The outage usually comes with the storm, and the storm is when the sump pump matters most. Brooklyn Electrician installs standby generators behind two-family houses in Bay Ridge and Flatbush, in the rear yards of Bed-Stuy brownstones, and on raised pads in the low blocks of Greenpoint.
Whole-house or essential circuits only. Call (929) 460-9789 or send the form above for a free estimate and a load survey.
Backup Power Built for Brooklyn Homes and Small Buildings
A standby generator in Brooklyn is an electrical job and a gas job. Our electricians handle the transfer switch, the subpanel, the control wiring and the DOB electrical permit. A licensed plumber runs the gas line and files the plumbing permit. One schedule, coordinated by us.
Most houses do not need the whole panel on backup. An essential-circuit subpanel with the boiler, the fridge, the sump pump, the internet and a few lights keeps the house livable on a 10 to 14 kW air-cooled unit.
For a portable generator, a 30 or 50-amp inlet box with a manual transfer switch or an interlock kit is the safe setup. Backfeeding through a dryer outlet can kill a Con Edison lineman.
Our Generator Installation Process, Step by Step
- 1
Load survey. We list what has to run during an outage and size the unit, see Electrical Panel Upgrade if the panel cannot take a transfer switch.
- 2
Placement. Clearance from windows and doors, distance from the gas meter, a spot the neighbors can live with.
- 3
Permits. DOB electrical permit filed by us, plumbing permit filed by the plumber.
- 4
Pad and set. Composite or concrete pad, unit leveled and anchored, raised in flood-prone yards.
- 5
Transfer switch and subpanel. Automatic transfer switch mounted at the service, essential circuits moved to the backup subpanel.
- 6
Gas, startup and inspection. Plumber connects the gas, we commission the controls, run the first exercise cycle and pass the DOB inspection.
Generator Options That Fit Brooklyn Properties
Air-cooled standby units from 10 to 26 kW on natural gas, which most Brooklyn houses already have at the meter. Propane where there is no gas service. Whole-house transfer switches with load-shedding modules so the central air can run too. Essential-circuit subpanels for a tighter budget. Battery backup for homes that want silent power and no gas connection. A whole-house surge protector goes in the same day, see Surge Protection Installation, since power coming back on is when surges hit.
What Affects the Cost of Generator Installation in Brooklyn
Unit size.
Kilowatts drive the price of the generator and the transfer switch behind it.
Transfer switch type.
Whole-house with load shedding costs more than an essential-circuit subpanel.
Gas run.
Distance from the meter, and whether the meter needs an upgrade.
Placement.
A pad by the cellar door is simple. A crane over a rowhouse adds a day and a permit.
Permits.
Two permits, two inspections, both on the estimate.
Local Conditions Our Electricians Work Around in Brooklyn, NY
Tight rear yards.
Clearances from your windows and the neighbor's decide the spot, sometimes the side alley is the only answer.
Flood zones.
Raised pads in the low blocks near the canals and the waterfront.
Gas meter capacity.
A boiler, a range and a generator may exceed the meter. The plumber checks before we size.
Tenants.
Two-family houses get the house circuits and the boiler on backup first.
Preventing and Solving Common Generator Problems
Generator that will not start.
A dead battery or a skipped exercise cycle. Weekly self-tests and an annual service prevent it.
Transfer switch that does not transfer.
Control wiring or a failed contactor. We test it under a simulated outage.
Overload when the AC starts.
No load shedding. A shedding module or a bigger unit fixes it.
Low gas pressure under load.
Undersized gas line. Back to the plumber.
No backup yet.
Our Emergency Electrician line still answers.
What to Expect When You Hire Brooklyn Electrician
Consultation.
A load survey, a placement check and a written price that separates the electrical, the gas and the unit.
Scheduling.
Permits first, then one or two days on site, then the inspections.
Installation and cleanup.
Transfer switch and subpanel labeled, exercise cycle set, app paired. Buildings with elevators or egress lighting go through Commercial Electrical Services.