Generator Installation in Seattle
Whole-home standby generators and portable hookups — never be without power during a Seattle outage.
Power When You Need It. Every Time.
Seattle's weather — Puget Sound windstorms, ice events, and atmospheric rivers — regularly causes power outages affecting thousands of homes across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties. A properly installed generator with a transfer switch keeps your home or business powered through extended outages. LLUMINET installs standby and portable generator hookups with code-compliant automatic and manual transfer switches throughout Greater Seattle. All installations are permitted (electrical permit + gas permit for standby units) and coordinated through city inspection. Natural gas standby generators are preferred for Seattle: they connect to the existing utility line and are unaffected by the fuel delivery delays that affect propane during regional outages.
FAQ
Answers To The Frequently Asked Questions.
Yes — generator installations require both an electrical permit and (for gas-connected standby units) a gas permit. We handle both.
Natural gas is preferred for standby generators in Seattle — it connects to the existing utility line (no tank to fill) and is unaffected by the demand surges that can delay propane deliveries during extended regional outages.
Natural gas standby generators can run indefinitely as long as gas service is available. Propane depends on tank capacity.
Annual professional servicing is recommended — oil change, filter replacement, load testing, and battery check for electric start units.
Sizing the generator to what you want powered, the transfer switch (automatic or manual), the electrical connection to your panel, and the permits: electrical for every install, plus gas for standby units. We coordinate the inspections and, for standby units, the gas connection, then show you how the switchover works.
We start with what you need to keep running in an outage — the whole house, or essentials like the furnace, fridge and network gear — and look at your panel and where the generator could sit. That decides between a portable hookup with a manual transfer switch and a standby unit with an automatic one. After the written estimate, we pull the permits, install, and schedule the inspections.
Generator size, standby versus a portable hookup, automatic versus manual transfer switch, the distance from the panel and the gas line to the generator location, and whether the panel needs changes to accommodate it. Powering a few essential circuits is a much smaller project than backing up the whole house.
Yes, safely, through a manual transfer switch and a proper inlet on the outside of the house. Never backfeed through a dryer or other outlet: it can energize the utility lines and injure line workers, and it bypasses the protection a transfer switch provides.
Outside, on a level spot with the required clearances from windows, doors and vents so exhaust stays out of the house, and as close to the gas meter and panel as practical. The manufacturer's clearance specs and local rules decide the exact spot, and we check them during the site visit.
Ready to Get Started with Generator Installation?
Contact us today for a free estimate on your project.