A safe, code-compliant way to run your home from a portable generator: an outdoor power inlet plus a manual transfer switch or panel interlock, permitted and installed by licensed electricians.
Have a portable generator and want to run your home’s circuits safely? Call or text for a free estimate.
(954) 636-4288
Plugging a generator into a wall outlet with a double-ended cord is called backfeeding. It is dangerous. It can send power out onto the utility lines, where it can injure line workers. It can overload wiring that was never meant to be fed that way. And it can wreck the generator when the grid comes back. Extension cords are safer, but they only reach a few appliances and cannot power hardwired equipment like well pumps or ceiling fans.
The safe way to run house circuits from a portable generator is an outdoor power inlet connected to approved transfer equipment. That is what we install.
A manual transfer switch mounts next to your panel and feeds a set of circuits you choose, often 6 to 10. During an outage, you plug the generator into the outdoor inlet and flip each circuit from utility to generator. The photo on this page is one we installed.
An interlock is a listed mechanical plate on your main panel. It makes it impossible to turn on the generator breaker and the main breaker at the same time. It lets you choose any circuit in the panel, but it needs an interlock made for your specific panel, and you manage the load yourself.
It depends on your panel, how many circuits you want, the size of your generator and your budget. We check the panel, confirm what is available for it and recommend the simplest safe setup.
Some homeowners use a battery power station, such as an EcoFlow unit, instead of a gas generator. We have installed a dedicated outlet for an EcoFlow unit. What your power station can connect to depends on the model, so tell us the model number and we will tell you which safe connection it supports.
The inlet, the cord and the transfer equipment have to match your generator’s output. Many portable generators use a 30 amp outlet, and larger ones a 50 amp. We check your generator’s outlet and rating before we install anything. Most portable generators cannot start central A/C. If keeping the A/C on matters, a standby generator is usually the better fit.
A generator hookup is permitted electrical work. We pull the permit, install the inlet and the transfer switch or interlock, label everything, and meet the inspector. Before we leave, we walk you through the switch-over and switch-back steps with your generator, so you are not working it out for the first time in a storm.
Portable generators produce carbon monoxide. Run yours outdoors only, well away from the house. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends at least 20 feet, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a garage, even with the door open. Put battery-powered CO alarms inside the home.
Some homeowners start with a portable hookup and move to a standby generator later. We can place the inlet and transfer equipment with that in mind. See whole-home generator installation and transfer switch installation.
Allsite Electric is a licensed Florida electrical contractor based in Sunrise. We install permitted, inspected generator hookups across Broward and Palm Beach counties, and we show you how to use them safely.
Tell us your generator’s make, model and outlet type.
We check your panel and choose a transfer switch or interlock.
We install the inlet and transfer equipment and meet the inspector.
We show you how to switch over safely with your generator.
Yes. We install an outdoor power inlet and approved transfer equipment, either a manual transfer switch or a listed panel interlock, so you can run house circuits safely.
An interlock lets you use any circuit but needs a listed kit for your panel. A manual transfer switch feeds a fixed set of circuits and is simpler to use. We recommend one after checking your panel.
It has to match your generator’s outlet and rating. Many portables use a 30 amp outlet, and larger ones a 50 amp. We check before we install.
Yes. It is permitted electrical work. We pull the permit and meet the inspector.
Outdoors, away from the house. The CPSC recommends at least 20 feet, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents. Never run it in a garage.
Usually not. Most portable generators cannot handle a central A/C compressor starting up. If you need A/C in an outage, consider a standby generator.
Yes. Call or text (954) 636-4288 or request one through our contact page.
Call, text or request an estimate. Tell us your generator model and we will recommend the right setup.
Licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Sunrise, FL. Generators, panels, EV chargers, rewiring and repairs for homes and businesses across Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
