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When a storm hits or the power goes out, having a generator is only helpful if you’ve planned ahead. Most people buy a generator but never set it up to actually power their house. Instead of running extension cords and dragging appliances around, here are two better options to connect your generator directly to your home.
Power Inlet Box
This is the cheapest option but also the most dangerous if it’s not installed properly.
A power inlet box costs about $50, and hiring an electrician will add around $600. It allows your generator to feed power directly into your electrical panel, and you can choose which breakers to turn on during an outage. It won’t power your whole house or run large systems like air conditioning, but it can handle essentials like your fridge, freezer, and a few lights.
Here’s the catch: this method must include an interlock kit. That kit ensures the main breaker is shut off before generator power flows into the panel. Without it, you risk back feeding power into the grid which can seriously injure or kill a utility worker trying to restore your power.
Transfer Switch
This is the safest and most convenient option.
A transfer switch works similarly to a power inlet box, but it includes built-in safety features. When the power goes out, you just plug in your generator and flip a switch. The system is wired so there’s no risk of back feeding into the power lines.
The tradeoff is that you have to choose which breakers are connected during installation (usually about eight total). It’s also more expensive as the panel costs around $400, and installation by an electrician averages $1,500. This is my preferred option and the one I would personally choose!
Plan Ahead
Whichever method you choose, the key is to get the wiring done before the next power outage. If you have power now, this is the kind of upgrade that’s easiest to do in advance and well worth the cost when the lights start flickering.
Find everything you’d need for a power outage on Amazon here: https://geni.us/poweroutage
