The owner’s library · 45 practical guides
Good questions.
Clear answers.
Understand your options. Know what to ask. Take better care of the power your property depends on.
For homeowners and businesses in Greenwich and nearby communities. General planning guidance; model-specific advice and technical review must be confirmed before relying on it for work.
Choosing backup power
Make a confident decision before you buy.
Whole-home or essential-circuit backup: which do you need?
Compare whole-home and essential-circuit generator plans, including comfort, starting loads and the limits to ask about before buying.
Standby vs. portable generators: compare the work of ownership
Understand the practical differences between standby and portable backup, from outage setup to household responsibilities and safe placement.
Generator or home battery: how to compare backup options
Compare generator and battery backup by outage length, power demand, replenishment and installation constraints—not a single headline number.
How to compare generator installation quotes fairly
Use a practical scope checklist to compare generator proposals, exclusions, permits, startup, warranty support and maintenance without guessing prices.
What to prepare for a generator site assessment
Prepare your priorities, property questions and existing equipment information so a generator site visit leads to a clearer, more complete proposal.
Sizing & household loads
Understand what your property needs to keep running.
Can a standby generator run your air conditioning?
Learn why air-conditioning startup matters when sizing a generator and what information helps an installer assess multiple cooling zones.
Planning generator backup for well and sump pumps
Prioritize well, sump and other essential pumps in a generator assessment, including starting demand, circuit coverage and separate failure risks.
What does generator load management actually do?
Understand generator load management, priority loads and why a whole-home connection may not mean every appliance can run at the same time.
Should your generator back up an EV charger?
Decide whether vehicle charging belongs in your outage plan and what to discuss before adding an EV charger to generator-backed circuits.
Will your existing generator still fit after a remodel?
Know when additions, heat pumps, new appliances or electrical work should trigger a review of your existing generator and backup priorities.
Planning an installation
Get the site, fuel supply and handoff right.
Where should a standby generator go on your property?
Balance safe clearances, windows, fuel routing, service access and appearance when discussing a standby generator location with your installer.
Will your gas service support a new standby generator?
Understand why existing natural-gas service needs a professional capacity review before a generator is selected or an installation date is promised.
How long will a propane standby generator run?
Learn what belongs in a propane runtime estimate: usable fuel, actual demand, manufacturer consumption data and a realistic replenishment plan.
What does an automatic transfer switch do?
Understand the role of a generator transfer switch, why it is part of the system design and which operating expectations to clarify at handoff.
What should you receive when a generator installation is finished?
Use this generator installation handoff checklist for equipment records, backup coverage, owner orientation, approvals and the first maintenance plan.
Maintenance & records
Know what to ask for and what to keep on file.
How often should a standby generator be serviced?
Understand calendar-based and running-hour maintenance, why annual agreements need a model-specific schedule and when extra service may be due.
What does a generator exercise cycle tell you?
Learn the difference between a routine exercise and a broader backup-system test, plus what to record when the expected exercise changes.
Does a generator need service after a long outage?
Know what to report after extended generator use and how running hours, unresolved alerts and model-specific maintenance affect the next service step.
What should be in your generator service records?
Create a practical generator record that supports future service, warranty questions, property handoffs and decisions about repair or replacement.
What to look for in a generator maintenance agreement
Compare generator maintenance agreements by included work, extra runtime service, repair exclusions, renewal terms and realistic storm-response expectations.
When something changes
Recognize a problem and prepare for professional help.
Your standby generator did not start: what to report safely
Prepare a useful no-start service request without opening equipment, attempting repeated resets or overlooking an immediate safety concern.
The generator is running but the house has no power
Understand why engine operation and supplying the home are different observations, and what to report without touching electrical equipment.
A generator warning light or alert appeared: what next?
Learn what details to preserve when a generator displays a warning, why colors differ by model and when to seek immediate help instead of routine service.
Did your generator miss its scheduled exercise?
Check what you actually know about a missed generator exercise and prepare the schedule, event history and recent changes for professional review.
Your generator sounds different: what is useful to report?
Describe new generator noise or vibration safely, distinguish changed operation from normal familiarity and avoid hazardous inspection or improvised soundproofing.
Generac & Kohler ownership
Compare equipment and make ownership simpler.
Generac vs. Kohler: how to compare the right systems
Compare Generac and Kohler standby proposals by actual model, supported loads, installation, service and warranty terms rather than brand slogans.
What to have ready when requesting Generac service
Prepare Generac model information, controller messages, service history and Mobile Link observations for a focused maintenance or repair request.
What to have ready when requesting Kohler generator service
Prepare Kohler generator and transfer-equipment records, maintenance history and monitoring observations before scheduling local service.
Generator warranty questions to ask before you buy—or book service
Know which warranty documents and questions matter for a generator, including equipment eligibility, covered costs, service history and ownership changes.
Who should receive and act on generator monitoring alerts?
Create an alert-response plan for Generac or Kohler monitoring, with account ownership, backup contacts and clear limits on automatic service expectations.
Your home & property
Plan for a sale, a renovation or time away.
Buying a home with a generator: what should you check?
Ask for generator records, supported-load details, a system assessment and a clear ownership handoff before relying on an inherited backup system.
Selling a home with a generator: prepare a clear handoff
Organize generator documents for a home sale, explain actual backup coverage and avoid unsupported claims about condition, warranty or whole-home power.
Repair or replace your generator: a practical decision framework
Compare a generator repair with replacement using documented condition, current backup needs, parts, scope and future maintenance—not age alone.
How to organize service for multiple generators or properties
Create a clear equipment register, service calendar and authorization process when you manage several generators, homes or commercial locations.
Generator care when you are traveling or away from home
Prepare service contacts, alert responsibilities, safe access and a household contingency plan before leaving a generator-equipped property unattended.
Local project planning
Prepare for the questions specific to our area.
Planning a generator installation or replacement in Greenwich
Find Greenwich’s official generator permit starting point and prepare the property, fuel and coordination questions that belong in your project plan.
Generator planning in Port Chester, Rye Brook and Purchase
Find the right local starting points for generator projects in Port Chester, Rye Brook and Purchase, and avoid assuming neighboring municipalities share one process.
Do we service generators in Stamford and North Stamford?
Stamford and North Stamford are part of a planned expansion. Learn how to request an address review before planning a visit.
Planning backup power for a property with flood exposure
Bring flood history, drainage, fuel equipment and transfer components into a generator site assessment instead of considering the engine location alone.
Generator placement, noise and your neighbors
Discuss generator sound, nearby living spaces, exercise timing and approved screening before choosing a location or changing an existing installation.
Business & storm readiness
Clarify responsibilities before an outage.
What belongs in a commercial generator service plan?
Define equipment scope, business priorities, testing coordination, service records and responsibilities for a commercial standby-generator plan.
How to plan generator testing around an occupied business
Coordinate generator testing with occupants, IT and building contacts, including scope, possible power transitions and documentation of results.
Generator responsibilities for owners, tenants and property managers
Clarify who maintains the generator, receives alerts, authorizes repairs and communicates outage limitations in a leased or professionally managed property.
What to expect when requesting generator help during a storm
Understand Generator Care’s storm-response limits, the information that helps the team assess a request and why a request is not an arrival guarantee.
Carbon monoxide safety belongs in every outage plan
Prepare a clear CO-alarm response, understand portable-generator safety and keep professional standby installation requirements separate from portable guidance.