You are not going crazy. It 100% should be a male inlet. I would now question anything that ‘electrician’ is doing…. It must be changed to a male inlet.

You are correct, the generator inlet to the house should be a MALE connector, and the lead from the generator should have a matching female connection.

With the present incorrect arrangement, the generator hook up cable will need a male plug on each end, thereby having line voltage on the exposed plug pins when the generator is running. Such cables are known as "suicide leads"

Use of a female ceeform connector as a generator inlet is regrettably common but still wrong and dangerous. Very common on burger vans and on caravans.

As some one who does a lot of event electrics, I find this so often. It always triggers an argument when I refuse to connect them. It’s funny it is nearly always the same response ‘oh yes someone said about that I am going to get it changed tomorrow” or “my mate did that, he is an electrician so it must be fine”…. I  keep inlets in the van and normally change them for a small price along with the nasty widow maker lead. 

Thank you Alex. It seemed obvious but sometimes I question my sanity when faced with things like this. Because under this setup, the generator cable becomes what I think the Americans refer to as a Jesus Lead (male plug at both ends)

No wholesaler keeps the male inlets in stock, so I've told him to complete the job and sign it off (that's his problem, not mine) and I'll switch the female to a male myself when Screwfix delivers the part tomorrow. Got the same brand, MK, so conduit etc should all line up.

He's a nice chap and has helped me out a lot with awkward problems in a flat I rent out so I pretty much can't be bothered to make a fuss when I can fix this. I just found it a bit depressing...

Side question:

He added a TT rod (our supply is TN-C-S) but wasn't going to connect that to the MET by default - just to the generator inlet.
That seemed odd and he's going to connect it now after I asked if there was any reason why not?

This is kinda why I booked a registered sparky as multiple earthing systems is beyond my thorough understanding, but I thought I'd read somewhere that the supplier's earth should not be relied on in the event of a power failure?

Is there a standard answer to that?

Cheers again - Tim

Thank you sir - my reply to Alex applies here too.

At least that makes me feel better. Trivial to fix myself (I told him what I'm planning to do and explained why - he's not bothered but isn't seeing the problem).

The basics of the transfer switch are within my understanding (complete isolated break before make changeover required so that neither supply can be accidentally backfed from the other), but the earthing arrangements are outside of my comfort zone, plus I can't sign this off, hence booking a registered chap... He did bring a proper IP65 made for purpose Transfer Switch so that's good.

May I just highlight a secondary question though - as now I really want to be certain:

He added a TT rod (our supply is TN-C-S) but wasn't going to connect that to the MET by default - just to the generator inlet.
That seemed odd and he's going to connect it now after I asked if there was any reason why not?

This is kinda why I booked a registered sparky as multiple earthing systems is beyond my thorough understanding, but I thought I'd read somewhere that the supplier's earth should not be relied on in the event of a power failure?

Is there a standard answer to that?

Cheers again - Tim

Indeed - if the supply fails then you have to assume the supply has been cut all poles, and the genset and associates must provide its own neutral to CPC bond, either in the genset or alongside, and its own CPC to terra-firma electrode. Now given the very low fault current available from the genset, what trips if there is a load side short ?

To be charitable a lot of domestic electricians are good solid chaps but creatures of recipe and repetition, not original thought - hence arguments about non standard but can be perfectly safe things like hybrid rings and radials, centre fed radial circuits and many  others.

It is also why the OSG sells so well, though as I said in another post it is a recipe book, not a bible.

I'd be a bit worried about the failure to grasp, or not (!!) live pins as a dangerous item once mentioned. but I'm not that shocked it was given no thought initially . Do remember from the back of the socket to the back of the plug the coursing order means L-N need to cross.

Mike.

Thanks Mike - that's what I thought I'd heard.

All the best, Tim