Hi, I would appreciate some direction with adding recessed lights in my bedroom. Currently, I have two switches that control the power on the upper half of 4 bedroom outlets for lamps. I want to add 4 recessed lights to these switches but am unsure how all of these will tie in together. Most importantly, I want the two switches to control the recessed lights. I have a friend who is an electrician and will do all final connections but I want to get all the wiring ran to appropriate locations before I have him come over to finish. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

So I bought a 7500 W generator which I want to connect to the house wiring with something better than an illegal suicide cord into the dryer outlet. Based on what I have seen the possible choices are a switch between utility connection and generator before coming into the load center, a subpanel or a backfeed solution via an interlock kit. Cost is a consideration, but don't need to save pennies and make a solution inconvenient, unsafe or otherwise problematic. We have a lot of branch circuits, many extremely lightly loaded, but necessary. However, we need to drive them to keep things like electronics attached to the furnace which otherwise runs with natural gas, etc. I am an electronics engineer, so I'm not too worried about coming up with solutions, sizing things, etc. -- but I usually deal with 1.25V-5V DC and very low A, so there's a limit on what I want to do -- in particular, I want to stay away from 200A AC... In looking on the net, the options discussed here can also be found as a thread on DIY, but without the specific discussion of component choices and pros and cons -- I'll be curious to get additional pointers to other information to compare => [url]http://www.doityourself.com/forum/electrical-ac-dc/482533-congratulations-you-have-generator.html[/url] [B][U]Transfer switch before main panel[/U][/B] Pro: the generator can be used to supply all circuits in the house, understanding that a 7500W (~30A) is not going to be able to supply all loads... Con: The switches that are available do not seem to be able to carry 200A which is the main feed. Those that may exist are crazily expensive, and I'm also concerned about having to mess with utility power. [B][U]Subpanel[/U][/B] Pro: relatively contained solution Avoid overdriving generator by selecting circuits to drive statically Con: we have many circuits in the house, this may make a solution expensive There are two ways to do this: [LIST=1] [*] get a normal load center, pick circuits and populate them, then link the new load center into the original load center. to cover the circuits we need a fairly big load center, it may be almost like depopulating and duplicating the main load center. This would look something like this: [url=http://www.reliancecontrols.com/ProductDetail.aspx?TRC0602AP9]TRC0602AP9 Panel/Link - Reliance Controls Corporation[/url] I expect that this is fairly intrusive, requires a lot of labor, and expense. [*] there are modular load centers, that have everything fairly prepopulated, and can be attached to the main panel. All that's necessary here is to pick of the branch circuits and attach them to the prepopulated load center. This would look something like this: [url=http://www.reliancecontrols.com/ProductDetail.aspx?31406CRK]31406CRK Pro/Tran - Reliance Controls Corporation[/url] This is almost easy enough to do by myself... (note about getting near 200A, though.) Alas, the major downside is that I can't find one with enough connections. The Reliance sizer puts me directly into solution (1), if I want to do anything more than keep the heating going (4 circuits) and have a couple of room lights (all CFLs, but 6 circuits). [/LIST] [B][U]Interlock kit[/U][/B] Pro: can drive arbitrary number of branch circuits (subject to total Wattage) Con: need to avoid overloading the generator There are commercial panels that can support an interlock kit, which is basically the mechanically secured variant of the infamous dryer plug suicide cord backfeed. On issue is the nature of my panel. I have a GE Panel and GE makes interlcok kits that can be gotten in places like Home Depot. Alas, there is no interlock kit for my panel - the GE TLM3220CCU /TM3220CCU. Not to despair, there are several companies that make OEM interlock kits. [LIST=1] [*] National RAM: [url=http://natramelec.com/genswitch/ge/ge4/ge4.htm]National Ram Electronics[/url] - ca. $70 [*] Gen Interlock: [url=http://geninterlock.com/product_generalelectric.html]General Electric Generator Interlock Kits | GenInterlock.com[/url] - Model #GE-200HD- ca. $70 [*] [url=http://www.interlockkitstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=K-8310]Interlockkit.com Kit K-8310[/url] - ca. $150 [*] [/LIST] The interlock kits fabricated by GE seem to cost about $50, but using any of these is cheaper than ripping out the load center and replacing it with a GE load center for which GE makes interlock kits. There is a discussion whether interlock kits can pass code, and apparently some installers have run into problems in NJ jurisdictions. The issue becomes particularly contentious when the interlock kit is not made by the same manufacturer as the panel. Alas, it appears that the interlock kit is just a mechanical contraption, so I can't see how a third party vendor could screw something up. It appears that they (some) are considered to be up to code in NY. There are at least three vendors - one of which is notably more expensive (interlockkit.com). On the other hand, that supplier also has UL testing information etc. -- so the question is to what extent is that information necessary / useful to pass an inspection and being recognized as being up to code, and in particular with respect to the inspection rules and practices in the state of NY? It would appear that paying $80 more for what is essentially the same face plat would be fiscally irresponsible, but the cost of even a bit of extra time required to get inspector to be happy may swamp any savings possible. Also, any savings possible would be negated if the interlock kit doesn't fit properly, and the necessary drilling in the load center face plate destroys the load center, requiring to replace the load center. Does anybody have any opinions on the respective merits of vendors 1, 2, and 3 and how they might fare with respect to an inspection and general operation. [B][U]The plan[/U][/B] At present, I am predisposed to go with a solution based on the Interlock kit. I may end up going for kit #3, although paying $80 more under more or less the assumption built into that choice that more expensive is better is somewhat offensive to my belief system. My load center has 32 branch circuits -- to back feed I need to evacuate 2 circuits, and replace them with a 240V paired two-phase breaker. These then need to be relocated into half-width breakers at the bottom. Overall, this may result in some rearrangement of circuits. While at it, that may also represent cause to reorganize other circuits to balance the load between the two 120V supplies, to ensure balancing of the Wattage across both circuits when running on generator which gives the best efficiency. Given the constraints of a limited supply, and the desire to balance load, plus the fact that I'm in technology and a geek, I want to monitor actual load on both circuits... I already acquired an Amp Meter box from Reliance MB125 [url=http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Controls-MB125-Indoor-50-Amp/dp/B00AHTWSCW]Amazon.com : Reliance Controls MB125 Indoor 50-Amp Meter Box : Generator Accessories : Patio, Lawn & Garden[/url] This box would be in series with the backfeed circuit, then going to an outlet that I would attach outside the house (next to garage door, the generator would sit in the driveway). I would want to run a permanently installed wire in the garage, and put an weather-protected inlet outside next to the garage door door, rather than having the inlet inside and having to leave the garage open. Somehow I feel it makes sense to run this through a hard conduit and not just have a high amperage line sit on top of the wall where it could get damaged and lead to problem down the road. [B][U]Final setup considerations[/U][/B] A 7000 W generator can drive approximately 30 Amp, but I want to build in opportunity for growth without redoing everything in case I ever get a 12.5kW generator. It only seems a few dollars more, so even if not likely to happen, it seems to be a move to protect the investment. I already bought the MB125 box following this rationale, rather than an MB 75 box. How far to go? Certainly putting down wire that can comfortably handle 50W seems to make sense. What about the inlet? Do I want to install a 50W inlet as well? What about the breakers for the backfeed? It may be prudent to put circuit breakers at 30W, to protect the generator, but that means touching the load center for any future upgrade and that in and of itself may involve future significant expense and defeat the purpose of it all... (New permit? New inspection? Electrician? Coordinate with utility?) On the other hand, the generator would have a built in breakers, and if not backfeeding we would completely rely on those breakers. To limit amperage, I would select which circuits I would drive in power outage situation, and shut down other circuits, with enough head room that when kids turn on a TV or computer, the breakers would not drip. Are there limitations on what I can/should run? Are GFI circuits OK to attach? Do I want to attach the generator to a ground pole? (I think what I've seen in diagrams suggests no ground for backfeeding, but ground for subpanel or top of panel solution (i.e., a completely separately derived system with no shared ground...) [B][U]Procedural and contracting considerations[/U][/B] I am a weird mix of experiences and clueless. I am an electronics engineer, and so I can pass engineering judgment on a lot of things, but don't do A/C, and did not grow up in this country (so not internalized as much about local code as I have about the old country). Add to that vocabulary shortfalls in the subject area of high voltage engineering in English. On the other hand, I don't just want to put this in an electricians hand to do what they think they want to do, which might be a non-scalable solution on one end where I have to go back and redo everything for every change and have an inlet for the power inside, or a Rolls Royce-style solution on the other end of the spectrum. (Esp. since my vocabulary in this domain has some limitations which may lead an electrician to conclude I am clueless... or need to spend countless hours to discuss for which I might get billed...) I also want to have some handle on the selection of components, and what I want, and/or want to rely on y'all's best judgement. I'm still recovering from the last contractor who just spec'ed the components on the house, contrustcion.. taking the lowest of the good sounding names everywhere and slapping huge markups at which he billed the components. So, the question is -- do I want to get everything myself and just get an electrician to install everything? What is the effect on cost going to be on that? Should I do some stuff that is easily doable myself - install conduits, pre-run wire etc.? Will an electrician just pump up the price on the estimated labor to make up any margin he would have made on selling equipmen or doing the low-skilled workt... so, that there I'll be the piper one way or the other? There's of course also the question about what grade components they use. I don't begrudge anybody their fair income, but I also don't want to be taken for a ride. Finally, and that comes down to code and trades customs in this country... how/when do permits, inspections etc., get done and paid for? Who is on the hook for making something pass? presumably if I select and get supplies, an electrician may just park that at my door -- I made the plan and components, there's a problem, you pay, dear customer. On the other hand, in some countries the customer pays for screwups of the contractor anyway, so that shouldn't be a consideration, then? Anyway, I'll appreciate y'all's thoughts on the options, choices and ideas... and any recommendations and experiences you have. Thanks Mike