Yanking a transfer switch. 3

[itsmoked]

I'm being asked, "What will it cost to remove this 1.5MW 480V transfer switch".

They're disposing of the 1.5MW Cat generator with 56 hours on it LOL, and am considering removing the transfer switch too. I suggested we remove the cables coming from the generator and leave the TS intact but they think there's a possibility that the generator buyer may want it. The POCO power comes up in four 4" conduits inside (see pic) and the generator cables come up in four more 4" conduits. The load side of the transfer switch cables leave into the immediately adjacent breaker panel. No matter what, they'd need to keep an enclosure of the same size on the same raised pad to house and structurally support and protect the POCO to LOAD fixed connections.

Anyone have a ball park on what an enclosure like that would cost?
Who sells them? This thing has 'ASCO' all over it. Would they be a supplier or just the TS maker?

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[crshears]

ASCO is likely the manufacturer; our utility employs ASCOlectric make before break transfer switches on the station service supply sources at a number of our transformer [sub]stations.

When I Google ASCO frome here in Canada I get:

https://www.ascopower.com/en-ca/

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[waross]

I would check Hammond for enclosures.

This is a Canadian rule: Anything similar in the NEC?
12-108 Conductors in parallel (see Appendix B)
(1) Ungrounded and grounded circuit conductors of similar conductivity in sizes No. 1/0 AWG and larger,
copper or aluminum, shall be permitted to be installed in parallel sets provided that each parallel phase or
grounded conductor set is individually comprised of conductors that are
(a) free of splices throughout the total length;

Mounting a splitter inside the enclosure may be acceptable.
Have your plans vetted by the AHJ before starting work.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[catserveng]

I can offer a suggestion for what I have done multiple times in similar situations,

Leave the enclosure,
Have a set of bus bars and support structure made that bolts in the same position as the ATS operator did.
Have a new door or cover made to replace the existing mid set of doors and covers over the ATS operator.
Do an outage, gut the ATS operator out of the enclosure, install the bus bar structure, if you made it right the connection points for "Normal" (utility in most cases) and "Load" are in almost exactly the same spot.
Back pull the generator cables.
Inspect/test/verify to whatever local codes and AHJ requires.
Re-energize utility power

I just did a very similar job at a water treatment plant, total work time including testing, power off to power back on was 6 hours.

What you would get for a used ATS is way less than what it would take to provide a new enclosure with suitable splice/connection arrangement.

If whoever buys the used generator really wants the ATS, take the removed guts and put them in a new enclosure. When I worked for a generator distributor we did that all the time with removed ATS's.

ASCO made the ATS operator and packaged the total ATS, but likely bought the sheet metal, or at least most of it. The only company I know of in the US market who consistently made their own enclosures was Russelectric, at least in my experience.

Hope that helps, MikeL.

 

[jraef]

Keith,
ASCO is part of Emerson now and that ATS switch was likely made at their plant in Stockton. I think they are still there and should be able to source an enclosure to fill that space. Other thsn that, you can probably get what’s called a “utility pull can” for it.


" We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." -- W. H. Auden

 

[catserveng]

Actually ASCO is now part of Schneider, Emerson sold ASCO along with a number of other groups to Vertiv in 2016, Vertiv sold them off last year.

MikeL.

 

[waross]

If you buy from the OEM you will likely pay the replacement parts price.
For MCC's that" 300% to 400% of a competitive price.
We needed one additional MCC section. Purchasing got a quote of about $20,000.
That killed the project dead.
I went to purchasing and explained that there had been a misunderstanding.
We could use the section as a stand alone section and could get competitive bids for new construction rather than replacement pricing.
When bid competitively, the price dropped to about $6,000 and the project went ahead.
So I fibbed a little. We bolted the new section to the end of an existing MCC, but we could have managed to bolt up another brand if we had to.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[TestMonkey]

IEM, in Fremont, CA, can build a custom enclosure. They can also supply you with custom busbars, if needed. Plus it is local to you if you are indeed based out of Santa Cruz.

 

[itsmoked]

THANKS Everyone!! Great info.

I think I've got enough to get across the cost of yanking this thing instead of just leaving in-place. If they still want it yanked I'll definitely check with IEM. I'm even in Fremont frequently TestMonk.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com