01 — Older House Layout
Where the Switch Fits Between an Old Panel and the Meter
In many older houses, the meter hangs on an outside wall while the panel sits in a hallway or closet with every breaker space taken. The switch has to go somewhere along that path. A standard switch can follow the existing main panel, which serves as the service disconnect, and usually feeds a separate panel for the circuits you choose. Or a service-rated switch can go ahead of the main panel and carry the whole house.
Which layout fits depends on the panel’s condition and the route from the meter, so we decide on site after checking grounding and wire size.
02 — Service Rated
What “Service-Entrance-Rated” Means on a Transfer Switch
A service-entrance-rated switch carries its own breaker for the utility side, so it can serve as the home’s service equipment. Generac and Kohler both make service-entrance-rated models labeled for use as service equipment, and either can be installed after a main panel.
The generator’s make and model matter here too. Tell us what you have or plan to buy, and we confirm which switch works with its controller before recommending one. Castles Electrical is a Generac Authorized Dealer and a Kohler Certified Installer, so the switch and the generator controller are set up to work together.
04 — Layouts Compared
Placement Options for a Transfer Switch, Side by Side
05 — Old Panel
What Changes Inside the Old Panel When the Switch Comes First
In a home’s electrical system, neutral and ground are tied together at one place: the service disconnect. Once a service-rated switch takes that role, the old panel becomes a load-side panel. The electrical code Virginia uses keeps neutral and ground separate everywhere after that point.
So the old panel’s neutral and ground bars are separate. That can mean removing a bonding screw or strap, adding a ground bar, and running a feeder from the switch with its own grounding conductor.
The jumper that ships inside the switch
The logic runs in reverse when a service-rated switch is installed after the main panel. Those models ship with a neutral-to-ground jumper in place, and both Generac and Kohler call for removing it when the switch goes after the main panel. That leaves the main panel as the one bonding point.
If the old panel is worn or damaged, replacing an older Portsmouth panel may make sense alongside the switch.
06 — Open Transition
What an Open Transition Feels Like During an Outage
With an open transition, during the split second of transfer, the flow of electricity is interrupted. That brief gap is the whole point. The house is off the utility line before the generator’s power reaches it.
On a typical Generac system, per its automatic transfer switch manual, the switch connects the house to the generator after a five-second warm-up delay. When utility power returns, it is restored after about 15 seconds, and the generator shuts down roughly 1 minute later. Generac notes timer settings differ between generators.
For you, that means the lights are out for a few seconds while the generator warms up, come back on generator power, and blink once more when utility power takes over again.
Portsmouth’s own outage page warns residents that power may be out for a couple of days. An open-transition switch is what carries a house through those days without anyone running a cord in through a window. If you are still choosing and placing a standby generator, start with our generator installation page.
07 — Process
How a Service-Rated Switch Goes In
The path from meter to panel
We check the meter, the main panel, and the route between them, then settle on a service-rated switch ahead of the panel or a standard switch after it, with any bonding changes noted. Photos help us prepare.
Estimate and permit
You get a written estimate good for 30 days. We file the electrical permit and, because the switch becomes the service disconnect, coordinate the shutoff with Dominion.
Installation
The switch goes in beyond the meter; bonding is set for its role; neutral and ground are separated downstream where required; and the generator is connected.
Your first transfer
Once the switch passes inspection, we point out the utility breaker and status lights, then run a test transfer with you watching.
08 — FAQS
Questions About Switches, Meters, and Old Panels
09 — Why Castles
Planned From the Meter In
Switch Placed for Your Panel
Service-rated or standard, chosen around the meter and panel you have.
Wired Beyond the Meter
Break-before-make transfer on customer equipment, as Dominion’s rules call for.
10 — Proof
A Panel Change and an Added Hookup
One Google review on our transfer switch page describes a whole-panel change with an extra hookup added in the same visit.
From our five-star Google reviews
Google 5.0 Rated by Hampton Roads Customers
Castles Electrical maintains a 5.0 rating on Google. The reviews below load as a live widget, so this page shows current feedback from real Castles Electrical customers.
