If you have lived through a summer thunderstorm or ice storm in the St. Louis area, you know exactly how quickly the lights are out and for how long they may stay that way. One downed wire and one overburdened network are all it takes to find yourself facing spoiled food or a frigid home or an unsuccessful online session when it counts most. That is why more and more residents of the St. Louis region are turning to installing generators.
But installing a generator isn’t something you just “add on” at the last minute. Your home must be appropriately prepared, both for safety and performance. As accomplished St Louis electricians, the team at Bates Electric regularly witnesses many problems that could have been prevented with some foresight. What follows is a guide through what a homeowner needs to know and carry out in advance of installing a backup generator in a St. Louis home.
Start by Understanding Your Home’s Power Needs
The first thing that must be determined is what actually needs to be powered with this generator. Some homeowners will require the basics: a refrigerator, sump pump, furnace, and a few lights, while other homeowners will need coverage for their entire home, appliances, and home offices
Take time listing those things that you rely on most during an outage. Homes in St. Louis vary widely, from historic brick houses to newer builds, and each one has different electrical demands. A licensed Electrician St Louis MO can help calculate your load so the generator isn’t undersized—or unnecessarily oversized.
Have Your Electrical Panel Evaluated
Your electric panel is an integral part of generator installation. Whether or not your electric panel is outdated or out of code can make it necessary to upgrade it before adding a generator.
Many of the older houses in St. Louis are still using panels that were not meant to handle today’s electrical and even less likely to handle backup power. A qualified St Louis electrical contractor will test the panel for its acceptance of adding an automatic transfer switch and generator to it.
Missing this step could mean a failed inspection, damaged wiring, or a non-functional generator system at the worst possible time.
Selecting the Right Generator for Your Home
Two major alternatives available for homeowners are portable generators and standby generators.
Portable generators are quite cheaper but require manual installation and the use of an extension cord. Standby generators, on the other hand, must be permanently installed and will turn on automatically in the case of a blackout, and they will be directly wired into your electrical system.
In most households that value stable and autonomous electricity supply during a storm, standby generators are the most common option to consider. Still, they need to be installed by professional St Louis electricians for safety during the integration with the home’s wiring system and the local electricity codes.
Make Room for the Generator Installation
Generators also need space—not any space but space with safety in mind. Position generators in locations away from windows, doors, and ventilation to prevent any concerns about carbon monoxide.
Make a walk around your property and identify possible locations prior to installation day. A professional St. Louis electrician will know the best placement for your safety and efficiency, taking into consideration your design and any regulations that may be in place in your area.
This saves space in advance and avoids inconvenience once the installation work has begun.
Plan for a Transfer Switch Installation
A transfer switch is what allows your generator to provide electricity to your home safely by preventing electricity from being fed back into the power grid. It is not an optional component.
Installing a transfer switch requires working directly inside your electrical panel. This is where hiring experienced Electricians St Louis MO becomes essential. Incorrect installation can damage your generator, your home, or create serious safety risks for utility workers.
An experienced St Louis electrical contractor will know how to properly size and install your transfer switch.
Check Local Codes & Permits in St. Louis
Installation of generators in St. Louis may be subject to permits and inspections. Regulations in St. Louis may include noise standards, fuel requirements, electric, and location aspects of generators.
This is another area where homeowners will find that professional help will be beneficial to them because the St Louis electricians that install generators on a regular basis will know the requirements of the area and handle the permitting process like professionals, saving homeowners time and stress.
Attempting to go around permitting can result in fines, failure of inspection, and/or difficulties when selling your dwelling in the future.
Prepare for Fuel Source Connections
Stand-by generators are commonly driven by natural gas and propane. Before installing one, ensure you have a sufficient and readily accessible fuel supply.
If gas is your fuel of choice, the gas line may require analysis or updating. If the fuel source is propane, proper tank siting and scaling must occur. Coordination of electric and fuel personnel is often required, and this is why hiring an experienced St. Louis electrical contractor is imperative.
A proper fuel system will ensure your generator operates properly when power outages are experienced.
Address Landscaping and Drainage Concerns
St. Louis can also be known for its heavy rain fall, and drainage can also become an issue in regard to generator placement. It is never safe to have standing water near electrical equipment. Standing water near electrical equipment is never a good idea.
Installation should be preceded with ensuring that the site has a proper grade so as not to permit any possibility of flooding on the site. Trip shrubs or branches in order not to interfere with air flow and accessibility to the site of installation. All these minor details are important to help you protect your investment in a generator system.
Schedule a Full Electrical Inspection
Before all the connections are made, a pre-installation inspection will ensure that the electrical system is in a safe condition for backup power. This is imperative, particularly in older homes with mixed wiring.
Licensed Electricians St Louis MO can spot hidden issues that might not show up until the generator is running—when it’s too late to fix them easily.
Why Homeowners Choose Bates Electric
Having a backup generator installed goes beyond mere convenience—it’s about ensuring safety and dependability above all else. Bates Electric has the reputation of a reliable professional in the area for providing excellent electrical services to cater to St. Louis residents.
As St Louis electricians, St Louis electrical contractors, their staff understands the area regulations, storm factors, and challenges associated with both old installations in older homes or the challenges in new homes. In regard to upgrading or replacing the panel/transfer switch, Bates Electric ensures all generators are functioning correctly, and all installations are correctly installed the first time.
Final Thoughts
Power outages in St. Louis aren’t a matter of if—they’re a matter of when. Preparing your home for a backup generator installation takes planning, but it’s worth it when the lights stay on while the neighborhood goes dark.
Through the evaluation process of your electrical panel, the procurement of the appropriate generator, preparation for the power outage, as well as consulting experts, you will make sure it serves you well during the time you require it the most.
Next time the next storm hits the area, you’ll be happy you planned ahead and even more so that you let the experts who know the St. Louis home better handle the work.