Will the UTS10BI work with 2 Honda EU2000i generators connected in parallel?

[Anonymous user]

I just purchased 2 Honda EU2000i generators to replace a loud 6500 watts Generac generator I currently own. The Generac generator is capable of running 220 volts. I have a generator panel running 15 circuits (manual switching) that was built during the construction of my home 12 years ago (see attachment). The panel has 220 volts coming into it. There is Reliance PB30 inlet on the outside where I plug my Generac generator into.  Is the UTS10BI transfer switch capable of running 2 Honda EU2000i generators (110 volts) in parallel and the Generac generator (220 volts) as well? If yes, can someone please provide detail installation/setup instructions on how wire the UTS10BI panel for this setup. I am not an electrician, so please be very detail on the wiring/installation instructions. I would assume that my current generator panel will be a throwaway and replaced with the UTS10BI. It would be great to use the existing generator panel as a backup. Meaning that the 15 circuits will continue to exist in the existing generator panel and 10 will also exist in the UTS10BI panel.

One more thing, it seems like APC transfer switches has a lot of electronic components and computer chips. What if this unit got hit by lightening and fired? Then the 10 most important circuits in my house would not be useable. Just trying to determine if the backup strategy/plan described above is feasible for this type of scenario.

Thanks and I look forward to your comments.

[Anonymous user]

One more question about this setup using 2 Honda EU2000i in parallel. I read where you need a UPS in this type of setup. When the power goes out, the UPS will be powering the UTS (providing 220volts to run the UTS). My generator is only producing 110 volts.  So do I need to get a 220volts UPS?  How would I connect the UPS to the UTS? Since the UPS would be running the UTS during the power outage, is the UPS being charged at all during the power outage. If not, what happens when you have an extended outage and the UPS has no more battery power?

[BillP]

Hello,

Please keep in mind all of the wiring is intended to be completed by a qualified electrician. I checked with our UTS technical support on your question and here is what I can provide.

The UTS10BI requires a constant 240VAC input, single phase split phase. Placing two Honda EU2000i in parallel will not maintain a proper 240VAC single phase split phase feed. The UPS in this situation, does not need to be 240VAC as it will be supplying power to the UTS intelligence and an additional circuit which may have been predetermined to be Always ON. What you're looking to do or would need to do, is somehow get something wired in series to give you more voltage. The UTS10BI panel is a 240VAC and there is no way around that with what you have now. If you need to keep UTS10BI, you'd need to find a 240VAC generator (like Honda EM4000S - http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/em4000).

Otherwise, to keep the current generator set up, you'd have to look at a 120V panel, like UTS6H. You can also use a generator in place of the UPS as another configuration - but that still would require a 240VAC generator for the generator inlet.

The panel is grounded to your main service panel. If something does happen, there is a manual bypass to give power to your circuits. That is something you'd physically have to do and hook up some jumpers. There is also a bypass via the panel you can use to bypass the intelligence of the panel, assuming it was online but not functioning properly or you did not want it to interfere, like with load shedding or something.

If there is no generator feed or UPS feed, the UTS panel would be off.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

There are a lot of reasons why two 2000i generators are better than a honking big Generac, noise, backup, weight, stretching your fuel and portability being some.  But a couple of things to keep in mind.  One is, if you have two 2000i generators, one of them should be a Companion or you need the add on to provide a 30amp outlet and run it to a 6H.  Otherwise you are limited to 15 amps, and that isn't much better than one 2000i.  I have two Hondas and a 6H in my set up, and I'm happy everything I need runs off 120v, including the water pump and furnace. Mostly, I can also run off just one Honda using the load management of the 6H.

On the other hand, if you need 240v, it sounds like you want to return the 2000i units and get the bigger Honda with the 10BI panel.  So just at the moment it looks like you are neither fish nor fowl.  You can't get 240v from the two Hondas.