The bigger thing with Generac is that it is a sales company rather than a full support company. The installations and service are done by contractors rather than employees.

So you think Cummins sends people from their company to do installs and service? They all use the same businesses model, just like furnaces, water heaters or cars. You seem to have a strange idea of how the world operates.

 

Wow, miss a day and miss a lot. I have a few things on tap but maybe later today I will run the genset and try a few things. I can always eliminate the quiet mode and just run at 3600 RPM (60 Hz).

Ron

 

Wow, miss a day and miss a lot.

Not really. Just a couple more iterations of the same conversations that has been going in circles for days now.

 

WOW! All this banter back and forth about volts, current, transfer switches and such just being hashed and rehashed over and over again. Back in post 79 a thermocouple in the exhaust stream was mentioned.

Yeah, but, OP wants to place the sensors in the xfer switch box, and not at/in the gen itself.

 

Yeah, but, OP wants to place the sensors in the xfer switch box, and not at/in the gen itself.

DC Kid saw it too. The statement about the actual generator being quite a distance from the rest of the installation, and any new wires would require a couple hundred feet of conduit. THAT, all by itself, would be motivation to consider investigating what could be done from the change-over switch box. Evidently the generator set is outside in a well secured and distant area quite a way from the power control area. In addition, any changes or additions at the actual generator area will undoubtedly need to be approved by folks who believe that it should never be touched by other than the assigned mechanic person.

 

any changes or additions at the actual generator area will undoubtedly need to be approved by folks who believe that it should never be touched by other than the assigned mechanic person.

I might argue same thing for installing anything extra in the xfer box, even contactless sensors.

So, OP did list a Rf module to transmit a signal from the gen, maybe that can just be a rechargeable Li-ion batt with tiny solar panel on it to keep batt charged up, Rf transmitter can be on 24/7, made into a vibration sensor, water-proof in some way, output signal can be ran through a resistor divider to gnd with a cap in the middle, when cap reaches a threshold the remote side knows the gen is running.

We don't really know the rules for the OP, but strictly from NFPA code books, don't want to introduce a hazard from half-baked non-UL listed sensory. It can 100% be done safely, and that's why I thought contactless was best route.

 

Presuming that other approaches are "Half baked" is rather offensive, really. The fact that not every detail is spelled out in a post is no indication that it is not considered.

 

Presuming that other approaches are "Half baked" is rather offensive, really. The fact that not every detail is spelled out in a post is no indication that it is not considered.

Kids these days . . .

ak

 

Presuming that other approaches are "Half baked" is rather offensive, really. The fact that not every detail is spelled out in a post is no indication that it is not considered.

Not "other approaches". If it's not UL Listed, then folks like the NFPA and Generac will frown upon it when something frys or smokes. That's what I mean. OP already said he has limited access, etc. DIY'ing on something that is not your own personal stuff, can lead you down that legal liability path you may not want to go down.

What if OP calls Generac and says "hey, have any add-on we can buy to give me remote monitoring?". Maybe they have something.

 

Not "other approaches". If it's not UL Listed, then folks like the NFPA and Generac will frown upon it when something frys or smokes. That's what I mean. OP already said he has limited access, etc. DIY'ing on something that is not your own personal stuff, can lead you down that legal liability path you may not want to go down.

What if OP calls Generac and says "hey, have any add-on we can buy to give me remote monitoring?". Maybe they have something.

Most sensible approach I've seen so far.