A successful whole house generator installation, plus critical breaker box upgrades

Ice storms and tornadoes are frequent occurrences in rural southwest Missouri. Today, we have become so dependent on electricity for so much of our lives. That’s why this homeowner called us about installing a whole-house generator. She wanted peace of mind with a dependable power source for her home and farm. During the process, we discovered dangerous existing wiring that needed repair.

Dependable electricity is more important than ever

In the old days, before we had so many electrical gadgets, people only worried about having a backup heat source in the winter. That’s why fireplaces remained popular even after electric furnaces were common. We didn’t depend as much on power in the summer since older homes were designed to cool naturally, with open windows through cross ventilation.

Since most modern buildings are designed to stay cool only with air conditioning, it is critical to maintain power during the hot, sticky summer months – especially for elderly residents.

At Ron’s Electrical LLC, we offer many home generator solutions

We are an approved dealer for both Kohler and Cummins home generators. We keep generators in stock, giving us lots of options to fit nearly any application. They come in two main categories:

1. Small propane and gasoline portable units that connect temporarily to your house’s service panel.
2. Larger propane natural gas units installed on a concrete pad outside and wired permanently into an automatic transfer switch for automatic operation during an outage.

We are actually a full-service dealership, providing warranty work and ongoing maintenance. Our specially trained generator service techs maintain over 100 generators in Southwest Missouri. We can serve clients in Springfield, Republic, Nixa, Ozark, Rogersville, Marshfield, and surrounding communities from our headquarters in Seymour, Missouri.

Every whole house generator project starts with an on-site evaluation

When we arrived at the home and completed the on-site assessment, we discovered several unexpected concerns.

For starters, the utility company delivered power through an overhead service line into an air-conditioned space in the home’s interior, which caused condensation around the breaker panel.

The homeowner previously hired another electrical contractor to replace her breaker panel. That company used good parts, but the workmanship was incompetent. This resulted in hazardous conditions, including:

1. The entire panel was a mess, with very shoddy workmanship.
2. The main overhead service lines that came out of the steel riser pipe were sharply curled to the side and then sharply curled down into the breaker panel. This resulted in a high likelihood of rubbing, shorting out, and possibly causing a fire.
3. The wires on the bottom of the breaker box did not reach entirely into the panel before it was stripped of its outer protective coating.
4. The surge protector hanging loose and unsecured below the panel was not appropriate.

Identifying and fixing existing electrical problems

These problems with the breaker panel represented fundamental problems with the home’s electrical systems. So, we urged the client to address these concerns before installing a whole-house generator. She was very receptive to that idea, so we got to work.

We completely overhauled and upgraded this breaker box by doing the following:

1. We installed a new underground service feed, so the power comes into the house from underground instead of through an overhead line. This removed the potential for condensation within the breaker box.
2. All of the wires in the newly repaired service panel are neat and orderly. This is more cosmetically appealing. It will also be much easier to manage in the future.
3. The wires are also properly insulated and protected.

Choosing the best whole house generator for your home

Once these pre-existing problems were remedied, we could focus on selecting and installing the right generator for the client’s needs. This homeowner wanted a generator to power the entire house – plus a well pump and cattle watering heaters. She realized that if the generator helped heat the home during an ice storm, but the livestock water was frozen, it would make life very difficult.

After considering several options, the customer chose a 20-kilowatt Kohler propane generator with an automatic transfer switch.

She wanted the outdoor generator installed near a large tree prone to dropping heavy limbs. She really liked the tree and did not want to cut it down. We solved that problem by building a metal railing between the tree and the generator pad to break the fall of any rouge branches.

The components of this whole house generator project included:

• A new concrete pad.
• The protective railing.
• The 20-kilowatt Kohler propane generator.
• The transfer switch attached to the outdoor service pole. This automatically turns the generator on during a power outage.
• A whole house surge protector that protects the entire property, even when the generator is turned off (the little blue box at the base of the transfer switch).
• Underground powerlines that connect to the home’s breaker box.
• Propane lines to fuel the generator.
• Three ground rods for extra surge protection.

Helping your whole house generator last for years to come

We have been installing generators since 2008 and have hundreds of them in the field.

One thing we figured out through the “school of hard knocks” is that power surges – from lightning or from the utility company – cause a lot of grief and heartache for the internal control boards in the generators and transfer switches. That’s why we go above and beyond with surge protection and grounding. This not only provides protection for the generators but also for your home or business.

We want to help keep your machine running dependably. That’s why we provide not only sales and installation but also ongoing service and maintenance. As an authorized dealer, we also assist with warranty and recall issues.

Our yearly maintenance program may include battery replacements, software updates, and more. That way, you can trust your generator will work when you need it.