A portable generator plugged into a dryer outlet back-feeds the grid, can kill the lineman restoring your street, and is destroyed the moment utility power returns. An inlet box with an interlock kit or a manual transfer switch lets you run the circuits you choose from the generator in your driveway, safely, in a few minutes, for a fraction of what a standby costs. Licensed, permitted and inspected in Mobile and Baldwin County.
Call (251) 680-7500 Request Storm ServiceEvery hurricane season someone in Mobile makes a cord with a male plug on both ends, runs it from the generator to the dryer receptacle and powers the house. It works, which is the problem. With the main breaker on, the generator pushes power back out through the meter and the transformer onto the street, where a lineman who believes the line is dead is working on it. With the main off, it still runs the whole panel through a 30-amp receptacle and a cord that were never meant to carry it. And when the grid comes back, the generator meets 240 volts head-on and is scrap.
The code, the utility and your insurer all say the same thing: a generator connects to a house only through a transfer switch or an interlocked inlet that makes it impossible for the generator and the utility to feed the panel at the same time. That is what we install, and it is a one-visit job.
If you see downed lines, smell burning or hear buzzing, stay away, keep people and pets clear, and call 911 or the power company first. Then call us.
Call (251) 680-7500
The lowest-cost route. A weatherproof inlet on the outside wall, a dedicated generator breaker in your existing panel, and a mechanical interlock plate that will not let the generator breaker close unless the main is open. You choose which breakers to run by hand. Best when the panel has room and you are comfortable managing loads.
A small pre-wired switch beside the panel with six to ten of your most important circuits moved into it: refrigerator, freezer, well pump, a few lights, the internet, a window unit. Flip the switches, start the generator, done. The simplest thing to operate at 2 a.m. in the rain.
For larger portables and inverter generators, or when the main panel is full: critical loads are grouped in a dedicated subpanel fed by an interlocked inlet. The cleanest upgrade path to a standby later, because the loads are already sorted.
Most portables up to about 7,500 running watts use a 30-amp four-wire inlet; the big 9,000 to 12,000-watt units use 50 amps. We match the inlet, the breaker and the cord to the generator you own or plan to buy.
At least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, exhaust pointed away from the house, never in a garage or carport. We locate the inlet so the cord reaches that spot and the generator stays dry and out of the surge zone.
Many customers start here and move to an automatic standby after a long outage. We size and wire the interlock or subpanel so the automatic transfer switch can take its place later without redoing the work.
The make and running watts, or let us recommend one for the loads you care about. That decides the inlet size and the circuits.
Panel space, inlet location, cord length, where the generator will sit. You get a written price for the option that fits, not a menu of upsells.
Inlet, breaker, interlock or transfer switch, labeling on the panel, and a weatherproof cord connection. Most installs are finished in half a day.
Mobile, Mobile County and the Baldwin County jurisdictions require a permit for generator connections. We pull it and meet the inspector.
We start the generator with you, run through the switching sequence, and leave the steps written on the panel door so anyone in the house can do it.
An inlet with an interlock or transfer switch is a half-day install, permitted and inspected, with the switching steps written on your panel door.
A typical 7,500-watt portable through a 30-amp inlet comfortably runs the refrigerator and a chest freezer, a well pump, lights, the internet and TV, a microwave or a coffee maker in turns, ceiling fans, and a window unit or a small ductless mini-split in one room. It will not run central air conditioning; a 3-ton condenser needs more than the inlet can carry at startup, and the rest of the house loses out while it tries.
The 50-amp class changes the math: a 10,000 to 12,000-watt generator with a 50-amp inlet, a soft-start kit on the condenser and careful load management can run a smaller central system in addition to the basics. We tell you honestly what your generator can and cannot carry before we install anything, and we label the panel so you are not guessing in the dark.
The price depends on the inlet size, the distance from the panel to the outside wall, and whether an interlock, a transfer switch or a subpanel fits your panel. It is written before the work starts, includes the permit and the inspection, and carries our one-year workmanship guarantee. There is no storm surcharge, and we stock inlets, interlocks and transfer switches through the season so the week after an outage is not a six-week wait.
If you find yourself filling gas cans at 3 a.m. for the third night, an automatic standby generator starts itself, runs the air conditioning, and refuels from the gas line. As a certified Generac® dealer we size, permit and install them, financing is available, and the interlock or subpanel we put in today is the first step of that install, not wasted money.
"A storm came through and messed up the electric in our house. We got a quote quickly and they got us up and running fast! The guys did a great job and even helped us save money."
— Devan H., Google review"Came home late afternoon to find my power off. I called after hours and Robby was over in 15 min. It was a bad circuit breaker. From the time I saw I had no power til the time I had power back on was around 30 min. Amazing. Super nice guys as well."
— Gary S., Google review"They diagnosed a power issue that other companies weren't able to. The technician was extremely knowledgeable and professional, and explained everything very well. Also, I called them at 8 at night and got a human being on the phone!"
— Laura B., Google reviewNo. It back-feeds the utility line and can electrocute the crew restoring your street, it runs the whole panel through a receptacle never meant for it, and it destroys the generator when grid power returns. It is also against code and voids most insurance. An inlet with an interlock or transfer switch is the safe way, and it is not expensive.
An interlock is cheaper and gives you every breaker in the panel to choose from, but you manage the loads yourself. A manual transfer switch moves your most important circuits into a small pre-wired switch and is the simplest to operate. We recommend based on your panel, your generator and who in the house will be running it.
Yes, in the City of Mobile, Mobile County and the Baldwin County jurisdictions. We pull the permit and meet the inspector; it is included in the price.
It matches the generator's outlet: most portables up to about 7,500 running watts use a 30-amp four-wire outlet, and the larger units use 50 amps. Tell us the model and we match the inlet, breaker and cord.
A 30-amp setup cannot. A 50-amp setup with a 10,000-watt or larger generator and a soft-start kit on the condenser can run a smaller central system with careful load management. For whole-house cooling through a long outage, a standby generator is the honest answer.
At least 20 feet from any door, window or vent, with the exhaust pointed away, and never inside a garage or carport even with the door open. Carbon monoxide from generators kills people after every hurricane. We place the inlet so the cord reaches a safe spot.
Something we didn't cover? See our full FAQ page or call (251) 680-7500.
Everything we repair after a storm, electrical and HVAC.
Storm damage hubStandby generators sized, permitted and installed by a certified Generac® dealer.
Standby generatorsAutomatic backup power for the whole house, including the air conditioning.
Whole-house generatorsWhat a standby costs in Mobile County and how financing works.
Cost & financingInlet boxes, interlock kits and manual transfer switches installed, permitted and inspected by licensed Mobile electricians, with a walkthrough so anyone in the house can switch over.
Call (251) 680-7500 Request Storm Service