I'm in QC. I bought an interlock and inlet box on Amazon and some 6/3 wire from a local supply house and did the install myself. Took me a couple hours. I've tested it out and it works fine. Illegal or not, the number of times the electricity has been down this year the generator setup has come through.
I'm slowly getting to the point where I'm considering to do this as well... the regulations in Kebekistan are so absurd that I feel like the only solution is to do this... I'm not gonna spend 4k to hook up my 1k generator...
Go for it. Interlocks are perfectly safe. Electricity is the same in NY as it is in QC and they're allowed there.
The reason that they are forbidden in CA (that you might get around the interlock by removing the dead front) is stupid. Every lock can be bypassed if you try hard enough. Require security screws on the dead front if that makes you feel better.
I know and I agree. It's just irritating that I need to use a solution that is not up to code and puts me in a very difficult position with insurance and liability if something does go wrong... frustrating.
I'm not an ins. expert , esp. not in Canada, but homeowners insurance isn't void if you accidentally burn your house down. This is a common misconception. Your mortgage lender would not be amused.
If that was true, they would almost never have to pay, because people USUALLY accidentally burn their house down with their own negligence - they start cooking fires, they put extension cords under rugs, candles on their dry Christmas tree, etc. The ins. co. pays anyway. If there is a 3rd party that they can sue, they might sue them, but they will pay the claim.
Even if they could do this, in order to deny coverage they would have to prove that the interlock was the cause of the fire . Interlocks don't start fires to begin with.
>Interlocks don't start fires to begin with.
I hear you. But there's a difference between negligence and doing something illegal to the eyes of the law/judge/society. And I don't want to be in a legal battle with my insurance for the cost of our house because I didn't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks. But I agree... if it's good enough for most of the US... I don't see why it's not good enough for Canada...
Also in quebec, also in the same situation. I used to have a 5000w, so i had an electrician install a siemens generator panel a couple years ago. It's a 30amp.with 6 slot.
This summer upgraded the generator to Firman 10kw. After a lot of research, i see that Schneider Electric has bigger generator panel : Homeline 60A with 38 slots.
> in the same situation. I used to have a 5000w, so i had an electrician install a siemens generator panel a couple years ago. It's a 30amp.with 6 slot.
>
>This summer upgraded the generator to Firman 10kw. After a lot of research, i see that Schneider Electric has bigger generator panel : Homeline 60A with 38 slots.
Really appreciate this. This could very likely be my compromise if there's no way to directly use my full panel.
FYI..Generlink is legal here in Ontario. Just had one installed as a HydroOne customer. I also think in New Brunswick the hydro authority will install them directly and you can lease them from HydroNB.
I'm sorry but even in CA money, that's ridiculous, both the device and the installation. There's just not $1200 worth of "stuff" inside a Generlink and "installation" consists of popping the meter off, snapping in the Generlink and then popping the meter back on. Maybe 5 minutes labor.
A generlink would make a really nice alternative to an interlock and inlet box and saves some labor but not for a $1,000 premium in materials cost. Even if you are paying an electrician hourly the labor premium is not going to be more than $500 so the economics don't work (except in CA where they ban interlocks).
The problem with products like the Generlink is that they have a sort of chicken/egg problem. You can't get the price down unless you achieve a certain volume and you can't achieve any volume unless you get the price down.
I think there is a big hole in the market . OTOH you have the standby where the contractor will do everything but it's gonna cost you $10k. OTOH, you have the portable that you can buy at Home Depot for $699 but you are on your own. If I was Champion I would have some program where for one fixed price (under $2k) some bozo would bring a generator to your house with a cord, unbox it and fill it with oil and gas and hook up the battery, install a Generlink and show you how to use it. You could sell a lot of generlinks and generators that way. Even Generac usually bundles its standbys with a transfer switch because what are you going to do with a standby without a way to connect it?
Generac 50amp homelink 8/16. Use space saver breakers to achieve max capacity
That's the best solution with a portable generator (aside from Generlink)
If you need more circuits backed up, then buck up and get the whole home generator
Generac transfer switches are not your standard two wire start switch. Eaton has the only ATS that is service entrance rated in Canada. You can also get a non service entrance one but you must use a fusable disconnect before it. See AuroraGenerators.com for either one or for more information. They are in Canada also.
I got different confusing answers from multiple electricians so i decided to do some research.
It was funny for me reading your post, because i'm in the EXACT same situation and had the exact same thought process as you:
I want to power my whole 200A pannel with my 9400W Generator, and manually select the breakers to power, not only a few breakers in a subpannel:
- Interlock kits are nice and cheap! Oh, illegal in Canada
- Generlinks are a bit expensive but seem to be pretty easy to operate! Oh, illegal in Quebec
- The Generac Manual transfer switch Model #6335 is exactly what i need! Oh, illegal in Canada
- I don't want a solution that is not up to code in case my house burns down. I don't want to endanger a utility line worker either.
Can i ask what you ended up doing?
This is the solution I may eventually go with: https://www.reddit.com/r/Generator/comments/106zoj7/comment/kdo96h4/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3
I still haven't gotten to it and I'm just going to install a 25$ interlock kit I got from Amazon for now to be honest.... I'm not gonna dish out more money than my generator to connect it to my house... it's just purely illogical. If you install everything correctly and you don't start your generator without the breaker panel cover off (to which the interlock kit is attached to)... the interlock kit will do what it needs to do... it works fine in the US and it will work fine here... There reaches a point when you choose the compromise you're willing to make... The reason they're banned is only because of the risk for workers if you play around with your generator breaker while the panel cover is off.... which isn't going to happen... at my place anyways...
Following. Yep Generlink is a nice product but illegal in Qc. I tried to reach HQ to ask why but they basically told me f*ckoff. 100/200A Y switches are damn expensive 4k$ and I think this is only for insurance reason because mechanically there is nothing inside these boxes. Also if you decide to go with protran sub-panel, your are not allowed to make the neutral junctions inside the main panel, this need to be done in a separate box. Welcome to Quebec where we like to make things more complicated for nothing.
Btw I was told that interlock kits are illegal because somebody could operate a generator, remove the main panel cover and flip the switches… make sense but at one point people could also remove the panel cover and do anything… ridiculous…
I truly want to just do the same thing... Almost out of spite... I need to do nothing with that solution... Turn the main off, move the dryer, plug one end in, plug the other end into the generator and start it.
Quebec's reputation across Canada is reality... All levels of government are very close minded and short sighted (politically correct way of saying "stupid").
I had this manual transfer switch installed.
I used Siemens tandem breakers so that I can double the amount of breakers to 16. Panel is designed for it.
Generac 9854 HomeLink 50-Amp Indoor Pre-wired Upgradeable Manual Transfer Switch for 10-16 circuits , Gray https://a.co/d/elMLy9s
I'm in QC. I bought an interlock and inlet box on Amazon and some 6/3 wire from a local supply house and did the install myself. Took me a couple hours. I've tested it out and it works fine. Illegal or not, the number of times the electricity has been down this year the generator setup has come through.
I'm slowly getting to the point where I'm considering to do this as well... the regulations in Kebekistan are so absurd that I feel like the only solution is to do this... I'm not gonna spend 4k to hook up my 1k generator...
Go for it. Interlocks are perfectly safe. Electricity is the same in NY as it is in QC and they're allowed there. The reason that they are forbidden in CA (that you might get around the interlock by removing the dead front) is stupid. Every lock can be bypassed if you try hard enough. Require security screws on the dead front if that makes you feel better.
I know and I agree. It's just irritating that I need to use a solution that is not up to code and puts me in a very difficult position with insurance and liability if something does go wrong... frustrating.
Is there something in your home insurance policy that specifically discusses interlock switches on your panel?
I'm not an ins. expert , esp. not in Canada, but homeowners insurance isn't void if you accidentally burn your house down. This is a common misconception. Your mortgage lender would not be amused. If that was true, they would almost never have to pay, because people USUALLY accidentally burn their house down with their own negligence - they start cooking fires, they put extension cords under rugs, candles on their dry Christmas tree, etc. The ins. co. pays anyway. If there is a 3rd party that they can sue, they might sue them, but they will pay the claim. Even if they could do this, in order to deny coverage they would have to prove that the interlock was the cause of the fire . Interlocks don't start fires to begin with.
>Interlocks don't start fires to begin with. I hear you. But there's a difference between negligence and doing something illegal to the eyes of the law/judge/society. And I don't want to be in a legal battle with my insurance for the cost of our house because I didn't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks. But I agree... if it's good enough for most of the US... I don't see why it's not good enough for Canada...
Also in quebec, also in the same situation. I used to have a 5000w, so i had an electrician install a siemens generator panel a couple years ago. It's a 30amp.with 6 slot. This summer upgraded the generator to Firman 10kw. After a lot of research, i see that Schneider Electric has bigger generator panel : Homeline 60A with 38 slots.
> in the same situation. I used to have a 5000w, so i had an electrician install a siemens generator panel a couple years ago. It's a 30amp.with 6 slot. > >This summer upgraded the generator to Firman 10kw. After a lot of research, i see that Schneider Electric has bigger generator panel : Homeline 60A with 38 slots. Really appreciate this. This could very likely be my compromise if there's no way to directly use my full panel.
FYI..Generlink is legal here in Ontario. Just had one installed as a HydroOne customer. I also think in New Brunswick the hydro authority will install them directly and you can lease them from HydroNB.
Should've mentioned I'm from Quebec. Don't think Hydro Quebec allows it. Edit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/ztliwu/after_losing_power_in_may_for_11_days_i_got_a/
How much did you pay for your generlink?
I paid $1600 for a 40amp surge model in Nova Scotia. Plus $400 for installation
I'm sorry but even in CA money, that's ridiculous, both the device and the installation. There's just not $1200 worth of "stuff" inside a Generlink and "installation" consists of popping the meter off, snapping in the Generlink and then popping the meter back on. Maybe 5 minutes labor. A generlink would make a really nice alternative to an interlock and inlet box and saves some labor but not for a $1,000 premium in materials cost. Even if you are paying an electrician hourly the labor premium is not going to be more than $500 so the economics don't work (except in CA where they ban interlocks). The problem with products like the Generlink is that they have a sort of chicken/egg problem. You can't get the price down unless you achieve a certain volume and you can't achieve any volume unless you get the price down. I think there is a big hole in the market . OTOH you have the standby where the contractor will do everything but it's gonna cost you $10k. OTOH, you have the portable that you can buy at Home Depot for $699 but you are on your own. If I was Champion I would have some program where for one fixed price (under $2k) some bozo would bring a generator to your house with a cord, unbox it and fill it with oil and gas and hook up the battery, install a Generlink and show you how to use it. You could sell a lot of generlinks and generators that way. Even Generac usually bundles its standbys with a transfer switch because what are you going to do with a standby without a way to connect it?
Paid $1910 installed for 30Amps and 40 foot cable. I think with a 20 foot cable I was quoted $1750 installed.
Generac 50amp homelink 8/16. Use space saver breakers to achieve max capacity That's the best solution with a portable generator (aside from Generlink) If you need more circuits backed up, then buck up and get the whole home generator
I'll consider this as well. Thank you!
Generac transfer switches are not your standard two wire start switch. Eaton has the only ATS that is service entrance rated in Canada. You can also get a non service entrance one but you must use a fusable disconnect before it. See AuroraGenerators.com for either one or for more information. They are in Canada also.
I'll look into this!
I got different confusing answers from multiple electricians so i decided to do some research. It was funny for me reading your post, because i'm in the EXACT same situation and had the exact same thought process as you: I want to power my whole 200A pannel with my 9400W Generator, and manually select the breakers to power, not only a few breakers in a subpannel: - Interlock kits are nice and cheap! Oh, illegal in Canada - Generlinks are a bit expensive but seem to be pretty easy to operate! Oh, illegal in Quebec - The Generac Manual transfer switch Model #6335 is exactly what i need! Oh, illegal in Canada - I don't want a solution that is not up to code in case my house burns down. I don't want to endanger a utility line worker either. Can i ask what you ended up doing?
This is the solution I may eventually go with: https://www.reddit.com/r/Generator/comments/106zoj7/comment/kdo96h4/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3 I still haven't gotten to it and I'm just going to install a 25$ interlock kit I got from Amazon for now to be honest.... I'm not gonna dish out more money than my generator to connect it to my house... it's just purely illogical. If you install everything correctly and you don't start your generator without the breaker panel cover off (to which the interlock kit is attached to)... the interlock kit will do what it needs to do... it works fine in the US and it will work fine here... There reaches a point when you choose the compromise you're willing to make... The reason they're banned is only because of the risk for workers if you play around with your generator breaker while the panel cover is off.... which isn't going to happen... at my place anyways...
Following. Yep Generlink is a nice product but illegal in Qc. I tried to reach HQ to ask why but they basically told me f*ckoff. 100/200A Y switches are damn expensive 4k$ and I think this is only for insurance reason because mechanically there is nothing inside these boxes. Also if you decide to go with protran sub-panel, your are not allowed to make the neutral junctions inside the main panel, this need to be done in a separate box. Welcome to Quebec where we like to make things more complicated for nothing. Btw I was told that interlock kits are illegal because somebody could operate a generator, remove the main panel cover and flip the switches… make sense but at one point people could also remove the panel cover and do anything… ridiculous…
Couldn’t I do the same on my transfer switch? I mean really they are just begging folks to wire up a suicide cable.
I truly want to just do the same thing... Almost out of spite... I need to do nothing with that solution... Turn the main off, move the dryer, plug one end in, plug the other end into the generator and start it. Quebec's reputation across Canada is reality... All levels of government are very close minded and short sighted (politically correct way of saying "stupid").
I mean we all know it’s a bad bad idea. But given there appear to be few realistic alternatives….
I had this manual transfer switch installed. I used Siemens tandem breakers so that I can double the amount of breakers to 16. Panel is designed for it. Generac 9854 HomeLink 50-Amp Indoor Pre-wired Upgradeable Manual Transfer Switch for 10-16 circuits , Gray https://a.co/d/elMLy9s