Plugging a generator into a dryer outlet with a double-male “backfeed” cord can send power out onto the utility lines, endangering the crews restoring power, and it can damage your generator and wiring when the grid comes back. Code requires transfer equipment that keeps your home disconnected from the grid while the generator runs.

For a portable generator, that usually means an interlock kit on your panel and a weatherproof inlet box outside. For a permanent standby generator, it means a transfer switch sized to the loads you want to keep running. We'll help you choose the setup that fits your home.

Generator Hookups & Transfer Switches

What we install

Panel interlock kits

A listed interlock on your main panel that only lets the generator breaker on when the main breaker is off.

Generator inlet boxes

A weatherproof power inlet outside, so the generator cord plugs in at the wall — no cords through windows or doors.

Transfer switches

Manual and automatic transfer switches that separate your home from the grid while the generator runs.

Standby generator wiring

The electrical side of a permanent standby generator: the transfer switch, circuits and connection to your panel.

Load planning

Deciding what the generator should run — well pump, refrigerator, furnace fan, medical equipment — and sizing the hookup to match.

Existing hookups checked

A look at a generator setup you already have, to make sure it's safe and can't backfeed the grid.

Before you buy a generator

  • List what you need to run during an outage — that decides the generator size, not the other way around.
  • Portable generators belong outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away: carbon monoxide kills.
  • A standby generator also needs a fuel supply — natural gas or propane — connected by a licensed gas installer.
  • For a permanent unit, check placement rules with your HOA and the local permit office.

How it works

From first call to finished job.

  1. 1

    Call or send a request

    Tell us what you have in mind — call (423) 355-8865 or use the estimate form.

  2. 2

    We look at the job

    We ask the right questions, check your panel and wiring, and give you a clear quote before work starts.

  3. 3

    Done right, to code

    Licensed, insured and bonded work, with permits and inspections handled when the job needs them.

FAQ

Generator Hookups & Transfer Switches: common questions

Can't I just plug my generator into a dryer outlet?

Please don't. A backfeed cord can energize the utility lines outside your home, endangering line workers and neighbors, and it bypasses the protection your panel provides. An interlock kit or transfer switch does the same job safely.

Interlock kit or transfer switch — which do I need?

For a portable generator, an interlock kit with an inlet box is usually the simplest option, and it lets you choose which circuits to run. A transfer switch makes sense for a standby generator, or when you want the switchover to happen automatically.

How big a generator do I need?

It depends on what you want running at the same time. We'll go through your must-haves — well pump, refrigerator, furnace or heat pump, medical devices — and help you size the generator and the hookup to match.

Do you install the generator itself?

We handle the electrical connection: the interlock or transfer switch, the inlet and the wiring. A standby generator also needs a pad and a fuel line, and the fuel connection must be made by a licensed gas installer.

Generator Hookups & Transfer Switches across the Chattanooga area

Based in Chattanooga, serving homeowners across Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.

Related services

Panel & Electrical UpgradesEmergency & After-Hours ElectricianElectrical Safety Inspections
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