TL;DR
A manual transfer switch is a mechanically interlocked switch that lets a homeowner move selected circuits from utility power to a portable generator without the two sources ever connecting. It eliminates the deadly backfeed hazard of plugging a generator into a dryer outlet, which can electrocute line workers, and NEC 702 requires some form of approved transfer equipment for any standby connection.
What it means
A manual transfer switch is a mechanically interlocked switch that lets a homeowner move selected circuits from utility power to a portable generator without the two sources ever connecting. It eliminates the deadly backfeed hazard of plugging a generator into a dryer outlet, which can electrocute line workers, and NEC 702 requires some form of approved transfer equipment for any standby connection. Typical residential units serve 6 to 10 circuits beside the main panel with an inlet box outdoors.
Where it sits in the glossary
Manual transfer switch is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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