Wasaga Beach · Wasaga Distribution service area
Generac standby generator installation for Wasaga Beach homes
Snow squalls off the bay and summer storms can cut the power for hours. A standby generator with an automatic transfer switch keeps the heat, the pumps and the fridge on, whether you're home or not. We're an authorized Generac dealer for the units we install.
Weather on the bay
Lake-effect snow and summer storms
Wasaga Beach sits right on Nottawasaga Bay. In early winter, cold air passing over open water picks up moisture and drops it as heavy bands of snow on the shore. Wind off the bay drifts it against houses and across roads.
Wet snow and ice bring branches down onto lines, and outages can last into the next day. Summer has its own risk, with thunderstorms and high winds rolling in across the water.
For a full-time home, an outage means no heat, no well or sump pump, and a fridge slowly warming. For a seasonal house that's closed until May, the danger is quieter. Heat stops, pipes start to freeze, and a crawl space can flood in a thaw while nobody knows.
A standby generator with an automatic transfer switch watches the utility supply. When it fails, the generator starts on its own and powers the circuits it was sized for. When the grid returns, it hands the house back and shuts down.
Sizing by use
Full-time home or seasonal house
The way you use the house decides what the generator needs to carry.
| Lived in all year | Closed for the season | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Comfort and normal routines | Protecting an empty building |
| Circuits to back up | Heat, pumps, kitchen, a home office, lights | Heat, pumps, heat tracing, a router for alerts |
| Typical approach | Essentials or whole house | Essentials, chosen carefully |
| Worth adding | Whole-home surge protection | Remote alerts and a caretaker contact |
Fuel and placement
Where the unit sits and what it runs on
Where natural gas is on the street, the generator can run from it. Where it isn't, propane from a tank on the property works well. Either way, a licensed gas fitter makes the fuel connection.
The generator sits on a level pad, outside, with the clearances from windows, doors and vents that the rules set. Here we also look at where snow drifts, where it slides off the roof and where the plough leaves its pile. You or a caretaker should be able to reach it in February.
Inside, the transfer switch goes beside the panel. If the panel is full or the service is small, a Wasaga Beach panel upgrade may come first. Our main backup generators page covers sizing in more depth.
The job
How we install a standby generator in Wasaga Beach
Site visit
We review the panel, the loads and where the unit can safely go.
Written quote
Generator, transfer switch, wiring, permit and travel time on its own line.
Permit
Filed with ESA, with the fuel connection arranged alongside.
Install day
Pad set, unit placed, transfer switch wired and tested.
Handover
We show you how it works, and ESA's certificate comes to you.
More about electrical work in town is on our Wasaga Beach electrician page.
Questions
Backup generators in Wasaga Beach: questions
Our Wasaga Beach house is empty from fall to spring. What should the generator run?
Start with what protects the building: the furnace or heating circuits, any sump or well pump, and heat tracing on pipes. A fridge, a few lights and an internet router are easy to add. We size the unit around that list.
There's no gas line on our street. Can we still have a standby unit?
Yes. Many standby generators run on propane from a tank on the property. The tank size sets how long it can run between deliveries. A licensed gas fitter makes the gas connection, and we plan the tank and the generator together.
Will we know if the power went out while we were away?
Many standby generators can send alerts to an app when they start, run and shut down. If your model has it, we set it up at handover so you can check from wherever you are.
What size generator do I need?
It depends on what you want running during an outage. Some homeowners back up essentials only (furnace, sump pump, fridge, a few lights and outlets). Others want the whole house. We look at your panel and how you use power, then recommend a size and a transfer switch to match.
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