Do I need a whole-house generator?

By The T.A.P. Team · November 2024 · 6 min read

After the 2021 winter storm and years of grid strain and severe weather, whole-house (standby) generators have surged in popularity across Texas. A standby generator installs permanently, runs on natural gas or propane, and — through an automatic transfer switch — powers your home automatically within seconds of an outage, no cords or manual steps. A portable generator is cheaper but limited and manual. Here's how to decide, and what a standby install involves.

Standby vs. portable

A standby generator is permanently installed outside (like an AC condenser), wired into your home, and fueled by natural gas or propane so it never needs refueling. It starts automatically when the power fails. A portable generator costs far less but must be rolled out, fueled with gasoline, started by hand, and connected safely — and it powers only a few things. For hands-off, whole-home backup, standby wins; for occasional, budget backup, portable can do.

Why Texas makes the case

Grid reliability concerns, the 2021 freeze, summer demand strain, and severe storms have made outages a real Texas worry. A standby generator keeps the heat or AC, refrigerator, and essentials running automatically — which matters most for medical needs, remote work, and simply riding out a multi-day outage safely. That's why they've boomed here since 2021.

The automatic transfer switch

The key component is the automatic transfer switch (ATS). It senses the outage, safely disconnects your home from the grid (which protects utility line workers from back-feed), starts the generator, and powers your circuits — then switches back and shuts the generator down when utility power returns. It's what makes a standby system automatic and safe, and it must be installed by a licensed electrician.

Sizing and installation

A standby generator can be sized to run just essentials (the AC or furnace, fridge, and key circuits) or the whole house — bigger means more cost. Installation involves an electrician, usually a gas hookup, a concrete pad, a permit, and periodic maintenance. It often pairs with a panel and surge protection. See our electrical services.

Backup power in North Texas

Since the 2021 freeze, standby generators have become a common request across Plano, Frisco, and McKinney — homeowners want the heat, AC, and fridge to stay on through grid and storm outages. We install standby generators with automatic transfer switches, to code. See our electrical team.