# Generator & Transfer Switch Installation — Baer Electric

> Baer Electric installs standby generators and portable generator hookups with code-compliant transfer switches for homes, farms and businesses in northwest Saskatchewan. A transfer switch keeps generator power from feeding back into SaskPower's lines, which protects line crews, and lets you choose which circuits stay on during an outage.

URL: https://baerelectric.ca/services/generator-installation/
Last reviewed: 2026-10-03

When the power goes out in January on a farm north of Highway 55, the lights are the least of it. It's the furnace, the well pump, the heat trace, the barn fans and the freezers. A properly connected generator keeps those running until SaskPower restores the line, and on a livestock operation that can be the difference between an inconvenience and a real loss.

The connection is the part that matters. Plugging a generator into a dryer outlet with a homemade cord can send power back up the line and hurt the people working to fix it, and it isn't allowed. We install a transfer switch or another approved transfer device, so the house, shop or barn is either on the grid or on the generator, never both at once.

For standby units, we wire the generator and an automatic transfer switch so backup power comes on by itself. For portable generators, we install an inlet and a manual transfer switch so you can connect safely. Either way, we help you decide which circuits need backup and size the setup for them. Natural gas or propane connections are done by a licensed gas fitter.

## What's included

- Standby generator wiring
- Automatic transfer switches
- Manual transfer switches and inlets for portable generators
- Choosing which circuits stay on
- Farm and livestock backup power
- Backup power for businesses
- Help sizing the generator
- Panel and sub-panel work for generator connections
- TSASK permits

## Why Baer Electric

- **No backfeed:** A transfer switch isolates your building from the grid, protecting SaskPower crews and your own equipment.
- **Farm-critical loads first:** Water, heat and barn ventilation come first. We help you decide what has to stay on.
- **Built for winter outages:** Furnaces, well pumps and heat trace are the loads that matter at −30. We plan around them.
- **Standby or portable:** An automatic standby system, or an inlet and transfer switch so a portable generator can be connected safely.
- **Permitted and to code:** Installed to the Canadian Electrical Code with a TSASK permit. Gas connections go to a licensed gas fitter.

## How it works

1. **List the must-haves:** We go over what needs to stay on in an outage: heat, water, freezers, barn fans, the office.
2. **Size and quote:** We help size the generator and transfer equipment and give you a written quote.
3. **Install:** Transfer switch, inlet or standby wiring, with a TSASK permit. Gas work goes to a licensed gas fitter.
4. **Test a switch-over:** We run a test switch-over with you so you know exactly what to do when the power goes.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why can't I just plug the generator into an outlet?

Back-feeding through an outlet can energize the utility line and injure line crews, and it can damage your generator when the power comes back. A transfer switch or another approved transfer device is the safe, legal way to connect.

### Standby or portable: which do I need?

A standby generator starts on its own and suits farms, businesses and anyone who's away a lot. A portable generator with an inlet and transfer switch costs less up front, but someone has to be there to start it.

### What size generator do I need?

It depends on what you want to run. We list the must-have loads with you, like the furnace, well pump and freezers, and size the system for those.

### Do you install the gas line?

No. Natural gas and propane connections are done by a licensed gas fitter. We handle the electrical side and can work alongside them.

### Do I need a permit?

Yes. Generator connections and transfer switches are electrical installations that need a TSASK permit, which we take out.

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Baer Electric Inc. · 306-238-7655 · baerelectricinc@gmail.com · https://baerelectric.ca/