Carl wrote:

Thanks. I was pretty sure that's how it worked, but I couldn't find
any website that talked about wiring it in this way.

The furnace will have to remain off during a power failure. If I want
to get that fancy, I will get an electrician to hook up a transfer
switch. I'm just trying to power the refrigerator, TV, some lights and
a fan without having an open door cluttered with extension cords.

Carl

There are better options than a true transfer switch available today for
small generators. A true transfer switch is needed for large loads, but
if you only have a small generator and have to do load management anyway
there is no need for a transfer switch.

There are a number of small generator sub panels in the ~$200 price
range that allow you to move 6-10 circuits that require backup to this
new sub panel and each one essentially has a little transfer switch.

An even cheaper option that can be used for large generators as well as
small ones is an interlock kit for your main panel. I just did a full
panel replacement with a Square D QO panel and I installed a ~$30
interlock kit from Square D that interlocks the main breaker (200A in
this case) with another 2 pole breaker (any size up to 125A) in panel
position 2/4.

I have a 20A breaker as the back feed breaker currently since I'm only
connecting a 5 kW generator, but if I switch to a larger generator I
just change that back feed breaker to a larger size. You could even use
an oversized breaker there if you wanted since it is really only doing
switching duty, the over current protection is provided by the breakers
on the generator itself.

This interlock kit is a much cheaper solution than a full transfer
switch or even one of the generator sub panels. Since it's produced by
the manufacturer of the panel it's a quality, approved option. Square D
makes the interlock kits for their Homeline panels as well and I expect
a few other manufacturers have similar options.

Pete C.