Power outages are the worst.
They’re not only inconvenient, but they make you feel helpless. You just have to sit there, bored and in the dark, while waiting for the power company to do its thing.
And unfortunately, power outages aren’t exactly rare in Georgia. On average, Georgia residents experience more than two power outages a year, with each having an average duration of more than five hours(!).
That’s a long time to sit around without air conditioning.
Fortunately, there is a solution – you can have a licensed electrician install a Generac Standby Generator. The right generator system will provide the backup power your family needs to remain comfortable during the next power outage.
Pre-Installation Generator Services: Doing Your Homework and Providing an Accurate Estimate
We recently had the chance to install a whole-home generator for a Dunwoody-area client.
She had been considering having one installed for nearly 10 years and wanted us to come out and provide a written estimate. As always, we performed a proper examination of the home’s electrical system and the desired installation location – this helps to ensure our estimates are as accurate as possible.
If there’s anything worse than a power outage, it’s getting a bill from a contractor that’s way more expensive than the initial estimate. So, we do our homework.
As it turns out, we found a few interesting things during our initial investigation.
For example, it appeared as though the former homeowner was also planning on having a standby generator installed, as a concrete pad was already poured and in place. The gas line had also been modified, though no electrical connections had been installed.
But unfortunately, concrete pads are not ideal surfaces for standby generators.
Often, tree roots and shifting soil can cause concrete pads to start tilting in just a few years’ time. This can cause serious problems for whole-home generators, so we explained that we’d need to install a pea-gravel pad, which would keep the generator level for years.
Additionally, we noted that the electrical system in the home was relatively old, so we’d need to make a few upgrades to ensure everything would work properly. This involved moving some of the grounding hardware and reconfiguring the electric panel.
We also explained that in order to ensure the generator was installed in a safe manner that would work best for her situation, we’d need to include an automatic transfer switch as part of the installation (more on this in a minute).
With homework completed, we were able to provide our customer with an accurate estimate. She clearly found the quoted price attractive, as she immediately scheduled the installation.
Whole-House Generator Installation: The Project Begins
Standby generator installation is a big project that takes about three days to complete. So, we got to work – we always want to finish our jobs on time so we can get out of our customers’ hair.
To start, we had to break up the existing concrete pad. With that finished, we ensured that the new location would be up to code, meaning that it would be at least 1 foot from the house and no closer than 6 feet to any windows.
At this point, it was time to dig a shallow square hole, which we then lined with pressure-treated 4x4s and filled with pea gravel. Now, the generator would be able to remain level even if tree roots started tunneling beneath the pad.
The Finer Points of Generator Installation: These Things Are Heavy
Once we had the pad in place, it was time to lift the generator like a feather and place it on the pad.
And by “lift the generator like a feather and place it on the pad,” we mean sweat, grunt, and groan while trying to wrestle this behemoth in place.
This is a good time to point out that whole-home generators are not like the cute little wheeled generators you see people using at tailgate parties and campsites. Those backup generators may be capable of powering a big TV or a crockpot, but they certainly won’t be able to keep your AC, water heater, and oven working simultaneously.
So, unless you want to keep running outside to switch from one appliance to another after you lose power, you’ll need a whole-home generator. And those kinds of generators are big and heavy – this particular backup generator weighed about 500 pounds.
But we did get the job done (and without any audible swearing).
With the generator in place, Mark – one of our certified journeyman electricians – started installing a vital component of this project: a Generac Automatic Transfer Switch.
Backup Power Brains: What Is an Automatic Transfer Switch?
You can think of an automatic transfer switch (ATS) as the brains of a whole-home generator setup.
It’s essentially responsible for deciding when the generator should be providing power to your home and when it should shut down. This is important for setting up your generator as a “standby” unit. In other words, when you lose electric service from the utility company, the ATS signals the generator to start pumping power to your home.
This provides incredible convenience.
Were it not for the ATS, you’d have to go out and manually crank up the generator (and you know this would undoubtedly take place during a torrential downpour). For that matter, you may even have to dig your backup generator out of the garage and wheel it into place.
But an ATS also provides an important safety function: It protects the lineman working for the utility company, who’s desperately trying to get your power back on.
Without an ATS, your generator may start feeding electricity back into the grid. This could have very serious (potentially fatal) ramifications for the poor worker hanging from a pole 20 feet off the ground.
An ATS also helps to manage the situation once the power does start to come back on.
Often, when workers are trying to repair the lines, the power will flicker on and off many times each minute before finally turning back on for good. This could also cause serious problems, so the ATS keeps the generator functioning until it detects that the power is going to stay on permanently.
Happy Client = Happy Electricians: Finishing the Generator Installation Job
After replacing the backup generator foundation, placing the generator on the pad, and installing the ATS, we were able to check off the remaining boxes on our to-do list pretty smoothly. We made the necessary changes to the client’s existing electrical system, connected it to the gas line, and tested everything out.
With the job nearly complete, we provided the client with a full demonstration. She was obviously very happy to have a standby generator installed for the next inevitable power outage.
And we’d love to help you enjoy that same peace of mind.
It’s not a question of “if” you're going to lose electricity in the coming months, it’s a question of “when.” Let us help by installing a whole-home generator for your house. Getting started is very easy – simply schedule a knight. We’ll come out for a visit, lay out everything you need to know, and provide you with an estimate.
A few short days later, your backup generator will be installed and you and your loved ones can stop worrying every time a storm rolls through.
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