On Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:45:13 -0500, "Jon"
wrote:

service

120vac 120vac signal
o o o
| | |
o o------------*
\ main \ |
o o |
| | |
| house | |
| | |
| | |
| barn | (COIL)
--- --- | generator ignition
-/- N.C. -/- N.C.. | o
| | | |
o generator o | ---
--- --- N.O.
- |
gnd |
---
-
chassis


This is my design, it *will* work, I ordered the parts, it meets my needs, I
ordered the parts and it's what I'm going to do.

All I care about is protecting the generator. The coil has to be energized
24/7 to do it, but there's no other way.

* if the generator isn't feeding power to the house and barn, it means we
forgot to turn off the main switch and we are feeding power into the grid.
To remedy this we can turn off the main switch. The generator will still be
ok.

No, this will not work.

When the external power goes out, the relay will be de-energised,
causing the generator to start, and to be connected to your loads, and
to the outside power distribution system, and to your control relay,
which will promptly turn off the generator. More likely, other loads
on the outside distribution system will overload the generator, either
causing it to stall, or tripping its output breaker. The generator
will energise the outside distribution system, at least briefly,
potentially causing electrocution hazards to others.


snip

I'm familiar with the N.E.C. and I've used it before. However my resources
are limited, everybody is too scared to give me any better ideas or they
just don't know.

Read, understand, and follow the NEC's requirements for standby
generator wiring.

There are two safe, legal, ways to do this. One is to use an approved
automatic transfer switch. The other is to use two
mechanically-interlocked switches or breakers arranged so that either
commercial power or your generator (but never both) can feed your
house and barn. The latter system, of course requires manual
operation when switching to or from the generator.


--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
peterbb4 (at) interchange.ubc.ca
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca