not sure if if they make a manual transfer switch of the same type.

Edit: Re read your post. I kinda like the the idea of 2 transfer switches. You could feed the smaller 110 volt transfer switch out of the larger 220v transfer switch. If you wanted the smaller one, you switched over from utility to gen on the 110 panel. If you wanted the larger generator, you switch from utility to gen and it would then power the smaller panel. Both would be interlocked from powering off different generators.

 

[fbelec]

got a question for you ohio. is your house and your shop coming off the same service? if so one gen with interlock like seige101 said would power everything. you would just have to watch what is running at the same time. start collecting a list of the wattage of things you want to be running. just a thought if you are trying to run a well pump and electric water heater at the same time 6500 watt generator might be to small depending on the horse power of the well pump.

frank