I bought a portable generator, and wish to wire it into my house on a removable basis. At present, I have a light meter that feeds a 100 amp switch that isolates the house from the outside world. This switch has 100 amp cartridge fuses in it. That then feeds a trough, which feeds breaker panels for the house. I plan on putting a DPDT, center off, manual transfer switch between the 100 amp switch and the trough. Diagrams suggest that you connect a generator socket to this transfer switch. The socket mounts on the outside of the house. The generator is 7000 watts, so I would think that putting a 30 amp breaker between the socket and the trough would make sense. Otherwise, the only protection against a short in the generator or the socket is the 100 amp cartridge fuses in the house main switch. This seems like a bad idea. Why don't they build a 30 amp breaker into the transfer switch to cover this? And since they don't, do I put a 30 breaker in between the generator and the trough? If so, where does it go? I'd assume that you put it as close to the trough as possible. Thanks

I tapped into a circuit in my kitchen to install two new light fixtures. The only things previously on that circuit were three recessed light fixtures. I added two pendant lights which have yet to actually be installed (I have the wiring capped right now). I installed one of the lights and tested the wiring by turning on the breaker and no current ran through the line. The existing lights didn't come on and neither did my new fixture. I tested to see if the wiring was “hot” up-circuit to my new wiring and it was not. I attempted to replace the breaker (20A) thinking it might just be old but the new 20A tripped as well. I checked the capacity of the panel and calculated the load already on it and then upped the 20A breaker to 30A thinking I had added too much for the 20A to handle. When I replaced the breaker, I turned on the main breaker, then I turned on the new 30A. I heard a buzzing noise from the breaker and when I tested the lights I found that the circuit to the rest of the kitchen lights was no longer turning on. These lights are on a 15A on the breaker just below the one I replaced. That breaker did not appear to trip, but the lights won’t come on. I replaced the 30A with the old 20A which resolved nothing. I stopped working on it for fear of doing more damage. What have I done wrong and how do I fix it? I am not a stranger to electrical but this one has me lost.