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Manual Transfer Switch?

Lt.Dan

Solar Wizard
Joined
Dec 25, 2020
Messages
3,528
Location
Tulare, Ca
Hey guys, I'm doing a little brainstorming and wanted to see if there are any recommendations on the safest way to do this.

I want to power my shop that I park the RV next to, with my solar/inverters in the RV. In my infinite knowledge (/sarcasm), I want to just put a new plug on my RV that matches the 50a 120/240 plug on the outside, but wire it to the output of my inverters. Then I can flip off the 100a main breaker coming in from the grid, to disconnect the shop power, and take my 50a cord from the shop and plug it into the output of the inverters. I know a lot of people call the suicide cords or whatever, but thats why I'm looking for the SAFEST way to do this.

I've seen the generator transfer switches (like THIS ONE), but i dont want a sub panel and have to rewire etc. I want to power the entire existing panel. The highest load in the shop is a 50a 240v breaker, but the welder that connects to it is only capable of 31a. At most the welder and compressor with be running at the same time, with some lights.

What are your suggestions?
 
You're going to have to do some wiring no matter what you do if you want it to be 'normal' and 'safe' :)
MTS or ATS or Rotary Switch would be my suggestions.
 
Some wiring is fine obviously, but I dont want to have to break up the panel and move breakers and rewire it entirely when I think it can all stay there?
 
Some wiring is fine obviously, but I dont want to have to break up the panel and move breakers and rewire it entirely when I think it can all stay there?
If you did ATS - you feed it from the panel and from the inverter. To use the inverter, you need to turn it on or have a switch on the input so power flows to the ATS and it will switch over to the inverter - and back automatically. You'd have to feed the ATS grid side from new circuit breakers in the main panel and create a plug on the output of the ATS.

For ATS + MTS it's similar but you can wire the MTS into the main panel so you don't need an special plug as the MTS let's you use the existing circuits.

Rotary switch would be a manual version of ATS.

Here's my ATS + MTS combination on my main panel for my solar to give a visual. You could just replace the MTS with a dedicated plug.
1631115166214.png
 
Would a transfer switch like this one work for you ? You can add an inlet on the exterior wall of the shop to connect to one side of this switch, and rewire the grid input that powers the panel currently to the other side, then feed the output from this switch to the panel. You can use an power inlet that has 50A CS6365 socket for the shop side and connect the power from RV using a generator cord that's going from NEMA 14-50P to CS6364 - https://www.homedepot.com/p/50-ft-50A-Generator-Transfer-Switch-Power-Cord-TE1450-050/313289580.
 
Thank you guys for the insight. I will do some research on what you have supplied me.

Another thought that comes to mind. Is there anyway to install a device that will automatically detect if I am backfeeding the shop from my RV, and will disconnect the main panel from the grid? This is the only reason a suicide cord is not safe correct?
 
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