Mains Power / Generator Power changeover switch enough to power a household?

[Prof]

Hi team,

Is there an Electrician here who can tell me if this Mains Power / Generator Power changeover switch is big enough to power a household?

Total useable wattage would be approx. 14Kw..

Equipment to power would be..Aircon.7Kw...fridge..microwave..oven..griller..small appliances..

The changeover generator is a 9Kw. petrol generator..

The switch is a Hager SF263 Changeover Switch 2 Pole 63 Amp.240V. 50Hz. Din Mounted..

[MitchellMc]

Hi Prof,

Many thanks for your question. Let me tag @bruce93 to see if he can point you in the right direction.

We'd love to hear more details about your project if you'd like to share it with the community.

Mitchell

[Prof]

Thanks Mitchell..

The mains power changeover switch  to generator power is for when we have a power failure..

Power failures happen quite frequently here, so I bought this 9Kw. generator to provide power to the house for such occasions..

I'm able to buy one of these switches and have a qualified Electrician install it..I just need to know if the one shown is big enough to do the job...

[HandyAndy]

hi @Prof,

that switch is good for 63A or 15KW, which is more than your generator output, what's the current rating of your mains circuit breaker? as long as it is less than or equal to 63A then it should be ok (the changeover switch needs to be rated higher than what it will be effectively switching), if your mains circuit breaker rating is higher, you may need to get a higher rated changeover switch.

if you are going to get an electrician to install it, it is probably best to get him to select the equipment.

[Prof]

Hi HandyAndy,

I don't know the current rating of the mains breaker, but I would imagine that it's less than 63A..maybe 50A

Off course the other thing is that I would only need the aircon, fridge, lights and a small appliance on ( and not all at the same time ) in the event of a blackout..

The reason I was asking about the suitability of the switch in question was that I have already asked an Electrician what would it cost for a changeover switch..and was told it would cost "hundreds of dollars" !!!..

Being skeptical  (as I am) I found that switch online for $75.00 !!..Consequently..I don't have a lot of faith in that Electrician.!! 🙄

[HandyAndy]

@Prof

40A is pretty standard for most installations in VIC these days (not sure of your location).

without seeing your installation i can't comment directly on whether "hundreds of dollars" would be an accurate quote, however, the one you have selected is a manual changeover, (if you have a black out, you would go out and turn the generator on, and flick the switch, when power returns, you go out and turn generator off and flick the switch)

an automatic changeover switch can be expensive, and generally involves some additional wiring between the generator and the switch (for controls and auto-start etc.), the electrician may have been considering this when he suggested "hundreds of dollars"

[Prof]

Hi HandyAndy,

Thanks for your reply..Yes I know these automatic changeover switches are very expensive and why I've only ever wanted a manual switch.

I'm in the Murraylands in South Australia so I guess that 40A could be ours as well...

The power cables from the generator are underground and come out right next to the mains power board, so it will be a very simple job to wire it all up..

And the generator has an electric starter...which makes life so much easier !!..so it's just a quick trip outside when there's a blackout..throw the changeover switch..and start the generator..

Couldn't be easier..

[HandyAndy]

in that case, it does sound rather simple, and i would definitely suggest trying another electrician

unless you are favourable of this one, maybe ask him to clarify

[MikeTNZ]

Prof,

As an Electrician myself, I would suspect any electrician that would say a switch like this would cost that much.

However, also please bear in mind, there have been many, many counterfeit electrical items on the market, Hager themselves

were struck a number of years ago by gear that looked like theirs but had no actual working parts inside the MCB's and what-not.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all having a dig at you, I'm just putting this fact out there, as a lot of places did catch fire, the world over

by these devices that weren't what they were meant to be.

If you're buying electrical equipment, be very careful where you buy it from, that is what I'm trying to convey.

[Prof]

Thanks for the warning Mike...

I found that Hager switch on eBay..so probably not the best place to buy it from if there's been false copies of their switches..

I haven't done anything further about it at the moment as I've just had solar panels added..