Autimatic Transfer Switch?

[Almot]

Was about to order switch by TRC/Southwire, 30A, huge 14" box, $95.  Then found an old thread by Mr Wizard, he bought some Chinese motor-driven gizmo for less than half of the cost - and it was smaller too: 2P 63A.

Now I'm thinking about this switch, smaller yet, $35: https://www.ebay.com/itm/115913695641 .  Love the size 4.75" x 3" x 2".  They have a motor-driven model too, see the pictures. At this point cost is no big deal, I would've paid $95 for TRC if it were smaller.  Incidentally, TRC had died on Mr Wiz so he went shopping and came back happy.  Love the idea of motor - it breaks the contact before making another contact, connecting both lines at the same time is impossible.  Love the Ebay Mini-switch too, no moving handle outside, my only space is in the cupboard next to pots and pans. 

Any thoughts are appreciated.

PS: new forum sucks.  Links in older threads don't open.

[StirCrazy]

No, I have mine set up with a resetable inline braker so it doesnt even touch the ac side of the panel anymore.  if you leave it conected into the panel then you are defeting the purpose of moving its power to the shore power inlet.  if you have shop power set up as priority as I do then yes leaving it in the panel and turning on the inverter would trip it back to shore power, and it would chatter I supose and burn out the relay.  

[Almot]

 Thank you.  Shore power is my priority.  Inverter on standby is a backup, connected to ATS backup input, I want it to come online automatically when shore power is out. Yes, chatter and fireworks is what I was afraid of if connecting ATS output to ATS shore power input where converter would be also connected to. Is it possible to achieve my goal without adding a dedicated converter  switch or breaker?

[ewarnerusa · Accepted solution]

Here is a screenshot of the WFCO installation.  

https://www.wfcotech.com/shop/transfer-switches/t-series/t-30-transfer-switch-2/ 

https://www.wfcotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WFCO-TransferSwitch-Cat.pdf 

https://www.wfcotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/T-30-T-57R-Manual.pdf 

[Almot]

Thanks for the diagram, ewarnerusa.  After looking at it and then re-reading your first comment "output of ATS is wired to the main AC panel supply in place of where shore power used to connect" I realized what's been throwing me off the course.  When ATS is installed, there is no original 120V AC  anymore on the AC panel.  Shore power goes to the ATS first.  Then whatever the ATS passed through, goes to AC panel.

Cr-appy new forum interface is NOT helping thinking process easier, I have to say.  Every time I must log in before being allowed to comment,  haven't they heard of cookies, I wonder.  Sometimes  comment that I've already typed disappears during the log-in.  Deceptively they let you type the comment before log-in, but when you hit Reply button the red lights go on (and then you are taken back to comment window and it's blank).

[StirCrazy]

part of the issue that I find causes so much confusion is that the ATS is still lables as shore in and generator in and realy hasnt taken Batter/inverter feed instead of generator into account.  my go power was no different and priority is givent to generatore so even if you have shore power if you start the generatore it would switch to the generator feed.  I had to wire mine backwards as I wanted my shore power to be priority and the inverter to be the one that would lose power if I plugged in the RV.

what I did for the converter is just hooked it to the shore power cables in the input of the ATS for shore power.  so basicly teisted the ends of the converter togeather with two ends of the shore power cable and inserted them togeather to the input side of the ATS.  that way I only have a working converter when the unit is pluged into shore power.

[StirCrazy]

the wires all go in through the back on that one, darn' won't work for me and it was cheep also

[ewarnerusa]

The knockouts are on the sides, so the wiring comes out of the sides of the box

[StirCrazy]

ok perfect.. then it might work and its is almost 300 bucks cheeper than the go power up here in CDN rupies

[Almot]

On Amazon.ca Go Power is $CAD 230, WFCO $CAD 150.  $80 difference.  US market is cheaper, I'm one hour from the border and buying most things on amazon.com (not .ca) with pick up at the parcel receiving service on the US side, they charge a few bucks per box.  Sometimes amazon.ca has same item cheaper than amazon.com but rarely.

I'm tempted to order $US 35 solid state Geya switch from Ebay (not the one with motor).  The only edge that WFCO has over Geya is that it fits right at the back on the OEM rails while Geya would have  be mounted 16" away and converter wire is only 10" long.  Less work with WFCO. It is possible to bolt Geya (or the one with motor) at the back of WFCO but Geya has a nice LED indicator to tell what line is On, and a manual/auto switch on the front panel.  No enclosure though. 

[StirCrazy]

not sure what go power your looking at, must be the 30amp because canadian amazon for the 50 amp its 416.00 and up, two months ago you couldnt find it for under 585.00 .  WFCO is 294.00  thats today, but when I was looking at them the WFCO was a little cheeper and the PD was just shy of 600 like I said, thats why I didn't order one in the summer when mine went bad.  

I am thinking of trying that Geya also, I would need the 4P 63amp version so 44ish bucks but I wish there was more documantation for it.  I don't have to mount it anywhere else as I have to take my ATS right out, I could even possible set it up in the old ATS case once I remove the selinoids out of there and just mount a short chunk of din rail..  you can get them off aliexpress also, I think 50 bucks delivered for the 63 amp 110v one, but I also know they have over/under voltage protection moduals also....

[Almot]

Geya from Ebay has a slot for DIN rail at the back - or so it looks on the photo.  It's so small  I could probably mount it on the rail next to my AC breakers in WFCO box. I didn't notice over/under voltage in description.  Maybe those on Aliexpress have it. 

Ebay Geya has a picture with specs, it mentions max 8KV impulse, sounds like surge protection but no undervoltage that I can see.  Without undervoltage I would still need something like 30A PI EMS for $US 180. How well  $35 Geya protects from surge is a question, how much total energy it can absorb. It mentions "mechanical life >= 8000 times", sounds like a relay, not a solid state - strange, at this small size.  Though it also says - electrical life >= 1500 times, go figure.

[StirCrazy]

the over/under is another modual by geya you could add, yes they are din rail mount.

ya I am still reading up on this, might be worth a try.

[Almot]

yes, I was looking at 30A switch.

[StirCrazy]

yup thats how mine is with the go power auto change over.  the converter only comes on when you are on shore power.  otherwise you have your inverter trying to charge your batteries if thats what you are using as your second power source, if it is a generatore then you can leave it alone.  I didn't install a second fuse though as the line just goes to my breaker for the converter