Lafayette electricians needed, Transfer switch install

Call Sorrel Electrical. Great group and pricing.

I use:

Keith Trahan
337-501-5288

Professional and fair pricing.

A 6500 generator will not safely run your central air. Don’t even attempt it, you’ll frick up either the ac or generator - or both.

Also, don’t pay all that money for a transfer switch and get an interlock kit installed on your panel instead. It’s much cheaper and you can choose which circuits to use instead of having only a set few as options. I had an interlock kit installed a year and a half ago and bought a 10,000/8,000 generator and I still don’t even attempt to run my central air. I have a couple window units that I install whenever I have an extended power outage and can run just about everything else except the central air. Just not all at the same time. Two window units, all lights, and fridge/freezer along with internet at the same time. Need to wash clothes? Turn off everything else and run the washer. Then turn the dryer circuit on and run the dryer. After that I can use everything else again. Basically it’s a whole home generator set up except the central air for 1/10 of the price.

The generator and cost for an electrician to install the kit (and the kit itself) was $1,600.

You just spoke German to me

I’ll just stick to a couple window units if I lose power lol

I’ll dumb down what I’m saying for you.

Most generators can power central air when they are running normally. This would be considered “full load amps” (to keep it basic).

The problem most generators have is starting up central air units. They simply do not have enough juice to get them moving initially. Imagine trying to push a very heavy box across the floor - you need that initial jolt of energy and inertia to get it in motion. Once it’s in motion, it becomes less difficult to keep in motion.

Ever seen the lights in your house dim when your AC kicks on? That’s typically from the initial jolt of “starting current” (also sometimes called locked-rotor amps, LRA). Considerably more electrical energy is needed to get motors in motion. This jolt doesn’t last long but can be 4-8 times the full load amps (depending on the motor).

What a soft starter does is power a motor slowly rather than hitting it with 100% of available power at startup - think of increasing radio volume slowly by turning a knob. The unit mentioned earlier can reduce starting current substantially in this manner.

So depending on sizing, a portable generator can power central air with a soft starter.

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2) Purchase the interlock kit. Should I talk to the electrician first?

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You probably don’t have to but I’m admittedly an idiot with electricity so I just had my electrician get one and install it for me. Just told him I wanted one and he took care of the rest.

Thanks for the explanation. When I get an electrician out here, I’ll bring it up.

Again, having the ax would be awesome, but really isn’t necessary. We were comfortable last hurricane with just the fans. If needed, our in-laws have a whole home generator.

Interlock is the way to go. I have it interlocking the main breaker and the dedicated 30A breaker that is fed from the 30A generator plug on outside of house. I have a 9375/7500 portable and it will start my 3 ton AC but I would only do that when no other options. I have 2 window units if I need AC. Seeing that my furnace, dryer, and range are natural gas I can run the rest of my house no problem.

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No8Easy2

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Do you travel? I can pay you in beer and Big Lake fishing coordinates

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beer and Big Lake fishing coordinates

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Travel first class in the blue wave
done deal my man!

And got the email Coach, reply sent