Generator Installation near you

A portable generator is the more modest option. It stays in the shed until an outage, then runs outdoors, well away from the house. Plugged into a power inlet that an electrician has mounted on the outside wall, it can feed a selection of circuits through a transfer switch or interlock, so the furnace fan, the sump pump, the fridge and a few lights keep working. Someone has to set it up, refuel it and shut it down, often in bad weather.

A standby generator is permanently installed on a base outside, wired to an automatic transfer switch and connected to a fuel supply. When the grid fails, it starts by itself and takes over the circuits it was sized for, then hands the load back once utility power returns. The choice usually comes down to how long outages last where you live, whether someone is always home to run a portable unit, and whether the household depends on medical equipment, a well pump or a sump pump.

Whatever its size, a generator must never feed the house wiring while the house is still connected to the grid. ESA states that standby generators permanently connected to a home's wiring must have a transfer device, which prevents the generator's power from flowing back into the utility system. Get Prepared adds that a backup generator may only be connected to the home's electrical system through an approved transfer panel and switch installed by a qualified electrician, and it warns never to plug a generator into a wall outlet.

Connecting a generator to a gas line or a propane tank is gas work, separate from the electrical work. Every province regulates it; in Ontario, for example, only fuels contractors registered with the TSSA may do it. Never connect or extend gas piping yourself.

Sizing starts from what you want to keep running during an outage, not from the size of the house. The electrician lists the essential loads, such as heating, the sump or well pump, the fridge, medical equipment and a few lighting circuits, and checks what each draws while running and at start-up, when motors briefly draw more. You then choose between a unit that carries a handful of essential circuits and one able to run most of the house.

The unit sits outdoors, away from doors, windows and air intakes, on a stable base above snow and standing water, with room left for service. For portable units, Get Prepared advises running fuel-burning generators at least 6 metres (20 feet) from homes and buildings; for a standby unit, the manufacturer's instructions and the applicable codes set the clearances. Generators are noisy, and many municipalities regulate noise and the location of mechanical equipment, so check the local bylaw before picking the spot.

In Ontario, ESA states that you must file a notification of work to connect a generator permanently to your home's electrical system, and it strongly recommends hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor so the generator is installed correctly. The contractor files the notification before starting and arranges the inspection once the transfer equipment and wiring are in place.

In Quebec, Hydro-Québec's first rule for backup power is to entrust the entire installation to a master electrician, and its checklist for a permanent installation includes a compliant transfer switch, declaring the installation to Hydro-Québec and checking that the system completely isolates the home from the grid during an outage. Electrical work done for others is reserved for contractors licensed through the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ). In British Columbia, the electrical work is covered by an installation permit from Technical Safety BC, and the gas connection follows the gas safety authority's rules.

A generator that sits idle for months can let you down on the one night you need it. Many standby units run a short automatic exercise cycle on a schedule set by the manufacturer, which keeps the engine in working order and lets the controller flag a fault before an outage does. Listen for the exercise run, and check the status lights or the app if your unit has one.

Beyond that, follow the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual, with oil and filter changes, battery checks and an inspection of the transfer switch done by a technician trained on the equipment. For a portable unit, start it regularly with a light load, keep the fuel fresh or stabilized as the manual advises, and store the connection cord where you can find it in the dark.