Generator Installation in Winston-Salem, NC

Standby Generators and Automatic Transfer Switches

A standby generator sits outside on a pad, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts on its own when the utility fails. The electrical heart of that system is the automatic transfer switch: it senses the outage, signals the generator to start, and moves your house (or selected circuits) from utility to generator power, then back again when the grid returns.

The photo on this page is one of our installs in the Triad: transfer switch mounted beside the meter on a brick home, with the control and load conductors being landed. We size the transfer switch to the service, decide with you whether to back up the whole house or a dedicated set of essential circuits, and coordinate the electrical work with whoever is setting the unit and running the gas line.

Sizing: What Do You Actually Need to Run?

Generator size is a load question, not a guess. Well pumps, central air, electric water heaters, and ranges have large starting or running loads; refrigerators, gas furnace blowers, lights, and internet equipment are modest. We walk through what matters to your household during an outage and help you match the generator and transfer equipment to it, the same way we run load calculations for panel upgrades and EV chargers.

If your panel is old, full, or failing, it is often smart to address that before or alongside the generator hookup so the transfer equipment is landing on sound equipment.

Planning Before the Next Outage

The worst time to plan a generator connection is during an outage. Permits, equipment, and inspection take time, so the best moment to set this up is on a calm week before storm season. Start by deciding which approach fits your household: a portable generator with an inlet and interlock is an economical way to keep essentials running, while a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch takes over without anyone having to be home.

Next, list what you truly need during an outage. Most households want the refrigerator and freezer, heat (gas furnace blower or a heat pump on a large unit), a well pump if you have one, some lights, internet, and phone charging. Medical equipment moves to the top of the list. That list drives the generator size, the transfer equipment, and which circuits get connected.

Finally, think about placement. Generators need clearance from windows, doors, and vents so exhaust stays out of the house, and portable units should never run in a garage, even with the door open. We will help you pick a practical inlet location near where the generator will sit, and run the wiring so the setup is as simple as possible on a dark, wet night.