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

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..

Changeover Switch.jpg

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Comments

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/9673#Comment_9673

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/67148#Comment_67148

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/96396#Comment_96396

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/114808#Comment_114808

@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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/125188#Comment_125188

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132169#Comment_132169

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/114808#Comment_114808

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

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/125347#Comment_125347

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..

MikeTNZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132268#Comment_132268

All good Prof,

Oddly enough, I went to a house fire the other night (I'm a volunteer Station Officer) and the guy had bought some gear and rewired his own switchboard.

He wouldn't say where he got the gear from (not being a qualified sparky), but his wife said he got it off Aliexpress............

I'm going back there tomorrow to try and fix it all up.

Just be bloody careful folks, this guy only lost some of his hallway, before the fire was discovered.

AndyW23

Mate there's a reason you must used licienced tradespeople & I'd suggest your about to find out if your doing this work yourself. Please listen to qualified advise as you might just kill yourself or someone you love.

I've seen far to many home electricians jobs & a few burning results. This is an industry not to take safety lightly.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/25458#Comment_25458

Hi @AndyW23

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Thank you for joining the discussion.

Let me tag @Prof to make sure they see your timely reminder about electrical safety. I totally agree with you that electrical work is best left to registered electricians.

Are you currently working on a D.I.Y. project? If you have any questions we can help with, please don't hesitate to post them. Our members will be more than happy to provide advice and information.

Eric

Prof

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/75413#Comment_75413

UPDATE...

I don't think I ever mentioned what I finished up doing about changing mains power to generator power..

I gave away the idea of using that Hager changeover switch..Instead my Gardener who is also an allround handyman..ran two underground cables from the generator to the house..

One cable goes directly to the air-con..and has a simple high wattage throw over switch cleverly hidden in a wall cavity behind a picture on the living room wall..and the other cable connects to the outside of the house with a through put 3 pin double socket where I can connect any of the appliances..

I've used the setup several times now and it works well...

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/101449#Comment_101449

Hi @Prof

Thank you very much for that update and It's good to hear that you've managed to sort out your generator installation. How are the plants coming along have they started to bloom flowers yet?

Eric

Prof

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117668#Comment_117668

Hi Eric...

I'm afraid the plants have come to a stand still.!..

One of the tomatoe plants has two small green tomatoes..but no flowers..and the other one had flowers which all curled up and died.!!!

I have what is called "blossom drop"..it appears to be fairly common..

The nutrients worked well during the growing process..but it doesn't seem to be the right nutrients for flowering and fruiting..

I've now changed the water and added a nutrient called "Bloom"..but it might be too late..so far there hasn't been any change..

The other thing which I hadn't taken into consideration is the mains water supply is chlorinated.!! Evidently plants don't like Chlorine.!!!

When you have plants in the ground..by the time that water gets to the roots most of the chlorine has dissipated through the soil..Not so with hydroponics.!!

It's all been a bit of a learning curve..

Fortunately my green plants have been thriving.!! Evidently non fruiting plants aren't affected as much..

I've cut off Iceberg lettuce leaves..and Bok Choi leaves and have had them in my salads.!! and they just keep growing back.!!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127106#Comment_127106

Let us know if you need any assistance with your plants @Prof. I trust you're all over it, but we have plenty of knowledgeable gardeners within the community, all willing to offer advice.

Mitchell

Prof

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133352#Comment_133352

Thanks Mitchell..it's good to know that help is available..

I've been getting my information mainly from You tube..Unfortunately they all have their own ideas and they either don't work or they're too complicated..

It's very difficult ( as a novice) to know exactly what I need..

I've already spent money in areas that weren't ideal..and it's been an expensive project at times..

I am at a bit of a loss at the moment as to how to get my tomatoe plants to flower..

One thing I discovered is that these plants are self pollinating..I took that to mean that I didn;t have to do anything to have then flower and then fruit.!!

Huh..boy was I wrong.!! I'm supposed to get a small paint brush and transfer pollen from one flower to the next.!!

That's problem why my flowers curled up and died..

Mitchell who do you suggest I contact in this area of hydroponics.?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137185#Comment_137185

How many hours of sunlight are you giving the tomatoes @Prof? They'll need at least 6-8 hours to bloom, and some say 12-18hours is preferable.

If all of your flowers have fallen off without pollinating, then the plant is likely giving it a rest at the moment. Giving the plants a slight trim might trigger them to produce flowers again.

If you haven't already, you might want to check the N-P-K of the Bloom fertiliser you're using. I'm not familiar with this product (there seem to be several similarly named products on the market), but just because it has bloom in the name might not mean it's targeted towards the flowering stage. You need high potassium, phosphorus, and less nitrogen during the flowering stage. If it has details on the bottle, check the ratios are in the right ballpark.

Lastly, what's the temperature like in the growing area? Typically high temperatures don't become an issue until they start evaporating your water storage, but it's important to know that it can become too hot. Adding ventilation will assist in dropping temperatures if this is an issue.

Overall from reading your discussions, it sounds like your plants are healthy it's just a matter of trying to reset these tomatoes and encourage them to bloom again.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Prof

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139835#Comment_139835

Mitchell I should have mentioned..these are indoor hydroponic tomato plants..under grow lights..using T5 twin 6400K fluro's 12hrs.on 8 hrs. off..

I did do some trimming, but I think I might have over done it..The plants are looking very spindly..

The N-P-K of the bloom formula of Manutec Tomato Magic Nutrient is 12.5 / 2.5 / 28.0 might be a bit high in nitrogen and low in potassium

Temperature is fairly constant during the day with the house being air-conditioned..but at night could have more of a variation..

One thing I can tell you..These tomato plants are VERY thirsty.!! I've already gone through about 30L. of nutrient in each bucket.!!!😃

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141666#Comment_141666

Hi @Prof

I totally forgot about the town water being full of chlorine. I suggest keeping the water in buckets and leaving them exposed to the sun for 24 hours and that should dramatically lower the chlorine content of the water. The longer you leave the bucket of water in the sun the less chlorine there will be.

We look forward to your next update.

Eric

Prof

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143049#Comment_143049

Yes you're right Eric..Who ever thinks that the roots in hydroponic systems are soaking in chlorine.!!

I did think about putting the water out in the sun, but I needed a quick solution to do a changeover of nutrients..

I did a quick search on Google and discovered something I couldn't believe.!!! Vitamin C neutralizes Chlorine.!!! and very little of it as well..

I put 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin C in 50L. of water...No more Chlorine.!!! 😃 Unbelievable.!!!

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