Frequently Asked Questions |
Pro/Tran® - Transfer Switches
Does it matter if the generator is GFCI (ground fault) protected, and what is the difference between a “bonded-neutral” portable generator and a “floating-neutral” portable generator?
Are Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switches automatic?
Are Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switches pre-wired?
Can I connect my water heater or central air conditioner to a Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
Can I hardwire my Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch instead of using a power cord?
Can I make a splice in my main breaker panel?
Can I use a generator whose wattage exceeds the wattage on the Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
Can I use a Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch on any 20-amp circuit in my house?
Can I use my 8000 continuous watt generator with a Reliance Controls transfer switch rated for 7500 watts?
How long does it take to connect a Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
How many double-pole 240 volt circuits are provided on each Reliance Load-Side® transfer switch?
What happens when the Utility Power is restored?
What is a generator transfer switch?
What is a Loadside® transfer switch?
What is the maximum load on each side of the Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
Which Power Inlet Box can I use with each Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
What type of connection is required to connect my generator to my Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch or Power Inlet Box?
What is the difference between the Reliance Pro/Tran® Series and the former Gen/Switch™ Series transfer switches?
Where can I find a 200 amp Double-Pole, Double-Throw switch?
Why can't I just run extension cords from my generator to my appliances?
Why does the whole generator GFCI trip on my Honda generator when I use it with my transfer switch?
Can I use one of Honda’s new i-Pro EB Series inverter generators with a transfer switch?
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Panel/Link® - Manual Transfer Panels
Are individual branch circuit breakers included with Panel/Link® transfer panels?
How does a Reliance Panel/Link® manual transfer panel differ from a standard Load-Side® transfer switch?
What are the available configurations of the Panel/Link®?
What type of circuit breakers can I use on the Panel/Link®?
Which power inlet box can I use with a Panel/Link® transfer panel?
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Does it matter if the generator is GFCI (ground fault) protected, and what is the difference between a “bonded-neutral” portable generator and a “floating-neutral” portable generator?
Most portable generators will come in 2 primary types, defined by the internal wiring of the generator related to the neutral and ground. The neutral and ground are either tied together, or separated, inside the generator. A generator with the neutral and ground tied together is referred to as a "bonded-neutral" generator. It might also be described as "neutral bonded to frame". A generator with the neutral and ground isolated and separated from each other, is referred to as a "floating-neutral" generator.
Certain industrial/commercial generators must be “bonded-neutral” to pass OSHA inspection on job sites, which is why there are many generators with this bonded-neutral attribute. Some of these bonded-neutral generators also might have GFCI protection built-in, due to another requirement on job sites related to ground fault protection. It’s important to identify these generator attributes at the time of selecting a generator and transfer switch, because it’s possible that some job site generators with GFCI protection will require a special type of transfer switch installation.
Please contact the generator manufacturer to confirm if the generator is bonded-neutral and if the receptacle being used is GFCI protected. The Reliance X-series neutral switching panels are ideal for use with certain job site generators that use GFCI protection. Note: Any Reliance manual transfer switch will work with any floating neutral type of generator sized appropriately.
Please contact our technical support with any questions: 800-634-6155
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Are Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switches
automatic?
They are manual transfer switches designed
for residential or light commercial use with a 5000-12,500 watt standby
generator.
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Are Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switches
pre-wired?
Each Reliance Pro/Tran® manual transfer switch comes
completely pre-wired with a Red and Black wire for each circuit, plus a
white neutral and a green ground wire. Reliance Panel/Link® models are
generally not pre-wired, the exception being the TRC Series suffix "P"
which come with 12 pre-wired circuits including the branch circuit
breakers.
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Can I connect my water heater or
central air conditioner to a Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer
switch?
The Reliance Pro/Tran® "Q" Series manual transfer switches are specifically
designed to handle high wattage appliances. It has provisions for one double-pole 30 amp circuit for operating
250 volt appliances as large as 7,500 watts. If you need to power more than one 30 amp circuit, please install
a Reliance Panel/Link® transfer panel. For loads larger than 30A, such as an electric
range, use a Reliance Panel/Link® manual transfer panel.
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Can I hardwire my Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer
switch instead of using a power cord?
Yes. Even the
cord-connected models can be hardwired. Use the cover plate supplied with
every unit to cover the power inlet opening.
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Can I make a make a splice in my main breaker
panel?
Yes, under most conditions. Article 312.8 of the
National Electrical Code states "Enclosures for switches or overcurrent
devices shall not be used as junction boxes, auxiliary gutters, or
raceways for conductors feeding through or tapping off to other switches
or overcurrent devices, unless adequate space for this purpose is
provided.
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Can I use a generator whose wattage exceeds the
wattage on the Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
This is
acceptable for peak wattage but not recommended for running wattage.
Pulling more than the rated wattage through the Reliance Pro/Tran®
transfer switch could burn out the neutral wire,
overheat the main wiring in the transfer switch and cause a fire. To
insure proper safety precautions, a suitable double pole breaker should be
installed between the generator and the transfer switch when the running
wattage of the generator exceeds the rating of the transfer switch. See
the Power Inlet Box with Built-in Circuit Protection
in the Transfer Switch Accessories section.
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Can I use a Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch on
any 20-amp circuit in my house?
Yes. The switches and wires in
each transfer switch are rated for 20 amps. However, in the generator
mode, each circuit is limited to the amperage of the circuit breakers in
the Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch. Some of these breakers are 15 amps
and some are 20 amps. The circuits with 15 amp transfer switch breakers
can be connected to either 15 or 20 amp circuits in the main panel. The
circuits with the 20 amp transfer switch breakers must be connected to 20
amp circuits in the main panel. The 6 circuit models have two
20-amp breakers and four 15-amp breakers, the 8 circuit models have
two 20-amp breakers and six 15-amp breakers, and the 10 circuit
models have four 20-amp breakers and six 15-amp breakers.
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Can I use my 8000 continuous watt generator with a Reliance Controls transfer
switch rated for 7500 watts?
Yes, as long as the generator is equipped with a 30A, 125/250VAC outlet
(L14-30) protected by a 30A circuit breaker. The circuit breaker on the generator outlet will limit the output to 7500 watts.
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How long does it take to connect a Reliance
Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
About an hour by a qualified
electrician familiar with residential wiring electrical codes. If
installed with a power inlet box, the installation could take slightly
longer. Since each unit is pre-wired, the installer simply needs to
determine which circuits will be needed during an outage, wire each set of
wires in the transfer switch to those circuits, install the neutral and
the ground, and test the installation under load.
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How many double-pole 240 volt circuits are
provided on each Reliance Load-Side® transfer switch?
The 6-circuit models can be configured for one (1)
20 amp double-pole circuit for use on one 240-volt circuit, and are provided with
one (1) handle tie.
The 8-circuit models can be configured for up to one (1) 20 amp
and three (3) 15 amp double-pole breakers, and one (1) handle tie is provided.
The 10-circuit models can be configured for up to two (2)
20 amp and three (3) 15 amp double-pole breakers and two (2) handle ties are provided.
Additional handle ties can be purchased from the factory.
If no double-pole circuits are needed, the handle tie(s) may
be removed and discarded.
The 6-circuit and 10-circuit Q Series models are supplied with one (1) 30 amp
and one (1) 20 amp double-pole breaker. If no double-pole circuits are needed, the double-pole
breaker may be removed and replaced with two single-pole breakers.
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What happens when the Utility Power is
restored?
When your utility power is restored, other lights and
appliances in your home (not connected to generator power) will turn on.
To transfer the circuits on the generator to utility power, go to the
Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch and flip the switches back to the
"LINE" position and shut down your generator. Since those circuits using
generator power are isolated from the rest of the house, there is no
danger of back feeding the utility power.
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What is a generator transfer switch?
A transfer switch isolates those circuits using generator power during an
outage from the utility power. This eliminates the risk of back feeding
the electric utility, which can cause injuries to utility workers and
property damage.
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What is a Loadside® transfer switch?
A Loadside® transfer switch transfers the load after the branch circuit
breakers (i.e. the "loadside" of the circuit). This allows the transfer
switch to be installed without the labor and expense of moving the branch
circuit breakers to another panel. It furthur allows the transfer to be
made using a "light switch" type of toggle switch rather than switching a
series of circuit breakers. Finally, a Loadside® transfer switch can feed
some of the circuits from the utility and others from the generator. All
Pro/Tran® transfer switches are Loadside®.
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What is the maximum load on each side of the
Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
The wattmeters on each Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch allow
you to balance the load on each of the incoming 120 volt lines in order to gauge how much generator capacity is
being used and to maximize generator performance.
20 amps (5000 watts) for the 6-circuit model 20216A
30 amps (7500 watts) for the 6-circuit model 30216A
30 amps (7500 watts) for the 10-circuit model 30310A
30 amps (7500 watts) for the 8-circuit model 30408B
50 amps (12,500 watts) for the 6-circuit model 51406C
50 amps (12,500 watts) for the 8-circuit model 50408B
50 amps (12,500 watts) for the 10-circuit model 51410C
No meters are needed for balancing on the 4-circuit Models
15114A & 30114A since they have only one leg.
Meters are not standard on the Pro/Tran™ Models 31406B,
31410B, 51406B and 51410B. They can be added at any time by installing the
optional Watt Meter Panel.
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Which Power Inlet Box can I use with each
Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch?
| Transfer Switch Model |
Power Inlet Box |
| 15114A |
PB15 |
| 30114A |
PB31 |
| 20216A |
PB20 |
| All 30A, 125/250V Models |
PB30 |
| All 50A, 125/250V Models |
PB50 |
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What type of connection is required to connect my
generator to my Reliance Pro/Tran® transfer switch or Power Inlet
Box?
A four-wire, twist lock connector is needed. Reliance
manufactures suitable Power Cords with a male connector on one end and a
female connector on the other end. The four wires consist of two 120-volt
"hot" lines, one neutral and one ground.
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What is the difference between the Reliance Pro/Tran®
Series and the former Gen/Switch™ Series transfer switches?
The main difference is that the Pro/Tran® Series can easily be either hard-wired to a
remote power inlet box or cord-connected to the generator, whereas the Gen/Switch™
was designed to be only cord connected. Depending on the model selected, the power
inlet opening on the front of the Pro/Tran® is configured with either a power inlet or a
cover plate. If configured with a power inlet, a cover plate is included for those instances
when hardwiring is intended.
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Where can I find a 200 amp Double-Pole,
Double-Throw switch?
To install a switch of this type, it is
usually necessary to have your local utility pull your meter, and shut
off power to your home for several hours during installation. Reliance
developed a transfer switch that is installed after the mains for faster,
easier installation resulting in a much lower cost. The only limitation
with this method is that you cannot have all your circuits in your main
panel available for generator power; a limitation most people feel is not
a problem. For those that do, Reliance has developed the Panel/Link® TW
Series as a less expensive alternative to the double pole transfer switch.
The TW Series can transfer either 150 amp or 200 amp service and will
handle generators up to 30 kW. Contact the factory for more information.
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Why can't I just run extension cords from my
generator to my appliances?
This can be done as long as no
connection exists between the generator and the utility and the appliance
and the utility, i.e. there is no chance of back feeding the utility.
However, when the generator is connected to your house wiring, the National
Electrical COde requires the use of a transfer switch. The
advantage of a transfer switch over cords is that you can run devices that
are not cord connected such as a furnace blower motor or wall and ceiling
light fixtures. A transfer switch provides the convenience of utility
power and eliminates the need to run extensions cords throughout the
house. A transfer switch with meters can also help in managing power and
balancing the generator load to make sure you maximize the available
generator power.
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Why does the whole generator GFCI trip on my
Honda generator when I use it with my transfer switch?
Certain Honda Industrial/Commercial generators have the neutral bonded to ground
to pass OSHA inspection on job sites. Since home or building main breaker
boxes also have neutral bonded to ground, two parallel paths back to the generator are
created, one using the neutral wire and one using the ground wire. The neutral current now
flows through both conductors. Since the hot and neutral wires pass
through the ground fault sensor but the ground wire does not, the GFCI senses current imbalance and
trips the main circuit breaker in the generator. If you want these
generators to power a house or building, they must be modified by a Honda
dealer. After this modification, the generator will no longer provide
ground fault protection. Refer to Honda Service bulletin #20.
If your generator is a Honda i-Pro EB Series inverter model, see the question below.
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Can I use one of Honda’s new i-Pro EB Series inverter generators with a transfer switch?
Yes. The Reliance Panel/Link X Series is specifically designed for use with these generators.
The Honda EB5000i and EB7000i models have a neutral bond that cannot and should not be removed, and therefore cannot be used for
backup power applications. These generators were designed and intended for use on jobsites to meet OSHA requirements. While you cannot use these newer
Honda EB i-Pro series models with a conventional 2-pole transfer switch, you may use them with one of our X Series 3-pole sequential transfer panels.
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Are individual branch circuit breakers included
with Panel/Link® transfer panels?
Yes, with all suffix “P” models.
For all other models, individual branch circuit breakers are furnished by the installer.
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How does a Reliance Panel/Link® manual transfer
panel differ from a standard Load-Side® transfer switch?
The transfer panel accommodates from 4 to 38 circuits, and can be used
with higher capacity, medium-duty generators, up to 30 kW.
Some (like the TR series) are installed
like a "sub-panel" after the Main. The branch circuits you want to run on
the generator are typically relocated from the main panel to the transfer panel.
Each Panel/Link® transfer panel includes a linked set of utility and generator
transfer breakers, but the individual circuit breakers are generally not
provided. The exception is the TRC Series suffix "P" panel which comes
with 12 pre-wired circuits including the branch circuit breakers.
Others (like the TW series) are ideal for making your entire existing panel available to
generator power. Reliance also has a full line of Generator-Ready™ Main Breaker Panels
for new construction or when an electrical service is upgraded.
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What are the available configurations of the
Panel/Link®?
There are many configurations of the Panel/Link®
line. The TR Series Type C (TRC Prefix) is as follows, each available with
a range of generator and utility breakers:
"A" SUFFIX- Includes 2 watt meters and power inlet.
"B" SUFFIX - Includes only the power inlet.
"C" SUFFIX - Includes only the watt meters, no power inlet.
Designed for hardwiring.
"D" SUFFIX - Include neither watt meters nor power inlet.
Designed for hardwiring. All of the above with an additional SUFFIX "P" -
Includes all branch circuit breakers and all the necessary wiring and
conduit. Different breaker combinations are designated by a number
following the suffix "P" such as "P1". Other models include smaller and
larger sub-panels in the TR Series, 150 and 200 amp transfer panels, and
100, 150 and 200 amp main breaker panels with up to 36 branch circuits.
Meters are available as an option on all main breaker panels up to 60A. An
inlet can be added to main breaker panels with generator breakers up to
50A using the optional Power Inlet Kits (see
accessories section).
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What type of circuit breakers can I use on the
Panel/Link®?
All Reliance Panel/Link® transfer panels are UL
Listed for use with the following interchangeable branch circuit breakers:
Siemens Type QP, QT, QPH, HQP, QPF, QPHF, QFP, QE, QEH
Square D Series HOM (100A Max.)
Murray Type MP
Westinghouse Series BD, BR, BQ, GFC (All 100A Max.)
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Which power inlet box can I use with a Panel/Link® transfer panel?
You may use any appropriate Power Inlet Box up to 50 amps that is shown
in our Power Inlet Section
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