Install of Inverter, EMS and Transfer Switch

[Oregon_Camper]

I wanted to check with the guru's here to see if I'm on the right path. I feel comfortable enough with electrical wiring, but have just enough doubt in my mind, that I need some hand-holding.

In my case, I have a small Yamaha generator that I hardly use anymore due to solar working so well, so I will never have a dedicated generator inside the RV.

My questions are:

1 - Is my diagram correct? All advise is gladly accepted.

2 - How do I get the 50amp line from the coach (starts way in the back) to the front storage, to wire in the Transfer Switch? Isn’t it routed from the plug in the back….directly to the circuit panel? Guess I can placed the TS behind the basement wall (close to circuit panel) and just run a longer cable from inverter.


My current layout:





My proposed layout:

 

[danemayer]

Looking at the output of the inverter, going into the 50 amp transfer switch. The inverter looks like it maybe has a single hot 120V leg. The transfer switch has two hot 120V legs. I think you'll need a Y adapter to feed both legs of the transfer switch.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Looking at the output of the inverter, going into the 50 amp transfer switch. The inverter looks like it maybe has a single hot 120V leg. The transfer switch has two hot 120V legs. I think you'll need a Y adapter to feed both legs of the transfer switch.

Was wondering if I needed both or if I can just get by with single 120v leg.

I was thinking one was enough, as when I'm at home, I power the RV with a single 120v (15amp) plug from my garage, which would be the same as the single outlet from the inverter....right?

Please don't think I'm saying "YOU'RE WRONG"....I am not saying that. I am simply trying to learn by asking questions.

 

[esscobra]

read instructions for the progressive surge today in preparation of installing mine Thursday- says not to place after inverter-

also been planning on doing solar setup-

I am not electrician- but had some training and after adding sub panel and wiring my garage-shop- electrician who came to powe it u inspect offered me a job- I have converted several including my last trailer from 30 to 50a -should go from shore power cord to progressive then to circuit box-

1. are you planning on running the whole coach off the inverter?
all research in past 6 months says to add a sub-panel for the outlets you want off inverter- sorry no access to make drawing but-you would put surge pro before your breaker panel and a. but transfer switch after surge before panel and connect inverter to other side that would normally be generator- which could potentially overload your inverter-

or from all I've read and what im planning-: I am installing 7k fuel injected onan-

shore cord and generator cord into transfer switch- then into surge-the t main breaker panel- I plan on moving the circuits I plan o running off inverter/solar to a separate
sub-panel( have a 30a panel from conversion ) and supplying power to that from another transfer switch which would be feed by inverter and by one of the moved circuits from main breaker panel- thus even when using shore power- say maybe when only 30a is avail- can turn off feed breaker and solar/inverter will help provide power

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http://media.wix.com/ugd/439d5a_cf352e711cf248548185980394ec14a7.pdf link to progressive instructions

yes the jumper should work depending on transfer switch- all a 30/50a dogbone and you cord does is supply same 120 to both hot sides

Oregon- what did you use to make your diagram? is it editable? basically on your proposed plan you need to move the progressive surge to before the transfer switch

copied from progressive install instructons:



• Never plug the EMS into an inverter.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Mine is all set up with 2 transfer switches.
1st one is shore power and generator
The 2nd one is the first transfer switch and the 2000w invertor.
The system has been working perfectly.
My EMS in wired in to the main line right before my first transfer switch.
PM me and I'll give you my number



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[danemayer]

Was wondering if I needed both or if I can just get by with single 120v leg.

I was thinking one was enough, as when I'm at home, I power the RV with a single 120v (15amp) plug from my garage, which would be the same as the single outlet from the inverter....right?

Please don't think I'm saying "YOU'RE WRONG"....I am not saying that. I am simply trying to learn by asking questions.

At home, you're using adapters to go from the 4 prong shore power cord to the 3 prong 120V outlet. Somewhere in the chain of adapters, there's a Y that ties the single hot leg of our outlet to the two hot legs of the shore power cord.

If you don't have a Y, and you wire the inverter to L1 on the transfer switch, 1/2 of your circuit breakers in the coach will get power. The other half are wired to L2 and won't work. If you wire the inverter to L2, and are using an automatic transfer switch like a Progressive Dynamics PD52, nothing will work because the contactors only fire when there's power on L1.

If the inverter has only 1 hot leg, you need a Y.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Oregon- what did you use to make your diagram? is it editable? basically on your proposed plan you need to move the progressive surge to before the transfer switch

I used PowerPoint. Here is a link to the source file on my Google Drive. Anyone is welcome to take a copy and do whatever you want with it.

Posting images back here with updates to my attempt at this wiring diagram would be great.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzxEvZw2XQ1MZGNzS2FLUExNSnc

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Mine is all set up with 2 transfer switches.
1st one is shore power and generator
The 2nd one is the first transfer switch and the 2000w invertor.
The system has been working perfectly.
My EMS in wired in to the main line right before my first transfer switch.
PM me and I'll give you my number

Did you use a Y adapter like Dan is suggesting? Seems like the right choice.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

No this is how I'm set up

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[Oregon_Camper]

If the inverter has only 1 hot leg, you need a Y.

Can you send me a link to the Y you're referring to?

 

[danemayer]

Jerrod,

Is your inverter supplying 120V on a single hot wire? Does your 2nd transfer switch have two hot wires? If the inverter output is a single hot wire, how are you supplying power to both L1 and L2?

 

[Oregon_Camper]

No this is how I'm set up

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How do you power L1 and L2?

I'm guessing you just flip the breaker to the converter when using inverter to power the RV.....right?

 

[danemayer]

Can you send me a link to the Y you're referring to?

This one from Amazon is typical. The two hot legs of the 50 amp side are tied together inside to share the single hot wire of the 15 amp side.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

I don't remember what we did inside that #2 transfer switch
It must have a splitter in there to fire both sides.
I don't have to do anything. It's all automatic 😎

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[Oregon_Camper]

This one from Amazon is typical. The two hot legs of the 50 amp side are tied together inside to share the single hot wire of the 15 amp side.

Thanks...

Now I plug in a 50amp cord to this...route to transfer switch and cut off female end and wire it??

 

[danemayer]

Thanks...

Now I plug in a 50amp cord to this...route to transfer switch and cut off female end and wire it??

Given your drawing, I'm not suggesting you use a dogbone like that. You'll need to purchase a 15 Amp plug (or 20 amp plug if your inverter will accept it) from the hardware store.

One way to split the single hot wire into two would be to use a Wago Lever Nut like this. Each of the 3 holes accepts a wire and they're all tied together internally. One wire would be the hot from the inverter and the other two would feed L1 and L2 in the transfer switch. I would place the Lever Nut inside the transfer switch box to avoid using an additional j-box.

Jerrod used the Wago Lever Nuts on some of his projects, and they looked so good I picked up a selection of 2, 3, 4, 5 nuts. The connections seem to be much more secure than using wire nuts and they handle solid core or stranded wire equally well. I've used them in a number of places where I used to have wire nuts. I especially like them where joining solid and stranded wires.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Given your drawing, I'm not suggesting you use a dogbone like that. You'll need to purchase a 15 Amp plug (or 20 amp plug if your inverter will accept it) from the hardware store.

One way to split the single hot wire into two would be to use a Wago Lever Nut like this. Each of the 3 holes accepts a wire and they're all tied together internally. One wire would be the hot from the inverter and the other two would feed L1 and L2 in the transfer switch. I would place the Lever Nut inside the transfer switch box to avoid using an additional j-box.

Jerrod used the Wago Lever Nuts on some of his projects, and they looked so good I picked up a selection of 2, 3, 4, 5 nuts. The connections seem to be much more secure than using wire nuts and they handle solid core or stranded wire equally well. I've used them in a number of places where I used to have wire nuts. I especially like them where joining solid and stranded wires.

Luckily, this GoPower Inverter has a hardwire option. I found a video with a picture of the connections, which leads me to believe I can simply use the Wago Level Nut and jumper 2 hot wires (making 4 from 3 that come out) and have power for L1 and L2. I'll call them tomorrow to see if it is 15 or 20 amps. I could only find reference to the 3000w system supporting 20amps.

Thoughts....Suggestions?

 

[sjandbj]

There should be ample of room inside the transfer switch box to create the Y connection for L1 and L2. If not a simple junction box before the transfer switch can be used since all the wiring will be covered. My system only uses one transfer switch since I do not have a built in generator and a separate breaker box and the pass thru from the inverter.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

I don't remember what we did inside that #2 transfer switch
It must have a splitter in there to fire both sides.
I don't have to do anything. It's all automatic ��

You must be turning off the Converter...right? Otherwise you'll have an endless loop and you'll be losing power due to converting...inverting over and over and over and over (well, you get the picture)

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

I do not turn it off.
Everything works fine


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I've never used it for more then a few hours. I suppose you could be on to something though.