Whole home standby generator installation in Vernon

A standby generator is a permanently installed unit, usually outside the house, that runs on natural gas or propane. It is connected to your electrical system through an automatic transfer switch.

When the utility power fails, the transfer switch senses the outage, disconnects your home from the grid and starts the generator. Within moments, power is restored to the circuits the generator serves. When grid power comes back, the switch transfers your home back and the generator shuts down after a short cool down. You do not have to do anything.

That automatic operation is a big difference from a portable generator, which needs to be wheeled out, fuelled and connected by hand, often in bad weather.

Outages happen here for many reasons: winter storms, heavy snow on lines, high winds, wildfire season and equipment failures. Homes on acreages and at the ends of long lines can sometimes wait longer for power to be restored.

For many families, the motivation is simple comfort and protection.

• Keep the furnace or heat pump running in cold weather.
• Keep the well pump and water system working on rural properties.
• Protect food in fridges and freezers.
• Keep sump pumps running to prevent basement flooding.
• Stay connected for work from home, phones and internet.
• Support medical equipment or family members who need reliable power.
• Protect pipes in vacant or seasonal properties such as homes at Silver Star.

There are two common approaches. A whole home system uses a generator large enough to run most or all of your home, connected through a service rated transfer switch. It is the most seamless option, and with load management modules the generator can shed large loads like a hot tub or EV charger when needed.

An essential loads system uses a smaller generator that powers a separate panel containing only the circuits you choose, such as the furnace, well pump, fridge, some lights and outlets. It costs less and is a great fit for many homes.

We walk through both with you, look at what really matters during an outage and recommend the setup that fits your home and budget.

An undersized generator struggles and trips. An oversized one costs more than it needs to. We do a load assessment that looks at your heating, well pump, appliances, motors and how they start up, since motors draw a surge of current when they start.

We also consider your electrical service size, your fuel supply and your plans for the future. If you are adding a heat pump or EV charger, we factor that in so the generator stays useful for years.

Generators need to be placed outdoors at safe distances from windows, doors, vents and property lines, following manufacturer requirements and local rules. They also need a solid base, good airflow and room for servicing.

Fuel is the other key piece. Natural gas is convenient where it is available, and propane is common on rural properties. The gas connection must be done by a qualified gas fitter, and we coordinate with them or with FortisBC so the electrical and gas work fit together.

A transfer switch is what makes a generator safe. It prevents your generator from back feeding power onto utility lines, which could seriously injure line workers, and it keeps the generator from fighting with grid power when the utility returns.

We install automatic transfer switches sized to your service, or manual transfer switches for simpler setups and portable generators. Connecting a generator by back feeding through a dryer outlet or similar shortcut is dangerous and illegal, and we will never do it.

Generator and transfer switch installations need an electrical permit and Technical Safety BC inspection, and the gas connection has its own permit. We are a TSBC registered contractor led by a Red Seal Field Safety Representative, and we handle the electrical permit and inspection for our work.

We make sure grounding, bonding, conductors, overcurrent protection and labelling all meet the Canadian Electrical Code as adopted in BC.

After installation, we test the system under real conditions, simulating an outage to make sure the transfer switch and generator respond the way they should. We show you how the system works, how to read its status and what the exercise cycle sounds like.

Standby generators run a short self test on a regular schedule and need periodic maintenance like oil changes and inspections. We explain what the manufacturer recommends so your generator is ready when it counts.

If a standby generator is more than you need, a portable generator inlet with a manual transfer switch or interlock is a safe, affordable alternative. You plug your portable generator into an outdoor inlet, flip the switch and run the circuits you choose.

It takes a few minutes of hands on effort during an outage, but it is far safer than extension cords running through windows.

We install generators throughout Vernon and the surrounding communities. Rural homes in the BX, Lavington, Lumby, Swan Lake and the Commonage often rely on well pumps and benefit greatly from backup power. Silver Star homes face heavy snow and cold, and generators help protect them even when they sit empty between visits.

Farm properties in Armstrong and Spallumcheen value reliable power for animals, water and refrigeration. In Coldstream, Lake Country, Oyama, Winfield, Okanagan Centre, Carr's Landing and Predator Ridge, homeowners choose generators for comfort, home offices and peace of mind during storm and wildfire season.

We are locally owned and operated, with decades of experience, Red Seal FSR qualifications and TSBC registered contractor status. We are friendly, we explain your options in plain language and we provide competitive and fair pricing.

Call 250-900-3127 or send a request below to talk about backup power for your home.

A standby generator installation usually happens over a few days, depending on the site and the gas work involved. The generator pad is prepared and the unit is set in place. We then install the transfer switch, run the conductors between the generator, the switch and your panel, and connect control wiring.

Your power is off for part of the installation while we connect the transfer switch to your service. We plan that shutdown with you ahead of time so you are not caught off guard. Once the gas connection is complete and inspections are done, we commission the system, run a simulated outage test and walk you through everything.

We keep the work area tidy, protect your landscaping as much as possible and leave you with clear instructions for how the system operates.

A generator works best when the electrical service it connects to is in good shape. If your panel is old, full or undersized, we may recommend a panel upgrade at the same time. Combining the work often saves money compared with doing it separately later.

We also look at your large loads. Heat pumps, electric furnaces, EV chargers and hot tubs can be managed with load shedding controls so a reasonably sized generator can still serve the whole home. The generator automatically turns off lower priority loads when it is near its limit, then restores them when capacity frees up. That keeps your system stable and avoids paying for a much larger generator than you really need.

If you are planning other upgrades in the next few years, tell us. We can design the generator and transfer switch so they are ready for what comes next.

There are several reputable standby generator brands on the market, each with different sizes, features and warranty structures from the manufacturer. We help you compare them based on what matters for your home: output, fuel type, noise level, physical size and service support in the Okanagan.

We are happy to install the unit you have chosen, or recommend one that fits your needs. Either way, we make sure the model and transfer switch are a good match for your electrical service.