Home Backup Power: Generators & Interlock Kits
A backup power generator for a house keeps the fridge, lights, furnace and well pump running when the grid goes down. Most homes end up with one of two setups: a portable generator wired in through an interlock kit or transfer switch, or a permanent standby generator that starts on its own.
Pick your setup first
The choice comes down to budget and how much work you're willing to do in the dark.
A portable generator with an interlock kit or a manual transfer switch is the cheaper route. You roll the generator out, plug in one cord, and flip breakers by hand. It runs the circuits you choose for as long as you keep feeding it fuel.
A standby generator sits on a pad outside, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts by itself through an automatic transfer switch. Generac puts the typical total at $8,000 to $16,000, including the unit and installation. You're paying to never haul a gas can again.
For most homes on a well, start with a properly sized portable and an interlock. Move up to standby if your outages run for days, or if nobody is home to start a generator when the power drops.
Size it before you buy
Add up the running watts of everything you need, then add the single biggest starting surge on top. Motors are the trouble. A well pump or central air compressor pulls far more to start than to run, and that surge decides the generator size more than the square footage does. Work through what size generator you need and the well pump generator guide before you shop.
Connect it safely
Choose the equipment
Keep the water running
On a well, no power means no water. Plan the pump circuit and the sump pump before the storm, not during it.
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Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionPortable Generator Safety Alert (opens in a new tab)
- GeneracHome Standby Generator Installation (opens in a new tab)
- GeneracWhat Size Generator Do I Need? (opens in a new tab)