How to Install a Natural Gas Generator to Your Home

There are many reasons to want a natural gas generator connected to your home. If you're concerned about power outages, and you want your electric appliances to be extra reliable, having a natural gas generator is an excellent idea. With an external generator  supplying your home with power, you will not have to worry about your food spoiling in a freezer that loses power, or not being able to rely on your electric heat, for example. In addition to this, if you live in an area with an unreliable power grid, you may wish to have a backup source of power to simply keep the lights on during power outages. However, installing a natural gas generator is a complex process.

Step 1 - Choosing a Spot

Before you do anything, you will need to choose a location for your natural gas generator. You should know the measurements of your generator by now, so take this into account. Additionally, you should take into account the location of your gas line when selecting a place for your generator as well.

Once you choose a spot, you will need to prepare it. You can do this by stripping off everything that is not bare soil, then compacting everything that remains. Finally, add stone dust to your dirt.

Step 2 - Placing the Generator

Load the generator onto a pallet and move it close to its final location. Use rollers to transfer it to its final location, as it is probably too heavy to move by hand. Once you have the generator placed according to your plan, you can take the rollers out from under it.

Step 3 - Installing a Transfer Switch

In order to get the maximum amount of use out of your natural gas generator, you will need to install a transfer switch to your home. A transfer switch will allow you to manually switch to the generator in the event of a power failure.

Before installing your transfer switch, call your power company and have them cut the power supply to your home. Once they have done this, you can safely install your transfer switch. After completing this task, call your power company again and ask them to restore the power to your home. You may be better off hiring a professional to perform this step, as it can be quite complicated and involves knowing a great deal about electrical systems.

Step 4 - Connecting the Gas

In order to successfully power your natural gas generator, you will need to connect it to your gas line. In order to do this, you will need to run your gas line, pressure test it and connect it to your generator. Again, you may wish to hire a professional for this step. Working with gas lines can be both complex and dangerous for someone without special training.