Farm work
Standby and PTO generator hookups
When the power is out, the barn still has to be milked, fed and ventilated. A transfer switch or an inlet is how a generator gets connected without sending power back onto the utility's lines.
We install transfer switches and generator inlets for tractor PTO and engine-driven generators at barns, shops and farmhouses, and we size the load: milking, cooling, fans, water and the house. We connect the generator you own or help you size a new one.
What we do
A transfer switch or inlet at each building that needs one
A written list of what each generator can run
A labeled outlet, and a short walk-through on starting it
When to call
Signs you need a hookup
Ice storms and summer storms can take the power out for a day or more.
You own a PTO generator and no safe way to connect it
A cord into a dryer outlet isn't a hookup. A transfer switch or inlet is.
Milking waits on the power
The milking system, the bulk tank and the vacuum pump decide how big the generator has to be.
The well pump or water heater stops in an outage
Water for the animals shouldn't depend on an extension cord.
You can't say what the generator can run
We add up the loads and give you the list in writing.
The generator sits in a shed or by a door
A generator belongs outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents.
You're replacing the generator
A new generator is a good time to check the inlet, the switch and the cable.
The visit
What a hookup includes
We do the sizing before anything is bought.
- 01
Step 1: Add up the loads
We list what has to run during an outage and what can wait.
- 02
Step 2: Pick the switch
A manual transfer switch, an inlet or an automatic switch, with what each costs and what it takes to run.
- 03
Step 3: Write the estimate
It lists the switch, the inlet, the wire and the outage window to install them.
- 04
Step 4: Install and label
We set the switch and inlet, label each circuit it carries and test it with a load.
- 05
Step 5: Show you how to use it
We walk through starting the generator, switching over and switching back.
Pricing
What changes the price of a hookup
Three things move it most.
The generator size and fuel
A tractor PTO unit and a standby unit on propane are different installs.
The kind of transfer switch
Manual switches cost less than automatic ones, and the right one depends on how fast the load has to come back.
The distance from the generator to the panel
A short run is a day's work. A long run is a trench.
Questions about generators
Can I plug a generator into my dryer outlet?
No. That can send power back onto the utility's lines and hurt a lineworker, and it can overload the wiring. A transfer switch or inlet is how it is done.
What size generator do I need?
We add up what has to run at the same time: the milking system, the bulk tank, fans, water and the house. That number sets the generator and the switch.
Where does the generator go?
Outdoors, on level ground, away from doors, windows and vents. We pick the spot with you before we run wire.
Book a generator walk-through
Tell us what the generator is and what has to run.