HomeUpgrades & InstallsPortable Generator Inlet, Interlock & Transfer Switch
Portable Generator Hookups in Brooksville, FL
Generator Inlets, Panel Interlocks, and Manual Transfer Switches|For Portable Generators|Licensed & Insured, EC13011268
Tell us the generator's make and model, or send a photo of its outlet panel.
- Inlet box outside: One cord from the generator to the house.
- Interlock or transfer switch: Your choice, matched to your panel and the circuits you need.
- Circuits you choose: The ones you need most during an outage.
- You'll know how to use it: We walk you through the switch-over.
- Licensed & Insured: Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13011268.
Running a portable generator on extension cords through a window means choosing which appliance gets the one cord. A proper hookup ends that.
The connection is an outdoor inlet for the generator's cord and either an interlock on your panel or a manual transfer switch, so the generator safely feeds the circuits you choose through the panel.
Call (352) 251-2795, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or send a request online. Calls after hours are returned the next business day.
Interlock or Transfer Switch
How a Portable Generator Connects to Your House
Every safe portable-generator hookup has two parts: a way in for the generator's power, and a way to keep the generator and the utility from being connected to the house at once.
Where the generator plugs in
A weatherproof inlet box is mounted on an outside wall, sized to the generator's largest outlet, typically 30 or 50 amps. One heavy cord runs from the generator to the inlet.
- Wired to the panel or to the transfer switch.
- Mounted where the cord can reach a safe spot for the generator.
An interlock on your panel
An interlock is a mechanical plate on the panel that prevents the generator breaker and the main breaker from being on at the same time. You choose which breakers to run from the panel itself, and you can change your mind during the outage.
- Works with most modern panels that have an interlock kit made for them.
- Lets you use any circuit in the panel, within what the generator can carry.
- Requires turning off circuits you don't need so the generator isn't overloaded.
A manual transfer switch beside it
A manual transfer switch is a separate panel next to your main one, wired to a set of chosen circuits. Each circuit has its own switch between utility and generator.
- Good when the main panel can't take an interlock.
- The circuits are chosen ahead of time, which keeps the switch-over simple.
- Adding a circuit later means rewiring the switch.
Choosing what fits
Power demand decides what you run and the inlet size: how much you want to run and what your generator can produce. Your panel, and how you want to switch over, decide between an interlock and a transfer switch. We look at the generator's rating and the circuits you care about most, such as the refrigerator, lights, fans, and outlets, and recommend the setup that fits.
How a Hookup Is Installed
How a Generator Hookup Is Installed
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1. The estimator visit
We look at your generator, your panel, and where the generator can safely sit, and talk through what you want to run.
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2. Your estimate, with the option that fits
It names the interlock or manual transfer switch and the inlet size for your generator.
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3. Installation
The inlet goes on the outside wall, the interlock or transfer switch goes in, and the two are wired together, with the generator breaker sized to the inlet.
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4. A test run
Once your generator is on-site and ready, we run it through the connection to prove it works.
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5. The walk-through
We show you the switch-over, step by step, so you can do it in the dark during a storm.
What's included
What a Generator Hookup Includes
We connect portable generators through an interlock or a manual transfer switch.
| What's installed | Included | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor generator inlet box | Yes | 30 or 50 amps |
| Panel interlock kit | If chosen | Made for your panel |
| Manual transfer switch | If chosen | Wired to the circuits you pick |
| Generator breaker and wiring | Yes | Sized to the inlet |
| Walk-through of the switch-over | Yes | Step by step |
| Generator repair or maintenance | No | Not offered |
We don't install standby generators or the automatic transfer switches that go with them, and we don't do generator maintenance.
How Hookups Are Priced
How Generator Hookups Are Priced
We don't do upfront pricing. No job has a standard price with us: each one is tailored to the property and the work you've asked for, and priced once we've seen it.
We offer free estimates on installs, upgrades, and replacements in our service area. Estimates aren't free when the job needs troubleshooting or testing to price, falls after hours or outside our service area, needs several meetings to gather information, or is new construction or a custom remodel with multi-party walk-throughs. For most jobs, estimates arrive by email by the end of the next business day, and quotes are good for 30 days.
Custom homes and large or multi-phase projects are estimated as soon as we can, or on the timeline your project sets.
What changes a hookup quote
03- Interlock or manual transfer switch.
- The inlet size, 30 or 50 amps, to match your generator.
- The distance from where the generator sits to the panel.
Our warranty
04If something we installed fails because of our workmanship within 30 days of completion, we waive the hourly labor to put it right. Materials Kennedy Electric purchases for your job carry the manufacturer's one-year warranty. To replace defective materials we supplied, or materials damaged by storm, flood, fire, or other acts of God, we charge a reduced warranty labor rate of $50 an hour residential and $75 an hour commercial. The warranty does not cover materials not purchased by Kennedy Electric, work performed by the customer, or materials the customer purchased or damaged. Our warranty terms are printed on the estimate, the invoice, and the receipt, and the product boxes stay with you so you can register each product with its manufacturer.
Real Customer Stories
Generator Hookups: Three Customer Stories
An interlock for a new generator
“Scheduled an interlock kit installation for new generator. Randy was awesome. He arrived on time, was professional, courteous, knowledgeable, neat in clean-up and finished the job in time scheduled. A job well done.”
Fred Brenton, Google review
A transfer switch, explained
“Technician was on time, informative and worked cleanly. We had a transfer switch and 30 amp outlet installed. Technician went over operating procedure very clearly.”
Steve DeSimone, Google review
Shown exactly how to switch over
“The technician was right on time and had the job done very quickly. Was very courteous and showed me exactly what I needed to do with switching over to generator.”
Tom Reeves, Google review
Straight from Google, in our customers' own words.
Can I plug my generator into a dryer outlet?
What size generator do I need?
Can I add circuits later?
Will this work with the generator I already have?
Where should the generator sit when it's running?
When is the best time to get this done?
Contact us
Request a Generator Hookup Estimate
Tell us the generator's make and model and what you'd like to run during an outage. A photo of the panel helps. We'll get back to you during business hours.