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Generator, battery backup or solar system fault.

A licensed electrician should handle transfer equipment and array wiring, with a qualified gas technician on fuel readings.

Customers put it like this

  • the generator runs but the house is dark
  • the generator keeps cutting out
  • the battery died partway through the outage
  • my solar shows a fault
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Stop first if

  • Power is fed through a cord or dryer outlet with no transfer means.Stop. Shut the generator down only if it can be done without risk, then call a licensed electrician.
  • A source cannot be confirmed off.Keep hands off the transfer handle and call a qualified person.
  • The unit has been flooded.Do not start it. Have it inspected first.
  • Anyone would touch array wiring.Stop. Solar conductors stay live whenever lit, so leave them to a qualified person.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. What type of backup is it: generator, battery or solar?
  2. What happened, and what was running at the time?
  3. Is there a transfer switch or interlock, or does a cord feed the house?
  4. Does the unit show a fault code or message?
  5. When do faults show up, such as in rain, at dew or at midday?
  6. Has the unit been flooded, or washed with a hose?
02

Bring

5
  • Rated multimeter with frequency reading
  • True-RMS clamp meter
  • Maker's manual for the unit
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Identify the transfer switch or interlock, and confirm it is listed for that exact panel.
  2. If the generator runs and the house is dark, check its main breaker first. A warm-up or start delay can look like no transfer.
  3. If it drops out, note which large loads were on. Follow the maker's restart sequence.
  4. At the transfer switch, a qualified person records frequency and each leg to neutral, unloaded and then under stepped loads.
  5. If a battery goes flat late in an outage, check that the charger feed is on the backed-up side.
  6. For solar, log fault times against weather. A qualified person reads the service and farthest inverter at full output.
04

Keep on the record

5
  • Transfer switch type and panel match
  • Fault codes and times against weather
  • Voltage and frequency by load step
  • Loads running at dropout
  • Photos of unit location and clearances

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.