First, I have to say Reliance provides just about the best telephone customer service support I have ever received. They were accessible several times, long after I had the unit pro-installed when I had questions about how to use it. I cannot think of a firm that does better to help the owner with their product. The device itself is sturdy, small, simple and appears well made, I think in the US.
Now, on to the "What you need to know before you buy this unit" portion:
It's designed for a floating-neutral generator, such as an inverter-generator or a device that will get it's ground from the house's transfer switch/circuit box.
If you have a bonded neutral generator, that is not the right device for a transfer switch. Many places on the web say "do not open up your inverter to change things". Also, if you have a fire/disaster at home and a modified / non NEC code situation was working at the time, you could be in big trouble - no insurance claim etc.
If you do not know about bonded and floating neutral differences, research that before going ahead with your gen purchase or the TF purchase.
What I wanted was to use a high quality inverter (the kind you plug into a bank of batteries or your car's battery) to power my house's furnace through the Transfer switch. This is NOT possible with my inverter because it supplies part of the 120vac on the neutral wire and part on the hot wire. It did have a floating neutral -- but that was not enough. The inverter/generator shuts down when plugged into the TF-151w, which has been verified to be correctly installed (neutral and ground connected to the ground bar on the breaker box, red to the 15a fuse breaker circuit and black in the wire nut with other black wires. The situation was described to me as "the inverter is trying to backfeed current to the neutral wire, which, in the house is grounded.
Unfortunately, Reliance does not make a transfer switch that switches neutral AND hot that would work. They do make a product (TF-152) but their engineer told the CSR that it is not designed to have split 120vac on both the hot and the neutral, so it will not work.
Anyway, I'm disappointed that my inverter will not be able to power my house furnace circuit according to code, but at least I have a good transfer switch installed for a normal portable generator (that supplies no VAC on the neutral wire AND is floating neutral) like the Honda EU 2200i or the Harbor Freight Predator 2200, both of which Consumer Reports likes for small, quiet generator usage with a home in a power outage. And, I have a nice inverter that I can use to power things from my car - but not home circuits!
And, no I didn't receive anything from the company for this review...
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From the manufacturer
About Reliance Controls Corporation:
Since 1909, Reliance Controls Corporation has contributed more innovations than any other single manufacturer and has been awarded over 85 patents on manual transfer switches, time switches and accessories. Reliance Controls Corporation specializes in the manufacturing of a wide variety of electrical products. And after over a century of innovation, Reliance Controls Corporation has built an enviable reputation for high quality and superior engineering.
Reliance Controls TF151W Easy/Tran Transfer Switch
For generators up to 1,875 Running Watts
The Reliance Controls TF151W Easy/Tran Transfer Switch is easy to install and easy to use. Ideal for controlling a single 15 Amp circuit, such as a forced-air furnace. The transfer switch ensures that you can safely use back up power during a power outage without having to worry about back feeding the utility line. In an emergency, this transfer switch can make all the difference. It comes with an attached 18" flexible aluminum conduit for easy attachment to the circuit breaker panel.
- Comes with an attached 18" flexible aluminum conduit for easy attachment to the circuit breaker panel or furnace or at any point in between.
- This model uses a standard ground electrical cord
- UL Listed
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Keep your house safe and ready for a power outageInstalling a power generator will make sure your house stays functioning in the event of a power outage. Installing a transfer switch will make the process as easy as, well, flipping a switch. |
Prepare for when severe weather hitsStorms and severe weather can be all the more frightening if you don't have anything to back up your house in the event that power lines go down. Having that backup generator means one less thing to worry about. |
Call your local and trusted electrician for installationFor those that are not experienced working with electrical wires, it is highly recommended to call your local electrician. The installation process can be dangerous, utilize a professional to do it safely and correctly. |
You can rely on Reliance Controls!Reliance Controls is here to ensure every residential and commercial building is equipped to any electrical issue that could occur, whether it's dangerous weather or damaged power lines. |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Reliance Controls TF151W Easy/Tran Transfer Switch for Generators, Small, Gray |  |  |  | |
| Price | -29% $104.99 List: $146.99 | -12% $48.63 Typical: $55.48 | -10% $124.99 Typical: $139.00 | $299.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||
| Easy to install | ||||
| Weatherproof | ||||
| Instruction quality | ||||
| Value for money | ||||
| Sold By | MaxTool | Amazon.com | MaxTool | Amazon.com |
Reviews with images
Simple to use, keeps my furnace fan going during outages.
Had this installed when electricians replaced my panel so I could power my furnace fan with a generator. I am pretty handy with electrical but left it for them. Installation is quite easy though. You essentially just reroute the hot through the switch and put all neutral and ground wires on the ground bar. I attached a picture of the set up with the open panel. In the picture, all that is NOT CONNECTED is the black hot from the switch which gets pig-tailed to the black hot wire on the circuit. The red hot from the switch goes to your breaker. The switch is easy to use; all power for the circuit goes through it and I keep it on "LINE" when the panel is powering the circuit and "GEN" for when a generator is powering it. According to the instructions, you can keep a power generator plugged in when you switch. I did and it worked fine. The light on the switch turns on when it has generator power.I haven't used it yet for emergencies but did a test and my 2000w WEN powered the fan.This is a very convenient product that homeowners should have on their panel for important circuits.
Top reviews from other countries
ronald leblanc
everything was perfect i wired to on my other transfer switch to ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 27, 2018