Portable Generator on (1) 200A panel on 320 service. How to do it?

josh700

I am familiar with the setup for a single 200A panel, and installing a manual interlock and power inlet box. Is it the same for a house with (2) 200A panels, if I only need to run one of them on the generator for some general lights and outlets? Can I just hookup the panel that I need and leave the other one alone, or will there be an issue with the neutrals when the utility power comes back on? Because at that point, one panel would be on generator power and the other panel would be running on utility power. How should I go about this?

biggles

break the neutral at the panel that the genny is running

Julius793

I don't believe it's an issue the generator panel neutral will run back to the generator because that's where it was created and the utility to the transformer because that's where it was created.

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Electricity will kill you if you give it a chance

AllanJ

Is one 200 amp panel a subpanel relative to the other?

A cam or slider interlock must block the utility power from that entire panel by preventing the master breaker for that panel from being flipped on. Such an interlock may work with a "lug panel" (no top breaker) where both the generator feed and the utility power feed come in from the side (backfeed).

First and foremost, the interlock must be intended for that make and model of panel.

I actually advocate not breaking (unbonding) the neutral from ground for the purpose of hooking up a generator via cord and plug and male receptacle, if to do so is inconvenient.

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The average homeowner who lost his house in the Oklahoma tornadoes should move for good and not rebuild. Too much complexity watchdogging the contractor. Too much a chance to be defrauded.