How do I hook up a power generator to my house?

Answer by  andaman (240)

if you want one that is going to give you uninterrupted whole-house power, then it is probably a project for a licensed electrician. an entire home can draw quite a lot of power and this is not something to play around with.

Answer by  champaign9497 (11977)

You should contact an expert those things can be tricky and if done improperly it can start a fire. Your electric company may even come out and do it.

Answer by  siva (28)

Wire the city power & generator power to the switch. If the normal power drops you switch it over to generator power. They also sell automatic transfer switches (ATS).

Answer by  ElectricDave (80)

Hooking up a generator requires that the homeowner install: 1: A generator inlet, compatible with their generator. 2: A Panel/Transfer Switch. Circuits requiring emergency power will be moved over to this panel. Hiring an experienced electrical contractor will ensure that proper products are installed within the electrical code.

Answer by  les59 (852)

Make sure that your house is wired to run off of a generator as a backup power source first. Once you've got that done, plug in your generator.