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Avatar for Tanner Electric, Inc.
Tanner Electric, Inc.
5.0(
49
)

Serving Onaway, MI and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2013

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"They came out when they said they would and looked at the project gave me a complete proposal and did the project when they said they would all was good."
Response time1 day
1 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Blue Waters Electric, LLC
Blue Waters Electric, LLC
4.2(
5
)

Serving Onaway, MI and surrounding areas

In business since 2023

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"Affordable, professional, and on time. I contacted this company and the next week they fit my project in. Everything was exactly the way I wanted it and the price was less than I expected. Iâ ll gladly recommend Blue Waters Electric, LLC"
Response time2 hrs
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Dark30 Services
Dark30 Services
New to Angi

Serving Onaway, MI and surrounding areas

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

Warranties offered

We specialize in electrical but over the years as time went onward we have also gained other skills as well. Today, we not only offer services in electrical, but also in: plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, handyman. We have been in the skilled trades for 29 years. If anything, we are a company that believes in honesty to do the job sought after, gaining respectful trust and showing true professionalism while we do our work.

Generator Install questions, answered by experts

In most municipalities, you will need a permit to install a permanent home generator, including emergency backup, partial-home, and whole-home generators. A permit for a generator usually costs between $50 and $250, depending on where you live. Your electrician or certified generator installer will usually pull the permit for you—and might be required to do so by your building department—but you’ll be on the hook for the cost of the permit. You should ask your installer before agreeing to any work if they will pull the necessary permits for your project.

Whole-house generators need to be installed on level ground several feet away from walls and other objects. Because they tap into the electrical system directly, they usually need to be close to your home electrical panel for a transfer switch installation. It also helps with installation if they are near to a gas line or propane tank installation.

Sizing a generator is a careful process that requires calculating the electrical load of your entire house. You have to take into account every device you want to use and their wattage requirements, plus the wattage needed to start them, and look for a generator that can safely run all that at around 80% capacity.

In more practical terms, a small home can run on a 10,000-watt generator (and if you only want to power a few key appliances, much less than that). A mid-sized home may need something between 15,000 and 22,000 watts. Larger homes require 25,000 watts or more. 

Here’s what you can run with different wattages and types of generators:

Portable generator:

  • 2,000 watts can handle a large appliance like a freezer or refrigerator, plus a few smaller items like phones or computer chargers. 

  • 4,000 watts will keep two large appliances operating and a few smaller devices.

  • 8,000 watts should power most essential appliances and other devices, including a sump pump, well pump, or your dishwasher.

Partial to whole-house generator:

  • 20,000 watts and above will make it seem like your home’s power is still on.

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 Onaway, MI homeowners’ guide to generator installs

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