Between Puget Sound windstorms, Eastern Washington ice and public safety power shutoffs during wildfire season, most Washington households lose power at least once a year. The question is not whether to prepare but how.
Portable generator with a transfer switch
The budget option. A portable unit plugs into an exterior inlet, and a manual transfer switch or interlock lets you power selected circuits through your panel safely. You have to start it, fuel it and store it, but it costs a fraction of a standby system. Never backfeed a generator through a dryer outlet; it can kill a utility worker and is illegal.
Whole house standby generator
A permanently installed unit on natural gas or propane with an automatic transfer switch. It starts itself within seconds of an outage and runs for days. Ideal for homes with well pumps, medical equipment, home offices or anyone who does not want to go outside in a storm. Our generator installation service covers sizing, the pad, the transfer switch and permits.
Battery backup
Silent, no fuel, pairs well with solar, and increasingly cost-competitive for covering essential circuits for a day or two. For multi-day outages a generator still wins, and the two can be combined.
Sizing basics
Add up the running watts of the loads you want covered and account for motor starting surges on well pumps, furnaces and refrigerators. Most homes are well served by 14 to 26 kW standby units. We run this calculation on every install.
Book before storm season. See generator installation in Olympia, Spokane or your city.