Today's Homeowner TV Host Danny Lipford and Batchelor's Service President Rick True


Winter storms have you worried about power outages? I’m talking with Rick True, president of Batchelor’s Service in Mobile, Ala., an expert in whole-house generator installation.

Whole-house generator next to a home
A whole-house generator can keep your home comfortable in the event of a power outage. (Lex20, Getty Images Pro)

When did you get introduced to installing whole-house generators?

Rick: Back in the ‘80s, a buddy of mine who had a heating and air conditioning company in Birmingham, Ala., suggested to me selling generators. He said with the hurricanes we have in Mobile, Ala., it will be a great deal. 

He started selling generators because of the ice storms they have up there. Their power problems up there happen during the winter, and for us down here it’s during hurricane season. 

He sent a Generac salesman to me. At the time, Generac was the only company making home standby generators, and that’s how we got started. 

Man's hand flipping a breaker on a power box during a power outage
Aging infrastructure is leading to more and more power outages across the United States. (Guillermo Munt, Getty Images)

Infrastructure in the U.S. is aging. So, there’s a lot of opportunity for growth in the whole-house generator industry, right?

Rick: Yeah, there really is. Here’s something I learned from a manufacturer this past year when there was a real shortage of them — there’s a big demand for generators in California because of power phaseouts.

Out there, utility companies are shutting people’s power off for a couple of hours a day, so people are buying them so they can have continuous power. 

Read: Protect Your Home and Family During a Power Outage with a Generac Home Standby Generator

Split image of an open fridge with the light on and a water heater
Make sure your generator can provide power to your home’s essential appliances, like the refrigerator and water heater. (AndreyPapov, Getty Images Pro/JulNichols, Getty Images Signature)

How do you determine what size generator a home needs?

Rick: Now, all the manufacturers have an app or a calculator on their website where a homeowner can enter the square footage of their home, how many air conditioners they have, what type of dryer they have, all those kinds of questions.

The big thing is the number of 240-volt appliances you have in your home. That’s the real driver of the size requirement for a generator. Now with so many houses having LED lights, you can light a big house with not much kw of a generator. But when you start trying to run air conditioners, electric ovens and dryers, that’s when you start running up into bigger sizes.

The key things a homeowner should consider are electrical appliances that power on by themselves, like air conditioners and water heaters. If you don’t have those covered, it could trip the breaker on the generator, and then you’re out of power. 

Installation of a whole house generator at a home before hurricane season
Installing a whole-house generator can bring numerous benefits to your home, such as providing backup power to ensure your home isn’t left without electricity during a power outage. (JodiJacobson, Getty Images Signature)

A lot of people think you can only get a standby generator in a new-construction home. Do you do a lot of retrofits?

Rick: Probably 95 percent of our whole-house generator installation is on existing homes.

Before installing a whole-house generator in a home, our technicians must first assess a home’s electrical situation.

A lot of times, the electrical service needs to be upgraded before we can install the transfer switch. The transfer switch needs to go between the meter and the main panel for the house so it will transfer properly.

What do you suggest to homeowners for generator maintenance?

Rick: Most of our customers have a maintenance plan we provide for them. We change the oil, check the batteries and stuff like that. Just like you get your car tuned up a couple of times a year, that’s what we kinda do with a generator.

A liquid-cooled standby generator, the big ones that are 25 kw and above, are basically car engines. The air-cooled, the smaller ones, are like a riding lawn mower engine. They all need maintenance.

Some of our customers like to change the oil in their generators, but most people don’t feel comfortable doing that. 

What’s some advice you would give to a homeowner whose looking to buy a standby generator?

Rick: The brand you pick matters, but it’s no better than who’s going to be installing it for you. 

Research who will install it for you and make sure they have a licensed electrician to do their electrical work, and a licensed plumber to do the gas work. Find out the company has technicians that are certified by whatever manufacturer you choose. 


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Danny Lipford

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Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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