Losing power is never good, especially since we rely so much on electricity. One of the best ways to stay prepared is to have a portable generator on hand. However, you will need the best portable generator interlock kit installation electrician in Greenacres Florida, to use it for home power.
Swink Electric is the best portable generator interlock kit installation electrician in Greenacres Florida, ready to set you up for backup power. In order to get safely rely on a portable generator for home electricity, you need an interlock kit or manual switch.
When the grid goes down, a portable generator can keep your home running, but only if it’s connected safely. A generator interlock kit lets you power your panel from your generator while keeping your home cut off from the utility lines, which protects your family, your equipment and the line workers restoring power.
There are two safe ways to connect a portable generator to your home: a generator interlock kit or a manual transfer switch. Both keep your home cut off from the grid while the generator runs, but they only protect you if they’re installed correctly. That’s why it pays to hire an experienced electrician for your portable generator interlock kit installation in Greenacres, Florida. A licensed professional will make sure everything is wired to code, so your home has backup power without the risk.
Can You Power Your Entire Home With a Portable Generator?
For most homes, the short answer is no. Portable generators come in a range of sizes, rated in watts, but even the larger models can’t supply everything a typical home runs at the same time.
The issue isn’t how much energy your home uses over a day. It’s how much power it pulls at once. The average single-family home in the US uses about 875 kWh a month, or roughly 29 kWh a day. That daily total isn’t the problem, though. Your central AC, water heater, electric range, dryer and pool pump can all switch on together. Their combined demand can easily go past what a portable generator puts out, and here in Florida your AC alone takes a large share of that.
That’s why most homeowners use a portable generator to run their essentials: the refrigerator, lights, fans, a window AC unit, phone chargers and maybe the well pump. An interlock kit makes this easy, because you choose which circuits to power right at your panel.
What Is a Portable Generator Interlock Kit?
We already know there are dangers when our electrical systems draw power from two sources at once. There aren’t many small dangers, but they can include damage to your electrical panel, outlets, or wiring.
Other risks include electrical fires, electrocution, and the fact that extra power in the lines can electrocute and kill any electrician working to restore grid power. We can avoid these risks with an interlock kit or a manual switch.
An interlock kit is a simple mechanical device installed on your main electrical panel. It’s a sliding plate that physically stops your main breaker and your generator breaker from being on at the same time. To switch to generator power, you turn off the main breaker, slide the plate over and turn on the generator breaker. Your generator plugs into a power inlet box mounted on the outside of your home. Because the main breaker has to be off first, your home can never be connected to the grid and the generator at once.
Generator Interlock Kit vs. Manual Transfer Switch
A manual transfer switch does the same job a different way. It’s a separate unit mounted next to your main panel, wired to a handful of circuits you choose during installation. When the power goes out, you flip switches on the unit to move those circuits over to the generator.
The big difference is flexibility. With an interlock kit, you can power any circuit in your panel and change which ones you run depending on what you need. With a transfer switch, you’re limited to the circuits picked at installation. Interlock kits are also usually the more affordable option, which is why they’re the most common choice. A licensed electrician who specializes in portable generator interlock kit installation in Greenacres, Florida can help you decide which one fits your home.
Keep in mind that the circuits on a manual transfer switch are set during installation. If you want to change them later, you’ll need an electrician to rewire the switch. That’s why it’s worth thinking ahead about what you’ll actually want to run during an outage.
Not sure which option is right for your home? Swink Electric is your local expert for portable generator interlock kit installation in Greenacres, Florida. We’ll walk you through both options, look at your panel and help you pick the setup that fits your home, your generator and your budget. Contact us today to to schedule your installation before the next storm hits.
Best Portable Generator Interlock Kit Installation Electrician in Greenacres Florida
Swink Electric has more than 50 combined years of electrical experience. We have the knowledge and efficiency to install your interlock kit so you can safely go off-grid and come back on whenever you’d like.
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