Nice and easy explanation from your electrician, we are getting one here in a few weeks as supply is low, great alternative so you can run what you want up to 30 amp draw as opposed to a sub panel with only a few things pre set that you can run, thanks
Hello neighbor (sort of) I am in the Kingston Area. I bought one of these last summer (Generlink) with a 80' cord and it works well. I use it with a 5500 watt inverter (30 amp) Generator. I put the cord on a hose real cart which makes it nice. In a year we have had 3 power fails and the wife can easily get things set up if I am at work. It powers the entire house with a 2 ton A/C unit (I have a soft starter on it). I believe your Electrician touched on this, but if you want to perform a generator/generlink test with the utility power still present, it is possible. The Generlink will prefer ALTERNATE SOURCE (generator) power supply, but it will never transfer to or from it's current supply if there is any load on the generlink. So if you are on utility power and the generator is also connected and powered, you must open all your breakers to bring the load to zero. The generlink will then transfer to generator, and when you start closing the breakers you will hear your generator begin to labour. You can then run your test for as long as you like. When done, once you open the generator breaker (or better, open all your house breakers first), the generlink will transfer back to utility power. also the same if you lose power and have the generator powering your house. The generlink will continue using your generator even if utility power is restored and only switch to utility power if you shut down your generator.
Correct, except for the fact that instead of shutting each of your breakers down one by one, you can acheive the same thing by shutting down your main breaker.
@@GlenforestElectric yes. But powering up everything at once can labour your generator or trip it with starting amps. If you had a dryer or oven going. Safer to shut things down and power them up over a few seconds than boom 30 amps now! I do flip the main myself but i make a point of shutting down anything 240.
Good video, thanks for posting. I'm having my Generlink installed today. I would suggest logging the generator run time hours to keep up on oil change frequency. A question I have is whether or not anything has to be done with generator grounding ?
A generator can be grounded using a rod or plate attached to the frame, but that is not strictly necessary for correct operation. And since your electrical service is grounded already (or it should be, anyway), and the generator is bonded to that ground via the generlink cord, there is very little chance of any kind of potential difference between the generator and the items its powering.
@@GlenforestElectric Thanks for the quick response about grounding. Hydro One came by and the whole process took about 15 minutes. I did a transfer test afterwards and all is good !
Great instructive video. I have a similar Generator, but my output is 3 prong, not the 4 prong. If I get an adapter, will my Generator work with the Generlink?
You likely have a 30A 120V receptacle, rather than the 30A 120/240V. The 120V is used for camper trailer power. The Generlink will not run reliably on a 120V feed. The 4-prong twist-lock 30A 120V/240V is ideal. It will also work with a 4-prong 20A 120V/240V, but then of course the capacity is limited to 20A and not 30A.
Excellent demonstration, one of the best explanations regarding the Generlink transfer switches I've seen. Curious to know whether you attached a grounding rod to your generator when you connected your transfer cable from the house to the generator. I noticed a grounding pin on my benchmark 11,500 watt generator. Thanks
That generator looks like it has a bonded neutral. Generlink uses neutral of the house panel so generator should be floating neutral. You can convert a bonded neutral to floating by removing a jumper wire on the generator. As well, change oil after 25 hours.
Quick question. I had an electrician work with the local hydro utility to install one of these units on my house about 3 months ago. At the time the work was completed, the electrician told me that there was no way to test it, so long as main utility power was coming in on the grid. That seemed quite odd and upon further review I see a note on the front page of the manual referring me to page 22 for the exact process of how to test the unit while utility power is still on. Does the Generlink automatically disconnect the main incoming when it senses generator power being provided, thereby isolating any chance of back feeding onto the grid? With that being said, when utility power would be reinstated, the house would remain on generator power (assuming the generator is running) and not switch back to utility power until such time as the generator is shut down and the Generlink unit no longer senses generator power. The Generlink plug should not be removed while a load is on the line. You say the plug may be left in all the time, so my understanding is that there is a current sensor in the Generlink that triggers the 'transfer connection' between the generator feed and the utility feed. Is my understanding of all of this correct? I think I paid a licensed electrician for nothing! Thanks
There seems to be some “conflicting” information out there in regards to the *MAIN BREAKER* switch on the main panel in the house. Some _experts_ say you don’t have to turn the main breaker switch to OFF before starting/engaging the generator. Some people say you can just leave the main breaker switch ON. ~ I know you should switch all the other breakers OFF and just turn ON the breakers you need to have on … fridges, freezers etc. ~ So, which is it? - Is it imperative to have the main breaker switch (in house) to the panel in the OFF or ON position on the main panel … *BEFORE* … starting the generator?
The only time it is 100% necessary to have the main service breaker off when switching to the generator is during testing. And even then, it's not always necessary. The Generlink will not switch inputs (grid to gen or gen to grid) while current is flowing from its existing source (either grid or gen). So to test the Generlink after installation while you still have grid power, you will need to turn of the main breaker to allow the Genrrlink to switch to generator power. However, it is adviseable to turn off the circuit breakers for larger items (oven, dryer, AC, electric heat). The Generlink can run these, but not all at the same time. You should be aware of their usage, and make sure that they're only being used one at a time.
Almost 2k for a 30A with surge protection is a bit hefty price tag (Canada). We live close to US border and thinking about getting one from USA. Any recommendations for USA shopping or maybe cheaper pricing in Canada?
I recently had a generlink installed and I am in the process of picking a generator. I noticed a label on the generlink stating the nuetral must be floating on the generator. Is the make and model in the video have a floating nuetral?
Nicely demonstrated. Thank you!
Nice and easy explanation from your electrician, we are getting one here in a few weeks as supply is low, great alternative so you can run what you want up to 30 amp draw as opposed to a sub panel with only a few things pre set that you can run, thanks
Best video on Generlink that I have seen. Thanks!
Hello neighbor (sort of) I am in the Kingston Area. I bought one of these last summer (Generlink) with a 80' cord and it works well. I use it with a 5500 watt inverter (30 amp) Generator. I put the cord on a hose real cart which makes it nice. In a year we have had 3 power fails and the wife can easily get things set up if I am at work. It powers the entire house with a 2 ton A/C unit (I have a soft starter on it). I believe your Electrician touched on this, but if you want to perform a generator/generlink test with the utility power still present, it is possible. The Generlink will prefer ALTERNATE SOURCE (generator) power supply, but it will never transfer to or from it's current supply if there is any load on the generlink. So if you are on utility power and the generator is also connected and powered, you must open all your breakers to bring the load to zero. The generlink will then transfer to generator, and when you start closing the breakers you will hear your generator begin to labour. You can then run your test for as long as you like. When done, once you open the generator breaker (or better, open all your house breakers first), the generlink will transfer back to utility power.
also the same if you lose power and have the generator powering your house. The generlink will continue using your generator even if utility power is restored and only switch to utility power if you shut down your generator.
Correct, except for the fact that instead of shutting each of your breakers down one by one, you can acheive the same thing by shutting down your main breaker.
@@GlenforestElectric yes. But powering up everything at once can labour your generator or trip it with starting amps. If you had a dryer or oven going. Safer to shut things down and power them up over a few seconds than boom 30 amps now! I do flip the main myself but i make a point of shutting down anything 240.
@@TheBry_Guy that's certainly a prudent method.
Good video, thanks for posting. I'm having my Generlink installed today. I would suggest logging the generator run time hours to keep up on oil change frequency. A question I have is whether or not anything has to be done with generator grounding ?
A generator can be grounded using a rod or plate attached to the frame, but that is not strictly necessary for correct operation. And since your electrical service is grounded already (or it should be, anyway), and the generator is bonded to that ground via the generlink cord, there is very little chance of any kind of potential difference between the generator and the items its powering.
@@GlenforestElectric Thanks for the quick response about grounding. Hydro One came by and the whole process took about 15 minutes. I did a transfer test afterwards and all is good !
Great instructive video. I have a similar Generator, but my output is 3 prong, not the 4 prong. If I get an adapter, will my Generator work with the Generlink?
You likely have a 30A 120V receptacle, rather than the 30A 120/240V. The 120V is used for camper trailer power. The Generlink will not run reliably on a 120V feed. The 4-prong twist-lock 30A 120V/240V is ideal. It will also work with a 4-prong 20A 120V/240V, but then of course the capacity is limited to 20A and not 30A.
Excellent demonstration, one of the best explanations regarding the Generlink transfer switches I've seen.
Curious to know whether you attached a grounding rod to your generator when you connected your transfer cable from the house to the generator. I noticed a grounding pin on my benchmark 11,500 watt generator.
Thanks
That generator looks like it has a bonded neutral. Generlink uses neutral of the house panel so generator should be floating neutral. You can convert a bonded neutral to floating by removing a jumper wire on the generator. As well, change oil after 25 hours.
Quick question. I had an electrician work with the local hydro utility to install one of these units on my house about 3 months ago. At the time the work was completed, the electrician told me that there was no way to test it, so long as main utility power was coming in on the grid. That seemed quite odd and upon further review I see a note on the front page of the manual referring me to page 22 for the exact process of how to test the unit while utility power is still on. Does the Generlink automatically disconnect the main incoming when it senses generator power being provided, thereby isolating any chance of back feeding onto the grid? With that being said, when utility power would be reinstated, the house would remain on generator power (assuming the generator is running) and not switch back to utility power until such time as the generator is shut down and the Generlink unit no longer senses generator power. The Generlink plug should not be removed while a load is on the line. You say the plug may be left in all the time, so my understanding is that there is a current sensor in the Generlink that triggers the 'transfer connection' between the generator feed and the utility feed. Is my understanding of all of this correct? I think I paid a licensed electrician for nothing! Thanks
There seems to be some “conflicting” information out there in regards to the *MAIN BREAKER* switch on the main panel in the house. Some _experts_ say you don’t have to turn the main breaker switch to OFF before starting/engaging the generator. Some people say you can just leave the main breaker switch ON. ~ I know you should switch all the other breakers OFF and just turn ON the breakers you need to have on … fridges, freezers etc. ~ So, which is it? - Is it imperative to have the main breaker switch (in house) to the panel in the OFF or ON position on the main panel … *BEFORE* … starting the generator?
The only time it is 100% necessary to have the main service breaker off when switching to the generator is during testing. And even then, it's not always necessary.
The Generlink will not switch inputs (grid to gen or gen to grid) while current is flowing from its existing source (either grid or gen). So to test the Generlink after installation while you still have grid power, you will need to turn of the main breaker to allow the Genrrlink to switch to generator power.
However, it is adviseable to turn off the circuit breakers for larger items (oven, dryer, AC, electric heat). The Generlink can run these, but not all at the same time. You should be aware of their usage, and make sure that they're only being used one at a time.
@@GlenforestElectric ~ Thank you very much for responding. Your input was very helpful. 👍
Almost 2k for a 30A with surge protection is a bit hefty price tag (Canada).
We live close to US border and thinking about getting one from USA. Any recommendations for USA shopping or maybe cheaper pricing in Canada?
I recently had a generlink installed and I am in the process of picking a generator. I noticed a label on the generlink stating the nuetral must be floating on the generator. Is the make and model in the video have a floating nuetral?
good know I figured it would needed to be. It's easy to do and plently of videos out there.
Is it available in Colorado
Some power companies will not allow this product on their meters.Better check before you buy.
This is true. That's why we handle the utility outage request and make sure they allow Generlinks in their area. Thanks for watching and commenting.