Skip to content
Spark Powered

Home backup hookup picker

How to connect a power station to your house

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes our recommendations. How we make money.

Step 1 of 6: What must stay on
What must stay on in an outage?

Tap all that apply.

For how long without recharging?

That's about 2.7 kWh a day, so a battery of about 3.2 kWh covers a day (power stations deliver about 85% of their rating).

The four ways, side by side

WayWhat it powersRough costElectrician
Extension cords to each applianceRenters, small lists, anyone not hiring an electricianOnly appliances you can unplug and move$38 to $200No
Inlet box and interlock kitOwners on a tight budget, where the inspector accepts interlocksAny circuit you switch on, up to the battery's output$500 to $1,650 plus the batteryYes, with a permit
Manual transfer switchMost owners with a well pump, furnace or 240 V load6 or 10 chosen circuits, including wired-in pumps and furnaces$530 to $1,660 (6 circuits) plus the batteryYes, with a permit
The maker's own home panel kitOwners buying a model the maker sells a panel kit forChosen circuits, switched and shown in the maker's app$699 (Apex 300 kit) plus labor $200 to $500 and permitYes, with a permit

Part and labor ranges from HomeGuide (its page is titled 2026 but dates its figures April 5, 2023, so expect higher quotes) and Iron Forge Cable; panel kits and hubs from the makers' US stores. All read November 14, 2026.

Safety, in plain words. Never connect a power station to house wiring through a wall outlet, a dryer outlet or a double-ended cord: that backfeeds the grid and can kill utility workers and neighbors (CPSC). OSHA says to connect to a building only through a properly installed transfer switch. Interlocks, transfer switches and panel kits are installed by a licensed electrician with a permit and inspection where required. With cords, use heavy-duty outdoor-rated three-prong cords rated for the load, one per appliance, with no power strips in between.

How the picker decides

Battery size: each item's daily use comes from the same figures as our outage backup calculator (EIA's average fridge and freezer use, EWEB's generator sizing sheet for pumps and blowers), times the days you pick, divided by 85% because power stations deliver about that much of their rating.

Starting motors:a fridge, pump or blower needs a burst of extra watts to start. We add the biggest start to everything running and check it against the maker's surge rating; when the maker gives none, or says its surge is for heating loads only, we don't count it.

Method:renters and anyone not hiring an electrician get cords only. Wired-in loads (well pump, furnace) and 240 V loads need a transfer switch, an interlock or the maker's panel kit. A short list of plug-in items stays on cords even for owners. A transfer switch is our default for panel work: it is what OSHA and the CPSC name, and you can't overload it by switching on the wrong breaker.

Models:only models in stock on the maker's US site at our last check, from brands we partner with (Anker SOLIX, Bluetti, Growatt and ALLPOWERS). Panel methods only show models whose 30 A or larger outlet we read on the maker's page. For 240 V we show 120/240 V models, or two 120 V units on the maker's own hub. We have not tested these units ourselves; every spec and price is from the maker's US store on the date shown.

Frequently asked questions

Can I plug a power station into a wall outlet to power my house?

No. That is backfeeding: the CPSC says it can electrocute utility workers and neighbors on the same transformer, and it bypasses your home's circuit protection. The same goes for a dryer outlet and any double-ended (male-to-male) cord. The safe ways are cords from the battery to each appliance, or transfer equipment at the panel installed by a licensed electrician.

What does it cost to connect a power station to a house panel?

HomeGuide puts an interlock kit at $50 to $150 and an installed interlock at $400 to $850. Add the outside inlet box, the cord to the battery and a permit, and our parts list comes to about $500 to $1,650; a 6-circuit manual transfer switch job comes to about $530 to $1,660. That is before the battery. HomeGuide dates those figures April 5, 2023 (read November 14, 2026), so expect quotes at or above them; your electrician's quote is the real number.

Do I need 240 volts for a well pump?

Many well pumps are 240 V; the nameplate says. A 240 V pump needs a 120/240 V power station or two 120 V units joined by the maker's own hub (Anker SOLIX Double Voltage Hub for the F3000, $289.99; Growatt Double Voltage Power Hub for the HELIOS 3600, $139), connected through a transfer switch by a licensed electrician. For a 1/3 HP pump plus a fridge, the picker's top fit today is the Two Growatt HELIOS 3600 units + Growatt Double Voltage Power Hub.

I rent. Can I still use a power station in an outage?

Yes, with cords only: plug each appliance straight into the battery or into a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord running to it, three-prong and rated for the load. Nothing gets connected to the building's wiring. A wired-in well pump or furnace can't be run this way; that needs the owner and a licensed electrician.

How big a battery do I need for a fridge, Wi-Fi and lights?

About 2.7 kWh a day for an average fridge (EIA), a Wi-Fi router, four LED bulbs for 5 hours and two phone charges, so about 3.2 kWh of rated capacity for one day, since power stations deliver about 85% of their rating.

General information, not electrical advice. Part and labor costs are published averages, not quotes, and vary by panel, area and store. Prices change often and are from the makers' US sites on the dates shown. Safety first: follow each maker's instructions and your local codes, use certified equipment, and have a licensed professional do any wiring. See our safety notes and disclaimer.

Sources

  1. HomeGuide, Generator transfer switch installation cost (2026) — interlock kit, inlet box, cord, supplies, labor, 6- and 10-circuit switches, permits; figures dated April 5, 2023, read November 14, 2026
  2. Iron Forge Cable US store, 12-gauge outdoor extension cords — 25 ft 12-gauge 2-pack and 50 ft 12/3 locking-end cord; checked November 14, 2026
  3. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Portable generator hazards safety alert (PDF)
  4. OSHA: Using portable generators safely (PDF)
  5. EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, table CE4.6.EL.ST — refrigerators: 839 kWh a year per household
  6. EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, table CE5.3b (detailed electricity end use) — separate freezers 570 kWh, most-used TV 210 kWh, microwaves 107 kWh a year per household
  7. Eugene Water & Electric Board, Generator sizing considerations — running and starting watts: well pump 1/3 HP 1,000 W (+2,000 W to start), furnace fan blower 1/3 HP 700 W (+1,400), refrigerator/freezer 700 W (+2,200), microwave 1,000 W, laptop 60 W, phone charger 20 W
  8. ResMed battery guide (AirSense 10) — 28 W with heated humidifier, about 11 W without
  9. US DOE Energy Saver, Energy efficient lighting fact sheet (2021) — a 1,100-lumen LED screw-in bulb uses as little as 9 W
  10. EnergySage, How many watts does a Wi-Fi router use? — 5 to 20 W; we use 10 W
  11. TidBITS, iPhone battery-life tables — iPhone 16 battery 13.84 Wh; we use 15 Wh a charge to allow for charging losses
  12. NFPA, Generator safety tip sheet (copy hosted by the Village of Penn Yan) — never in an attached garage; CO alarms; cool before refueling; fuel in labeled containers outside living areas; transfer switch by a qualified electrician
  13. Bluetti Apex 300 Home Integration Kit (maker's store) — $699, checked November 14, 2026
  14. Anker SOLIX Home Power Panel kit (maker's store) — $1,799.99, checked November 14, 2026
  15. Anker SOLIX Double Voltage Hub (maker's store) — $289.99, 7,200 W from two units, checked November 14, 2026
  16. Growatt Double Voltage Power Hub (maker's store) — $139, 7,200 W from two units, checked November 14, 2026
  17. Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 product page — price and specs checked November 6, 2026
  18. Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 product page — price and specs checked November 6, 2026
  19. Anker SOLIX F3000 product page — price and specs checked November 14, 2026
  20. Bluetti AC180 product page — price and specs checked October 26, 2026
  21. Bluetti Elite 100 V2 product page — price and specs checked November 9, 2026
  22. Bluetti Elite 200 V2 product page — price and specs checked November 14, 2026
  23. Bluetti Elite 300 product page — price and specs checked November 9, 2026
  24. Bluetti Elite 400 product page — price and specs checked November 9, 2026
  25. Bluetti Apex 300 product page — price and specs checked November 14, 2026
  26. ALLPOWERS R1500 product page — price and specs checked November 4, 2026
  27. ALLPOWERS S2000 Pro product page — price and specs checked November 4, 2026
  28. ALLPOWERS R3500 product page — price and specs checked November 14, 2026
  29. Growatt INFINITY 2000 PRO product page — price and specs checked November 4, 2026
  30. Growatt HELIOS 3600 product page — price and specs checked November 14, 2026

Keep going