DIY guideGenerator
Use a generator transfer switch or interlock
Run the house from a portable generator through the transfer switch or interlock an electrician installed: the generator outside, the circuits switched over one at a time, and back again after.
- 10 to 20 min
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Set the generator up outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, as in Get a portable generator ready.
Never run it in a garage, and never plug it into a wall outlet: it can kill.With the generator off, plug its heavy cord into the power inlet box outside the house, then into the generator.
Start it and let it run for a minute to settle.
Flip the transfer switch's circuits from utility to generator one at a time, a few seconds apart, the furnace and fridge first.
With an interlock, turn the main breaker off, slide the plate over, turn the generator's breaker on, then the circuits you need.
Run only what you need. If the generator labours or its own breaker trips, switch something off.
When the power is back, switch everything back to utility, or the generator's breaker off and the main on. Then turn the generator off and unplug the cord.
No transfer switch or interlock? Never connect the generator to the house. Ask Handyman for an electrician to install one.
What you need
- The generator's heavy-duty inlet cord
- Fresh fuel
- A working CO alarm on every floor
- A flashlight
Call a pro if
- There's no transfer switch or interlock
- The interlock plate is missing or won't slide
- A breaker trips as soon as you switch over
- The inlet box is scorched or smells of burning
Handyman says: No switch? I'll find an electrician.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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