Home generator installation procedures

When all inspection is passed, your generator is turned on for service. After your standby generator installation is completed, and your unit is placed in service, we submit all warranty registration to the manufacturer and train you so that you know how to operate your standby generator.

Click here to learn more about standby generator installation. Call for pricing on larger generators. These prices are for propane and natural gas generators only. Pricing is different for all diesel generators. Call for price on larger units. You will receive large discounts if you become our customer and sign a five year service agreement. These are the service fee for regular propane or natural gas generator maintenance:. These are the service fees for diesel generators:. These fees are for standby generator which are less than KW.

This fee applies to generators under KW. Call for fee rates for larger generators. Click here to request service for standby generator. By Rafael Cata All rights reserved. Standby Generator Installation Procedure Permit is extra. Complete Turn key Installation. Click Here To Request Installation!!! Includes the following: Dual fuel propane and gasoline portable generator Generator assembly, setup, and testing. All electrical wiring to connect generator so that it serves your entire house.

Permit cost will be added to this price. Consider a manual transfer switch. This is a slightly more expensive piece of equipment which will require a professional install. However, it is the only guaranteed legal option and it is accordingly the safest. This will help keep you from accidentally electrocuting someone else or even yourself. Install an inlet box hook up.

This hookup will go on the outside of your house and will have a recessed male connector prongs that stick out, rather than holes you plug in to. It will connect to whichever panel system you installed inside your house. The installation should be performed by a professional, both to keep you safe and to make sure your system remains up to code.

If you do not have this done by a professional, your insurance may be unable to cover your home, the city you live in could enforce a heavy fine, and you are very likely to hurt either yourself or someone else in a hospital-if-you're-lucky kind of way.

Keep your family safe! You will find a lot of advice and instructions offered on the internet that are unsafe and put you at risk for injury, electrocution, or serious house fire. Be sure to always check with your city specialists before doing anything that will put you or your family at risk. Some common Do Nots include: [3] X Research source Do not connect your generator directly to your breaker box without an approved transfer switch. Do not connect your generator to a washing machine or dryer outlet.

Get your setup inspected. This is especially important if you do not have experience with electrical work. You want to be sure that your family stays safe and, in the event of a fire, that your insurance company cannot dispute your claim because of "faulty wiring". Method 2. Place the generator away from your home. Place the generator as far away from your home as you can with the cable that it comes with.

This is to prevent your home catching fire, should something go wrong with the generator, and to avoid the deadly carbon monoxide poisoning from the generator exhaust. This is a basic safety precaution, and should not be ignored. Plug in your generator to the hookup. Match the holes at the end of the generator's cord to the prongs on your hookup.

Plug it in. You will likely have to then turn the plug connection to complete the connection usually about 15 degrees. Plug your attachment cable into your generator. Your generator should have come with a cable to use to connect to your house. Plug it in, select which voltage you want if you can , and do the same turn that you did with the other end and the receptacle.

Check the engine. Check that the throttle for the engine is in the correct position and that the engine has enough oil. You may also need to preheat the engine with the glow plug, depending on where you live. Start the engine. Start your generator's engine according to manufacturer's instructions. Switch the systems. Go to your breaker. Flip off the utility main and turn on the generator main. Flip the breakers. Flip the breakers on the system that you installed, turning on all of the loads one by one slowly.

Return to utility power. In order to return to use of utility power, reverse the order of operations. Can I plug a six-prong outlet extension into my generator so I can run a few small appliances? As long as you do not exceed the power rating of the generator or its specific outlet, expanding the number of devices this way is fine. Keep in mind that increasing the number of devices also increases the chance that an electrical fault could occur, necessitating a protection device of some kind.

Many generators include protection, but a power strip with additional protection may be wise. You also need to be sure that the cabling and connectors used are designed to handle the amount of current that would flow when all of the devices are on.

Not Helpful 4 Helpful With a small w generator, can I fashion an extension cord with double male plugins and simply trip the house main, then plug one end into the generator and the other end into an outlet? Wouldn't that power all the outlets on that circuit even though we would only use a few at any one time? Do not do this!

Although this makes logical sense, the issue is that there will be no safe way to disconnect the power in an emergency if when someone is being electrocuted. Also, there will be no fail-safe, in the event of an electrical short-circuit, and this will pose a serious fire hazard. Having any "double-male" power cord is dangerous and would be illegal to plug in just about anywhere that has safety rules.

Not Helpful 32 Helpful Since you are instructed to shut off the main breaker when you use the generator, nothing will happen. If you install a transfer switch it is impossible for the generator and the main electrical power to both feed the system at the same time, if wired correctly.

Not Helpful 8 Helpful I was surprised to read that you flip off the main breaker after plugging in and turning on the generator. Is this correct?

If you had a home consultation technician over, the installation crew will be from the same dealer as the technician. Our website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience. To read more about the cookies we use, see our privacy policy. All About Installation. Generator Installation. Installation FAQ.