Whole House Generator Installation in Putnam County

Sized to your house, permitted with your town, connected to your propane or gas, and tested before the installer leaves.

(914) 440-4168

Free estimates. Licensed, insured local installers.

A standby generator is the one home upgrade you stop noticing after it's installed, until the lights flicker and it starts on its own. Putnam Generators connects you with a licensed, insured installer who sizes the system to your house, handles the permit and the fuel connection, and leaves you with a unit that tests itself every week.

What a whole house generator does

A standby generator sits outside on a pad, connects permanently to your electrical panel through an automatic transfer switch, and runs on propane or natural gas. When utility power drops, the transfer switch disconnects your house from the grid and the generator starts, usually within ten to thirty seconds. When the grid returns, it switches back and shuts down. You don't touch anything.

That is the difference from a portable generator, which you have to wheel out, fuel, start, and plug in by hand, in the dark, in the weather.

Sizing: how big a generator do you need?

Standby generators for homes run from about 10 kilowatts up to 26 kilowatts and beyond. The right size depends on what you want running during an outage, not on square footage alone. A 2,000 square foot house with a well pump, an oil or propane furnace, a refrigerator, and a few circuits can often be covered by a mid-size unit. Add central air, an electric range, an electric water heater, or a heat pump and you move up a size or two.

The "80% rule" you may have read about means a generator should run at no more than about 80% of its rated output for sustained use. A good installer sizes the unit so your real load sits comfortably under that line, which is why they ask about your appliances and look at your panel before quoting.

Two ways to go

• Whole house. The generator can run everything, usually with a load-management module that staggers large loads like air conditioning so they don't all start at once.
• Essential circuits. A smaller unit and a transfer switch that covers only the circuits you pick: heat, well, fridge, sump, some lights and outlets. Cheaper up front, and enough for many Putnam homes.

Fuel: propane or natural gas

Most of Putnam County runs on propane, so most standby generators here do too. If you already have a propane tank for heat or cooking, the installer checks whether it is big enough to run the generator for several days and may recommend a larger or second tank. If you don't have a tank, the installer coordinates with a propane company for a tank, line, and first fill. Where natural gas is available, the generator connects to your gas line and never needs refueling.

Brands

Installers in our area most often install Generac and Kohler. Both make residential standby units in the common sizes, both offer factory warranties, and both need the same yearly service. The installer will recommend what they stock and service; a unit they can service quickly matters more than the badge.

What installation involves

1. Site visit and written estimate. Where the unit goes (clearances from windows, doors, and property lines, and away from bedrooms), how far it is from the panel and the fuel source, and what you want powered.
2. Permit. Every Putnam town, Carmel, Kent, Patterson, Philipstown, Putnam Valley, and Southeast, requires a building permit and an electrical inspection for a standby generator. The installer files it. Town building departments.
3. Pad and placement. A level concrete or composite pad, set per the manufacturer's clearance rules.
4. Electrical. The automatic transfer switch is mounted at the panel and the generator is wired to it. This is licensed electrician work.
5. Fuel connection. A propane line from the tank, or a gas line, sized for the generator's demand.
6. Start-up and test. The installer starts the unit, checks the transfer under load, sets the weekly self-test, and shows you the controls.
7. Inspection. The town inspects and closes the permit.

On site, this is typically one to two days. The calendar time from signed estimate to running generator is longer, often several weeks, because permits, propane delivery, and installer scheduling all take time. After a big storm, waits stretch; the best time to order is a quiet month.

What it costs

Published ranges for New York put a whole-home standby system at roughly $10,000 to $20,000 installed. Smaller essential-circuit setups cost less. What moves the price: generator size, distance from the panel and the fuel source, whether you need a new propane tank, trenching, and any panel upgrades.

After installation

A standby generator needs a yearly service: oil and filter, spark plugs on schedule, a battery check, and a load test. Most installers offer a service plan. Ask about it at the estimate. Annual generator service.

Request a free estimate

Putnam Generators is a local referral service, not a contractor. The licensed, insured installer we connect you with does the work under its own name, license, and warranty.