Installed my Automatic transfer switch today

[pvoth1111]

It was a cool morning so I installed my new to me ATS....power/genny  feeds the new subpanel....well primary breaker panel.....then one leg feeds existing panel with 30 amp breaker and then  the other leg is running the rear A/C.....(and anything extra I am adding in the future)....which has been up and running for sometime.....with the new setup I was able to correct/enhance some other the "issues" I had.....

I run a 50 amp to 2 30 amp marine splitter and feed the coach with two 30 amp cables (way more wire than I need and I like it like that.

Still not totally done back there but the sun came out......and footballs on and im thirsty .....all the big is done.....

30secs after starting genny it automatically switchs to genny.....shutting off genny returns to shore power.....no cables to move just start genny and we got A/C.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Nice!

Kev

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

I run a 50 amp to 2 30 amp marine splitter and feed the coach with two 30 amp cables (way more wire than I need and I like it like that.

50 amp service is 240VAC so be careful what you are doing here.  A 240VAC circuit works differently from a 120 service. 
The 50 amp neutral leg is only rated for 50 amps even though you can draw up to 50 amps on each or the 50 amp hot lead (L1 and L2).  It is the interaction of the phase difference between L1 and L2  that allow this.
The 50 amp circuit breaker at the campsite pole is rated 50 amps on each hot leg (L1 and L2) so in actually you can have 100 amps of service (50 amps on each leg).  So, that breaker being 50 amps, is not really protecting you on either leg.
I hope you have a 20 amp breaker setup on the 2nd AC leg.  That will at least help keep you from  pulling to much amperage on the 50 amp nuetral wire.

Dave

[pvoth1111]

Neutral is double sized where it needs to be and yes the rear A/C is on its own 20 amp circuit breaker....the other leg is on its own new 30 amp breaker before going to the original 30 amp breaker....so the coach cant pull more than 30 max on either leg.....

The Splitter is a Marinco shore power cord and is designed and engineered for the purpose it serves....I went this way as it was cheaper to buy an extra 30 amp cord than a 50 amp cord....price of copper these days....

For what its worth I'm comfortable at voltages well over 10s of thousands of volts......And I have earned a BS in electric/electronic engineering which in the biz is known as a triple E (EEE). So my install actually exceeds any NEC....

Remember kids if you don't know what yer doing don't do anything.....mostly I try to very little

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Good to know.  Because most people have no clue about all this, I just wanted people to know it is not a pure and simple change over.

Dave

[Rickf1985]

I was doing some tree trimming just the other day at work from a bucket truck and a couple of the younger guys were razzing me because I would not get within ten feet of the top wires on the poles going through the campus I work at. Plus I was tying off limbs that had any chance whatsoever of falling towards the wires. Once I got back to my office I call them in and showed them some You tube videos of bucket and construction accident with those wires, They got kind of quiet with a lot of foot shuffling. I pointed out that they were leaning on the truck while they were jawing at me, More foot shuffling. Got that point across.

These were the same guys that said they knew all about electricity since they had wired in some outlets at home. D:oH!

[pvoth1111]

The "top wire" depending is most likely the ground....

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The "top wire" depending is most likely the ground....

I have always had the impression it is a "HOT" wire as it is what leads down to the big pole transformers for the voltage to be reduced and split into 2 phases.

Dave

[pvoth1111]

split into to two phases.....confused

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Pole transformer is center tapped (neutral) in order to produce 240VAC across the full winding and 120VAC each side of the center tap.  That's why in your house L1 is 180 degrees out of phase with you L2.

[pvoth1111]

Top wire....power pole I think of this.....ground on top

[pvoth1111]

top wire is ground usually

[pvoth1111]

this happens too....top wire kills you.....these configurations have nothing to do with anyone's RV........I will say that EVERY conductor should be considered lethal unless you know what your doing.......that's why they are way up on a pole or buried deep and encased in concrete.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

I was only referring to the bottom pic which is the typical neighborhood setup that has the 13.5Kv wire on top that drops down to the transformer which outputs the neutral, L1 and L2 outputs.  Your picture is good though because it does show the different layers.

Like a generator:
Neutral to L1 = 120VAC
Neutral to L2 = 120VAC
L1 to L2 = 240VAC


Dave

[eXodus]

Ok I don't need an automatic transfer switch, simple because I have to unplug more shore cable from the Generator outlet to plug it in. Idiot proof on this side.

But I will have an Inverter to power my fridge an other stuff. For this kind off application I could use a automatic switch or ?  Or can I do this manually ? Just use a double pole, 3 way switch to change between inverter power and shore/genset.

Worst case would be, after shutting down the external power my fridge would be unpowered.  But I would have to get the transfer switch somewhere in-between the converter/charger and the appliances... Have to study wiring

[Elandan2]

Some inverters come with an automatic transfer switch.

http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/inverter-chargers/freedom-hf-newgen.aspx

Rick

[eXodus]

yeah I was thinking about such a thing.

This kind of inverter/charger would basically replace my inefficient converter/charger + inverter + transferswitch.
But I'm not sure if I want everything in one device...

If this all-in-one solution decides to die I've got a problem. and I'm not sure if it's cheaper. instead of having three separate devices.

[pvoth1111]

My reason for installing the switch is if I loose shore power I can start the genny from inside  and have power without having to go switch wires around (go outside)...we have some pretty good storms here in south Florida ......and it simplified my wiring a bit....and it was only like 70  bucks....

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The only thing to watch out for with them is that the wire hold down screws vibrate loose.  Many ATS' get burned up that way.  For some odd reason, the neutral lead seems the worst one for doing that.

Dave

[eXodus]

My reason for installing the switch is if I loose shore power I can start the genny from inside  and have power without having to go switch wires around (go outside)...we have some pretty good storms here in south Florida ......and it simplified my wiring a bit....and it was only like 70  bucks....

is the east coast so bad ? here in southwest florida is no wind at all, for the whole last year.

[pvoth1111]

Actually No its not bad at all....we haven't lost any power from a storm only from work here at the Park with notice.

But its still cool have for me......

The ATS may get wired to automatically start the genny if the shore power goes out for a period of time....we have a dog and him not being comfortable is a major concern for us......so the ATS is a potential multi tiered project....

[Rickf1985]

You guys must not have been on the East coast for long. This has been an exceptionally quiet year for weather. Most years are a bit more exiting.

[eXodus]

@pvoth
you should install a MicroPC / Pico PC with Relay board or an PLC controller http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Programmable_Controllers/CLICK_Series_PLCs_(Stackable_Micro_Brick)/PLC_Units/C0-00DR-D?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product-search&gclid=CjwKEAjwk_OhBRD06abu3qSoxlwSJACt7sZ7TWOwpEgM8PckK1Eqzriyg6RjgT2azfFlxk6RRmnq0RoCXXLw_wcB.  With this I/O power you could control everything on your coach.


@ Rick I just moved here a year ago. No idea how normal weather should be.

[pvoth1111]

Yes I am  a PLC guy from way back....5 TI stuff and PLC2 and tons of others.....full automation will occur when finally I get the Bus....Prevost or MCI....as soon as I find the right Bus the "real" fun will begin......at 80 buck that PLC is a sweet temptation though...