Use and Care Manual

Connecticut Electric Page 2 1/20/2020
Frequently Asked Questions
Load Balancing
Attempt to balance the loads indicated on the two EmerGen watt meters to within 1000
watts of each other. This will prevent undue wear on the generator. Load balance has no
effect on the EmerGen transfer switch.
Max Load per Circuit
The maximum size circuit breaker in the homes utility panel that can be connected
through the EmerGen Switch is 20A. Connecting to a circuit breaker larger than 20A will
damage the internal components and wiring of the switch.
Max Power Cord length from generator
The National Electrical code recommends a maximum voltage drop of 3% of the supply
voltage. Based on the 3% rule, the max cord length in various wire gauges is:
30A
#6 AWG, 100ft. max #8 AWG, 75ft max #10 AWG, 40ft max
20A #8 AWG, 100ft. max #10 AWG, 75ft max #12 AWG, 40ft max
Do I have to turn off Main circuit breaker in my utility panel?
It is not necessary to turn off the main circuit breaker or any branch circuit breaker in the
homes utility panel when operating the generator with the EmerGen Switch. The double
pole switches provide the necessary isolation. The generator power will not back-feed
into the utility panel.
Internal circuit breakers on EmerGen Switch
The circuit breakers built into the EmerGen Switch are active only when the Line/Gen
selector is in the GEN position. The 15A EmerGen circuits can be connected to either a
15A or 20A breaker in the utility panel. The 20A EmerGen circuits should be connected
only to 20A circuits in the utility panel.
My utility panel has Ground and Neutral wires on same bar
If the utility panel has ground (bare wires) and neutral wires (white wires) connected to
the same bar, then the EmerGen Switch Green and White wires can connect to the same
bar. If the ground and neutral wires are on separate bars in the utility panel, then the
EmerGen Green must connect to the ground bar and the EmerGen White must connect to
the Neutral bar.
There is no movement on my watt meters
The watt meters on the EmerGen Switch operate only when utilizing generator power.
These analog meters may be somewhat inaccurate in the lower 1/3 of their range.
Accuracy increases at the higher end of the meter scale. There is a zero adjustment screw
on the face of the meters. Make sure that the meter is properly zeroed with no generator
power operating. The best way to test the meters is with appliances containing heating
elements such as coffee pot, hair dryer, toaster or electric heater. These appliances will
draw enough power to move the meters.