Can any portable generator connect through an inlet box?

Most can, with the right parts. The inlet, the cord and the generator breaker are matched to the generator's output and the plug it uses, so each part is rated for what the generator delivers. We size all three to your generator.

Do I need a permit for a transfer switch?

In most places, yes, because the work changes how power enters your panel. We tell you what your city requires and handle the permit and the inspection when one is needed.

How does an automatic transfer switch work?

It watches the utility power. When the power fails, it signals the standby generator to start and moves the load once the generator is ready. When utility power returns, it moves the load back, and the generator runs down and shuts off on its own.

Transfer Switch Installation San Antonio

Every safe generator hookup does one thing: it makes it impossible for the generator and the utility to feed the house at the same time. When both can, generator power travels out through the meter and onto the lines, where it can injure a line worker who believes the line is dead, and the generator can be damaged when the grid comes back. A transfer switch or an interlock keeps the two apart.

Which one fits depends on the generator and how you want to use it. A standby generator gets an automatic transfer switch that senses the outage, starts the unit and moves the load without anyone touching it. A portable generator connects through an inlet box on the outside wall, a cord sized to the generator, and either an interlock on the main panel or a manual transfer switch. Permits are handled where the work needs one.

What transfer switch installation covers

Automatic transfer switches for standby generators
Manual transfer switches for selected circuits
Generator interlock kits listed for your panel
Outdoor inlet boxes and generator cords
A generator breaker sized to the unit
Permits and inspections where required

How a transfer switch installation goes

1.You tell us about the generator you have or plan to buy, and which circuits matter most in an outage.
2.The electrician checks the panel's make, model and open spaces, and where the inlet box and the generator will sit.
3.You get one flat price for the transfer switch or interlock installation and approve it before work starts.
4.The switch or interlock is installed, the inlet is wired, the work is inspected where required, and we run the system on generator power with you.

Generator interlock installation

An interlock is a plate or slide fitted to the front of the main panel. With it in place, the main breaker and the generator breaker cannot both be on: to turn on the generator breaker, the main has to be off first. It is a simple part, and for many homes it is the most practical way to connect a portable generator.

An interlock has to be made for the panel it goes on. Each kit is listed for particular panel makers and models, because it depends on where the main breaker sits and how the cover is shaped. We check the make and model before quoting, and if no listed kit exists for your panel, we tell you and price a manual transfer switch instead.

With an interlock, you choose what runs. In an outage you start the generator, switch off the main, switch on the generator breaker, then turn on the circuits you need, keeping the total within what the generator can carry. We go through it with you on the day of the installation and label the panel, so the steps are in front of you when the power goes out.

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FAQ

Common questions

Straight answers. If you do not see yours, call us and ask.

Both prevent backfeed. An interlock lets you power any circuit in the panel and is usually the smaller job, but you manage the load by hand. A manual transfer switch limits you to the circuits wired to it, which makes an overload harder. An automatic transfer switch is the choice for a standby generator.

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Transfer switch installation in San Antonio