Portable Generator Hookup Before Winter in Random Lake: Inlet, Interlock or Transfer Switch
If you plan to run your Random Lake home on a portable generator this winter, the safe way to connect it is an outdoor inlet wired to a transfer switch or a panel interlock, installed before the first storm. Couillard Electric does this generator hookup work from our shop in Random Lake, and late October is the time to get it done.
Why not just plug into the dryer outlet?
Feeding the house through a dryer or wall outlet with a cord that has plugs on both ends is called backfeeding. The CPSC calls it extremely dangerous. It can put electricity onto the utility lines, which puts line crews and neighbors on the same transformer at risk. It also bypasses some of your home's built-in circuit protection.
What does We Energies say?
We Energies, which serves the Village of Random Lake, says portable generators are not designed to connect to house wiring. Doing it wrong can send power back onto the lines and can damage the generator and whatever is plugged in. Its guidance is that the only safe connection to your existing wiring is a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.
What does a safe hookup look like?
A safe setup has three parts. An inlet box goes on the outside wall, so the generator cord plugs in outdoors. Transfer equipment at or near your panel keeps the utility and the generator from ever being connected at the same time. And a cord sized for your generator runs between the two. Once it's in, you no longer need extension cords snaked through a window.
Transfer switch or interlock: which one?
A manual transfer switch moves a set of chosen circuits, like the furnace, well pump and fridge, from utility to generator. An interlock is a plate on the panel that won't let the main breaker and the generator breaker be on together. Either one has to suit your panel and generator. We look at both before recommending one on our generator service page.
Does the interlock have to match my panel?
Yes. Interlock kits are made for specific panels. Schneider Electric says its Square D generator interlock kit is not recommended or tested for other brands' panels, and that it would not be UL Listed if installed in one. A one-size-fits-all plate from the internet isn't the same thing. We check your panel's brand and model before ordering anything.
What will the generator actually run?
A transfer switch lets a portable generator power things you can't plug into it directly, including the furnace and the well pump, according to We Energies. Generators also have to handle the starting surge of motors, which is higher than their running load. That's why we go through what matters in your house first and match the circuits to the generator you already own.
Where should the generator sit?
Outside only. The CPSC says to run a portable generator at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from the home and any building someone could go into. Never run it in a garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or on a porch. Opening doors or windows does not provide enough ventilation. Pick the inlet location with that spot in mind.
How do I protect my family from carbon monoxide?
You can't see or smell carbon monoxide. The CPSC says one portable generator can produce as much CO as hundreds of cars. It recommends battery-operated or battery-backup CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, tested monthly. If you feel dizzy, weak or sick while the generator is running, get to fresh air right away. Our post on hardwired smoke and CO alarms covers the alarm side.
What about wet or snowy weather?
The CPSC warns that generators can shock or electrocute, especially when they're wet. Run yours on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like cover where water can't puddle underneath, and never inside. Dry your hands before touching it. Turn the generator off and let it cool before refueling, and store fuel outside living areas, away from fuel-burning appliances like a gas water heater.
What should I do this fall?
- Start the generator outdoors and let it run under some load, following your owner's manual.
- Check the cord for cuts, cracks or damaged plugs.
- Test every CO alarm in the house.
- Decide which circuits you need during an outage.
- If you don't have an inlet and transfer equipment yet, have it installed now, before the ground freezes and the storms start.
What if I have a standby generator?
The same backfeed rule applies, but the fall checklist is different: battery, exercise cycle, transfer switch test and snow clearance. See getting your standby generator ready for a Random Lake winter.
Couillard Electric installs generator inlets, interlocks and transfer switches in Random Lake and across Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties. We pull the permit when the job needs one. Call us Monday through Friday, 8 to 4, to get your portable generator hookup in before winter.