How to Install a Home Generator

Dustin Streetman

August 1st, 2024

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Installing a Home Generator

Power outages can be a major source of stress and frustration, leaving you and your home in the dark. Sometimes you can’t control when the lights go out, but you can control whether or not you’re prepared for it. By installing a home generator, homeowners provide themselves with a reliable solution to keep their essential appliances running and their homes at maximum comfort.

That said, installing a home generator can seem like a tricky process. That’s why we’ve created this step-by-step installation guide for homeowners everywhere. We’ll provide you with everything you need to know to choose and install the right generator model for your home.

Why Do I Need a Home Generator in the First Place?

Let’s review the benefits of having a home generator:

• Uninterrupted Power Supply: You won’t have to worry when a power outage strikes, because you can keep your appliances and electronic devices running.
• Peace of Mind: With a home generator, your regular systems (lighting, appliances, security systems, etc.) will stay operational as they should.
• Temperature Control: When the electricity goes out, so does your AC and refrigerator, resulting in stuffy rooms and spoiled food — a home generator allows you to avoid these problems.
• Prevent Plumbing Issues: Generators keep your home’s sump pumps running during power outages, helping prevent flooding and damage to your home.
• Add Value to Your Home: Installing a generator can increase your home’s value by at least half the generator’s cost, especially if you live somewhere that commonly has severe weather or blackouts.

Step 1: Choosing a Home Generator

Before shopping for home generators, you still have to decide which generator you will need for your home. Here’s how you can choose:

Portable vs. Standby Home Generators

Portable home generators are better for those who need power for a shorter period of time. Gasoline-powered portable generators can run for about six to 14 hours continuously, while portable home generators fueled by propane will run for about eight days if managed well enough. Portable home generators are also less expensive than standby generators.

Standby home generators, on the other hand, generally cost more, but they do offer longer-term power for the price, as well as the capacity to power more appliances and devices than a portable one. These generators also guarantee longer running times than their portable counterparts. For example, installing a standby Generac generator in Georgia homes will let homeowners enjoy approximately 500 hours or more of continuous usage (depending on the model and fuel source). Keep in mind, though, that you will need to have a functioning natural gas line or access to liquid propane.

Manual vs. Automatic Transfer Switch

The transfer switch for your generator allows you to safely and seamlessly switch power from your home’s electrical system to your generator. This allows your appliances and devices to continue running smoothly without interruption in case the electricity goes out. It also protects utility workers against the backfeeding of electricity to the power lines, which can be dangerous when they are repairing the power lines during an outage.

There are two types: the manual transfer switch and the automatic transfer switch.

• Manual Transfer Switch: Requires you to manually switch the power source from your home’s electrical system to the generator.
• Automatic Transfer Switch: Detects if there is a power outage and automatically switches to generator power without you having to do it yourself.

Determine How Much Power You Need

First, calculate the total wattage of the appliances and devices you’re planning to power with your home generator. The user manuals of your appliances should have this information. You can also try looking at the Energy Guide labels or product stickers at the back or bottom. If you still can’t find it, visit the manufacturer’s website and search for your appliance there.

Getting the total wattage will help a lot in telling you how much power you need from your generator so you can avoid overloading it. Knowing the wattage will also help you prioritize which devices or appliances you will power with your generator to keep them running during an outage.

Step 2: Find the Right Location for Your Generator

The most important factor in choosing a location for your home generator should be safety first. With this in mind, you should select a location where the generator is a good distance away from your home. It should also be installed in a well-ventilated area to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. This is especially important if it’s going to run for hours or even days.

Additionally, pick a location at least twenty feet away from your home to add more protection against carbon monoxide poisoning, as well as minimize noise pollution and prevent the generator from becoming a fire hazard. Generators get hot while running, and if placed in flammable structures or materials, may pose a fire risk to your home.

We also recommend putting up a concrete pad at least four inches high from the ground if you are installing a standby generator. This will help keep your unit secure and steady while running; you really don’t want your generator to be moving all over the place while it’s operational.

Step 3: Connect the Generator to the Transfer Switch

You should be able to find instructions from the manufacturer of the transfer switch detailing how to connect the wires to your electrical panel — basically, just connect the wires from the transfer switch to the corresponding circuits of the panel. Finally, test the transfer switch to make sure that you did everything correctly and that everything is running as it should.

How to Install the Transfer Switch:

1. Turn off the power to your home.
2. Mount the transfer switch where it is near the main electrical panel of your home.
3. Connect the wiring.

How to Connect to the Generator’s Power Supply:

Whether you have a standby generator or a portable one, you will need to use a power inlet box to connect the transfer switch to your generator’s power supply.

1. Mount the power inlet box near your generator, but make sure it’s outside your home.
2. Use the appropriate wiring to connect the power inlet box to your generator’s transfer switch.
3. After connecting the transfer switch, you then need to connect the generator to the power inlet box. We highly recommend using a heavy-duty extension cord for this purpose.

Step 4: Start (and Test) the Generator

Now that you have everything properly installed and connected, it’s time to start your generator.

1. Find the fuel valve on your generator and turn it on to let the fuel get to the engine.
2. Adjust the choke to its starting position.
3. Start the engine. Depending on your generator, you might need to either pull a cord or just press the Start button.
4. When the engine is already running smoothly, adjust the choke again to turn it to the run position.

Testing Your New Generator

We also suggest an optional step: testing your setup. The purpose of this is to test your home generator setup and see if it will work perfectly when an actual power outage strikes. Here’s what you should do:

1. Turn off the power to your home.
2. Use the transfer switch to switch the power source from your home’s electrical supply to your generator. If you have installed an automatic transfer switch, it should be already working after you turned off the electricity to your home.
3. Check to confirm that all the appliances and devices you have connected to your generator are powered on and running smoothly.

Learn More About Home Generators with Anderson Power

Getting a home generator is one of the best things you can do to make sure you and your family enjoy the conveniences of home even during a power outage. If you’re in a city like Florida, for example, you wouldn’t want to be caught in the middle of hurricane season without a backup power source. Why not consider investing in a reliable home generator Florida homeowners already use?

If you’re not 100% confident in your ability to install a home generator on your own, it’s best to get help from professional installers. For all things home generators, choose Anderson Power Services. We provide the highest quality generators and installation services across the Southeast.

We also offer flexible payment plans to make securing your power easy and affordable because we’re committed to providing reliable power when you need it most. Call or contact us online today for a FREE on-site assessment of your whole home.