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Avatar for WireOne, LLC
WireOne, LLC
4.0(
325
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2010

Emergency services offered

Warranties offered

"Our tech was prompt, professional and friendly. We were given options with no pressure. We had new lights installed the same day. Love the LED instead of the buzzing and poor light we had with fluorescent"
Lighting
Lighting
Custom Lighting
Recessed Lighting
Lighting

+13

Response time11 hrs
195 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by82%of homeowners
Avatar for Jensen Electric LLC
Jensen Electric LLC
5.0(
6
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2023

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

The Jensen family’s history in electrical work spans three generations. It began with Kyle’s grandfather, who spent 47 years as a maintenance electrician with Mountain Bell. That dedication to craftsmanship continued with Kyle’s father, a well-respected electrical contractor in Southern Utah. Following in their footsteps, Kyle entered the trade early—starting as an apprentice at 16, earning his Journeyman license in 2002, and achieving his Master Electrician license in 2006. With that deeply rooted family foundation, he brings decades of hands-on knowledge to every project.\n\n

Gallery
Gallery
20 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Bedwell Builders
Bedwell Builders
5.0(
17
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 1993

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Very prompt to respond, show up, submit quote and finish job. They also installed a new water heater. Very friendly and professional. Saved us money by using existing switches! Wonderful to work with and would definitely hire again and tell neighbors and friends to."
Response time1 day
Response rate92%
10 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Bedwell Builders
Bedwell Builders
5.0(
20
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 1993

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Very prompt to respond, show up, submit quote and finish job. They also installed a new water heater. Very friendly and professional. Saved us money by using existing switches! Wonderful to work with and would definitely hire again and tell neighbors and friends to."
Response time1 day
Recommended by45%of homeowners
Avatar for Busy Bee Electrical Services
Busy Bee Electrical Services
5.0(
26
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2024

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"David responded immediately to my request for electrical installation with a call to me to schedule a time to come to my house to see what electrical work I needed done and give me a quote. He was out to my house the next morning at 8:00am!!! I got other quotes from 4 other electrical companies and Busy Bee had the most competitive quote so I asked if he could come that Friday and he said yes and was there by 9:30am and did an excellent job…exactly what I’d asked for, done so well it even looks better than I’d hoped it would. He is licensed, insured, professional, yet personable and friendly. I also found him to be prompt and efficient, honest and trustworthy. I’ve referred him to a realtor that manages several properties for her to begin using Busy Bee to do all of the electrical work that needs to be done to the properties she manages. You can’t go wrong in hiring Busy Bee!"
Adding a sub panel
Adding a sub panel
Adding a sub panel
Power at the pole
Power at the pole

+5

60 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Jenson Electric, LLC.
Jenson Electric, LLC.
4.4(
7
)

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

Jenson Electric is a full-service electrical contractor providing versatile solutions across residential, commercial, industrial, and telecommunications sectors. Based in Johnston, IA, we design, install, and maintain electrical systems that power people, facilities, and networks?safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption. Our team combines ~licensed electricians, project managers, and field engineers~ to deliver projects on time, on budget, and in full compliance with applicable codes. We prioritize safety, quality, and minimal disruption to occupants and operations.\n

Response time2 days
Showing 1-10 of 16
Generator Install questions, answered by experts

To reduce AC startup power for a whole-house generator, install a soft start kit or hard start capacitor, which lowers the initial surge by gradually ramping up the compressor. Using a smart load manager can also help by staggering startup loads, preventing a system overload and future costly repairs.

An undersized whole-house generator has the potential to overheat and shut down when you try to run a central AC system. This scenario can not only damage the whole-house generator, but can also trip your home’s breakers or cause electrical damage. To avoid this situation, hire a local generator installer to correctly size your whole-house generator.

While the rating will tell you how many watts the refrigerator needs at the peak of its cycle, it requires additional wattage to start. At the bare minimum, you’ll need a 1,500-watt generator to get the fridge up and running after a blackout. A 2,000-watt generator should be sufficient for most home refrigerators.

If you have a transfer switch properly installed, the generator and main electrical power cannot feed the system at the same time. However, you should still shut off the power at your main circuit breaker panel before activating the generator. If you do that, you’ll simply need to shut off the generator and reset your circuit breaker once the local power comes back on.

The amount of time a standby generator can run continuously is around 3,000 hours on average. However, standby generators can generally run indefinitely as long as they have a continuous fuel supply. Generators hooked up to a home’s natural gas supply are the best option for extended usage, as these won’t rely on a finite fuel supply based on how much you have in storage. Generators running on liquid propane or diesel won’t last as long, as these require fuel storage and regular refueling to stay running.

The Ames, IA homeowners’ guide to generator installs

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.