Placement of transfer switch in relation to breaker panel and genny

[Edgecrusher]

Hello. First time post. I'm hoping you can help me with planning how to set up my generator transfer switch and hopefully I can keep it simple. I have a three story home built into the side of a hill. The hill side of the house has a dirt drive running back to a second unattached garage. My electric service comes down from a riser between this drive and the house and into the basement about where the house and the front attached garage meet. For some whacky reason when they built the house back in '79 the breaker panel was mounted on the exterior block wall in a shallow (~24") closet about six feet up. I'm planning on installing a new panel and bringing it down where a person can reach it and also adding the transfer switch. I have a generator and want teach my wife and kids how to use it safely in the event I'm not there. I have room next to the house near where the service comes down where I think I would like to place the portable generator or at least the inlet plug box. I would guess this will end up being around 15' from the breaker panel in the basement. At this point I have a 6K watt genny and plan to use the Reliance Controls 6-circuit transfer switch kit sold at Home Depot. I don't have a big genny and I think 6 circuits will be plenty to power the necessities.

My question comes when I try to decide where to mount the transfer switch. I could put it in the "closet" with the breaker box which would be easiest. However, there are two reasons I don't want to. First, it would crowd that closet more than I'd like. Second, this closet is in a room I tend to keep locked from the kids(teenagers btw) which would make it hard for them to operate the generator without allowing them access to the room.

At the front of the house is an attached two stall garage. I'm thinking having the switch on the wall near the entrance to the house in the garage on the second (main) level would put it in a great spot where we can easily turn circuits on/off if necessary and keep people out of my locked room. However, I would be extending the line coming from the genny to the switch to a length of ~25' and I would need to run all the circuit wires from the switch down to the breaker panel which may be around 30'.
Is this too much distance to have. Will I experience too much voltage drop? Is it even legal and proper to have it in a separate area from the mains?

 

[roger]

In as much as you are an apprentice don't you have a superior that can assist you?

 

[Edgecrusher]

I'm an industrial electrician. I deal mainly with control systems. I can ask our facilities guy, but I don't see him often. Sometimes I just like to see what ideas people can give me anyway. This isn't one of those real brain teasers, I know. I'm just hoping for some residential guys to share some of their setup alternatives or why I shouldn't do it which can get me off this fence I'm on.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Your question is kinda ironic because I actually don't have any "superiors". We've had many guys retire and it's been hard finding replacements evidently. My employer's been walking a fine line with these apprenticeships. Personally, I'm shocked my fellow apprentices aren't up in arms about it. I'm tempted to raise a fuss, but I'm relatively new to the company. We are getting NO training. And this is a pretty big manufacturer I work for.

 

[Edgecrusher]

I shouldn't say no training since we have a curriculum to follow. I was only referring to on the job.

 

[Edgecrusher]

I can see this is just a matter of ampacities and wire lengths. My distances dont seem to be any problem that I can see. Sorry for the dumb questions.

 

[Jraef]

Access is important, but so are working space clearances. The “closet” issue sounds a bit sketchy to me but we can’t see your setup so it’s hard to judge from afar.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Set aside the whole transfer switch deal, but I think I should post a picture of my breaker box location just because I'd like to see what people have to say that might explain it. It's not like my home is some odd derelict out in the country either. It was built by a prominent home builder that built a large number of the homes in the neighborhood... and he built it for himself! Died of old age in it too. I'm getting a picture tonight when I'm home and posting it tomorrow. Maybe someone can offer a better solution to what I am planning to do in the process.

 

[Edgecrusher]

OK here goes. The last picture is the water service which is located on the opposite side(left) of the "closet". I think I will be making a door in front of this just in case of water leaks. ATM my plan is to replace that box and sub with a 40 breaker box and Increasing the service from a 100A to 200A. I will probably frame in the right side of the closet where the shelves are now and build the box in there. The transfer switch will either go above that or in the garage upstairs. The generator will be located directly above and behind this closet at ground level outside which by the bricks you can see is a couple feet above the door opening. I could put the breaker box smack dab in the middle of the closet facing out, but that would eliminate the chances of using the space for anything else; plus it'd be just that much closer to the water which I don't care for.

let me know your thoughts on this crazy arrangement

 

[Fred B]

To start with, multiple 110.26 violations.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Hence why ive been planning on moving it. I just can't understand at what point anyone thought that was a good idea or how it passed inspection. This room has always been a second kitchen in the house as far as i know but even then, why so high?

 

[mopowr steve]

Hence why ive been planning on moving it. I just can't understand at what point anyone thought that was a good idea or how it passed inspection. This room has always been a second kitchen in the house as far as i know but even then, why so high?

You mean that electrical closet is a kitchen?
Loose the shelves, reroute the white drain line, lower the panel, install the (service rated transfer if that pvc conduit is the service conductors) transfer switch below the LB nipple over into lowered panel, separate grounds neutral if applicable, install a gutter if necessary to extend existing branch circuits.
Bada-Boom-Bada-Bing

 

[Edgecrusher]

You mean that electrical closet is a kitchen?
Loose the shelves, reroute the white drain line, lower the panel, install the (service rated transfer if that pvc conduit is the service conductors) transfer switch below the LB nipple over into lowered panel, separate grounds neutral if applicable, install a gutter if necessary to extend existing branch circuits.
Bada-Boom-Bada-Bing

Exactly. Ill probably empty out the old breaker panel and just use it as a junction box for all the branch circuits so I can extend those wires through conduit down to the new box. The service wire part is easy like you said.