Discuss Auto transfer switch caught on fire - should we be concerned about our house electrical system? in the DIY Electrical Advice area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Here’s what happened, we’re looking for a professional opinion: The auto transfer switch for our Generac stand by generator “exploded” (we heard a bang and the house shook a bit) and subsequently caught on fire earlier this week. It was mounted to an exterior wall. The generator was installed 8 years ago (our house built in 2011) and we have annual servicing done, which didn’t catch any problems when it was last done in June. After the explosion noise, our wifi first went off, then the power went off a few minutes later. The generator kicked on, but it was a few minutes after the power went off. It ran for a few minutes then stopped. That’s when we went outside to check on it and discovered the fire. It was a beautiful day, no storms or power outages happening around town.

Should we be concerned that the house has other electrical problems that caused this, or this something that can just happen to the automatic transfer switches? The fire caused some damage to our home, so insurance is involved but they’re not researching the cause and origin. The basic consensus between insurance and the electrician is that the ATS might have had a wire crossed or loose. The electrician ordered a new ATS and made a temp fix to basically bypass the generator to get power back to the house. We’re still awaiting power from our energy company. I just what to feel more comfortable that their hypothesis is correct and there’s not some underlying cause that we should be looking into. Your advice is appreciated! Thanks!
 

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