When determining what size generator you will need, it is important to imagine your home without power. Some power outages are short and only last a few hours, while some could last for days or weeks. It is important to think about your day to day life and what is your family going to need to have access to during a power outage. There are smaller generator products available to cover just the essential circuits in your home. There are also larger systems that can cover virtually all of your home. Most generators have a transfer switch that contains a pre-determined number of circuits based on your generator’s power rating. Each circuit directly matches a circuit on your circuit breaker panel. This will provide direct electricity to your pre-determined circuits. Larger units that provide power to the whole house will ensure that no circuit is left un-powered, so all appliances and electricity in your house should be available every minute of the power outage.

It is not recommended to install a generator by yourself.  While some generator systems may come prepackaged and pre-wired with thorough installation instructions, it is still recommended that a generator specialist or licensed contractor installs your unit. There are state, local, and national electrical codes that generators, especially non pre-wired or larger systems, need to follow. Working with a generator specialist or contractor is the best way to ensure that you are following those codes. Also, because generators are electrical systems, it is much safer to have an experienced professional handle the installation.