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The Right Way To Hook Up A Portable Generator To Your House
By SEAMUS GREGAN
Portable generators can be essential in emergencies, but they can also be a safety hazard. Make sure it’s placed at least 20 feet away from doors and windows so you don’t breathe in poisonous carbon monoxide gases, and you’ll want to have a professional install a permanent power transfer system between your generator and your main circuit breaker box.
An automatic transfer switch will automatically detect a loss of main power and switch to generator power, unlike a manual transfer switch. Some regions mandate that all generator use happens via a transfer switch for safety reasons, and while it’s a big investment, it’ll give you peace of mind.
An interlock switch is a lower-cost option that physically prevents both of the breakers for main power and generator power from being open at the same time. Some places don’t allow interlock switches, and for proper use, you need to turn on each circuit at a time to not overload the generator and switch back to the main power manually.