Generlink FAQ

Call 239-656-2300 and choose Option 2, Option3 for Products, then Option 3 for GenerLink™. You may also contact the Member Care Center to have a Member Service Professional contact you. GenerLink™ can only be purchased through LCEC and installed by an LCEC technician.

After your product service order is created, an invoice will be generated and emailed to you; a physical invoice will be mailed if no email address is provided. Once full payment is processed on your invoice an LCEC Energy Services team member will proceed with scheduling the product installation within ten business days.  A technician will contact you two business days prior to the installation date to give you the appointment date/time.  You are not required to be home for the installation.

Important: LCEC needs safe unobstructed access to your meter socket to perform the installation.  Your power will be interrupted briefly while the GenerLink™ is installed and the connecting cord that comes with it will be left in the safe location that you requested.

A Remote Access Charge of $100 may apply for purchased GenerLink™ installations on barrier islands.

Acceptance of Property: When LCEC installs a GenerLink™, the product is no longer new.

Upgrading GenerLink™ requires the purchase of a new GenerLink™ at retail price. No credit is given for the old device.

Once you have received your invoice, you may processes your invoice payment through the following options:

SmartHub – Fast, easy and free! Important: select your product invoice number for proper payment processes.

PayNow - No registration required. Use your product invoice account number and your last name or business name to make a free checking or savings account payment quickly and easily.

Immokalee Payment Center - (Cash payments also accepted at this location).

Mail - Please include product invoice with your payment.

Yes. GenerLink™ is an interconnection device that enables you to connect your portable generator directly to your home’s wiring system. During a power outage, your generator becomes your source of emergency backup power. GenerLink™ is designed as an alternative to expensive transfer switches and hazardous extension cords. Visit www.GenerLink.com for generator compatibility.

No. GenerLink™ is an interconnection device that enables you to connect your portable generator directly to your home’s wiring system but there are other ways to use a generator safely. GenerLink™ is designed as an alternative to expensive transfer switches and hazardous extension cords. Review your generator manual for safe connection options.

There is a wide variety of portable generators available for purchase. Some are more suitable than others for connecting to your house. When selecting a portable generator to connect to your home, utilize the following checklist:

• Ensure it will not damage sensitive electronic appliances or equipment.
• Confirm the capacity to start needed motor loads, such as a well or sump pump.
• The necessary four-wire 20-amp, 30-amp, or 50-amp 120/240-volt receptacle required to connect to GenerLink™ is included.

Generator size depends on your needs during a power outage. We recommend you first look over and calculate a few scenarios using the Wattage Worksheet to understand how different loads can affect your overall wattage demand. Remember, for large loads you will most likely turn some off so you can run others; not everything needs to run at the same time.

GenerLink™ comes in two sizes: 30-amp (capable of 8,500 watts maximum) and 40-amp (capable of 10,000 watts maximum).

For additional information visit www.GenerLink.com.

See Wattage Worksheet.

GenerLink™ is equipped with a 20-foot GenerLok cord that has a 20-, 30-, or 50-amp male cord cap (depending on the GenerLink™ model and your generator’s output receptacle). Move your generator into position to be connected to GenerLink™. Using the GenerLok power cord, insert the four-blade plug on the connecting cord into the outlet on the generator. Plug the GenerLok power cord into GenerLink™ by locating the “thumb guide” on the GenerLok connector. Align the “thumb guide” with the front of the GenerLink™ receptacle. Insert the connector; there will be a snapping sound when the connector locks in place.

For additional information visit www.GenerLink.com.

The appliances in the average home consume relatively low amounts of electricity to operate once they are started. However, motor-driven appliances require a significant amount of electricity when starting up. Please review your appliance guides to determine the start-up wattage required for individual appliances.

GenerLink™ offers several advantages over traditional transfer switches:

• GenerLink™ is installed outside your home at the electric meter, providing easy access to your generator. Installation of a transfer switch may require rewiring your home’s electric system.
• With GenerLink™, you have the flexibility of selecting the appliances you want to run from your home’s breaker panel, up to the capacity of your generator. Most basic transfer switches have 6 to 8 hard-wired circuits. This limits the number of circuits you can connect to the transfer switch.
• Since GenerLink™ uses your existing breaker panel, you can run any large 120- or 240-volt appliance up to your generator’s capacity. Your well pump, water heater, sump pump, electric range, clothes dryer and electric baseboard heat are just some of the appliances that can be run on a rotation basis with GenerLink™. Many transfer switches and sub panels have only one or two 240-volt circuits rated at 15 or 20 amps. Heavier loads, such as water heaters and electric ranges, may not be accommodated by these transfer switches and sub panels.

GenerLink™ is designed to function as an interconnection device and serves to connect your generator to your home. There is no risk of damage to your appliances created by the GenerLink™ device. You should exercise care when selecting your generator to ensure you are buying a high quality generator.

Your generator continues to power your home until you turn it off. Once you turn off your generator, if utility power is on, GenerLink™ will automatically switch your home back to utility power. GenerLink™ has a built-in safety feature that prevents back-feeding the generator’s power into the utility lines, eliminating hazardous conditions for you and for utility service personnel.

There is no regular maintenance required for GenerLink™. However, it is recommended that you test your generator every 30-60 days.

No, your utility meter will only run when the utility is providing electric power to your home. When using GenerLink™, with your portable generator, you are automatically disconnected from the utility power supply and will not reconnect until you turn off your generator.

There are three indicator lights on GenerLink™, one green, one yellow, and one red; newer models have a fourth blue light.

• When the green light is illuminated, this represents a normal condition where utility power is present. When your utility has restored power you can de-energize and disconnect your generator from GenerLink™.
• When the yellow light is illuminated, this indicates that the household load is greater than 30 amps. It is normal for the yellow status light to be illuminated while utility power is present. The load must be reduced by turning off circuit breakers before the GenerLink™ unit can be operated with a generator.
• If the red light is illuminated at any time or in conjunction with the green light, there is a potential problem and you should have the unit serviced immediately. (Refer to the Terms and Conditions for service instructions.)
• When the blue light is illuminated (if applicable for your model), this indicates that proper generator power is present and properly connected to the GenerLink™.

Your generator should have a circuit breaker that will activate in the event of an overload. If it does not have this feature, it is not suitable for use with GenerLink™. If the generator’s circuit breaker trips, turn off all the household circuit breakers in your breaker panel, reset the circuit breaker on the generator, and restart the generator. Please refer to your generator owner’s manual for complete instructions on the safe operation of your generator.

Remember: Generator exhaust gases contain deadly carbon monoxide. The generator should never be operated inside. This includes basements, crawl spaces, and/or attached garages. Please consult your generator owner’s manual for complete instructions on the safe location for and operation of your generator.

Read Carbon Monoxide – The Invisible Killer.

The 30Amp GenerLink™ model MA-23N offered by LCEC has an L14-30 twist-lock plug on the end of the 20-foot cord.  Your generator will need the corresponding L14-30 LOCKING receptacle in order to connect (pictured below).

The 40Amp GenerLink™ model MA-24N offered by LCEC has a 14-50 straight-plug on the end of the 20-foot cord.  Your generator will need the corresponding 14-50 STRAIGHT BLADE receptacle in order to connect (pictured below). 

* If your generator has one of the 4-wire receptacles shown below but it does not match the plug that comes with the GenerLink™ cord offered by LCEC, you will need to 1) have the cord’s plug professionally changed, 2) consider purchasing an appropriate 4-wire plug adapter, or 3) contact the manufacturer for different cord/plug options.

** 3-wire receptacles are NOT compatible with GenerLink™.

To remove, replace, or repair your GenerLink™, you must contact LCEC. Only LCEC technicians have access to GenerLink™. Do not, under any conditions, attempt to remove and/or repair GenerLink™ yourself.

A service fee applies to the relocation or removal of the GenerLink™. A service fee of $119.95 plus tax will be charged. If the GenerLink™ is still under warranty, there is no fee for warranty repair.

Order through www.GenerLink.com. Keep in mind that connection cords should be kept as short as possible to avoid excessive voltage loss.

Due to safety and operational concerns, LCEC does not install GenerLink when any power generation equipment is present. Power generation systems are not designed to be connected to a meter-based transfer switch such as GenerLink. We recommend that the member contacts their electrician or PV contractor to seek an alternate method of backup generator connection with PV equipment.