When I took over purchasing for our company in 2020, one of the first things I noticed was that our maintenance team seemed to order a lot of generac-generator parts. Not replacement parts for old units—but parts for new installations that kept getting reconfigured. At first, I figured it was just the learning curve of expanding our facilities. It took me three years and about 45 different vendor interactions to understand that the real issue wasn't the hardware. It was the plan.
Here's what I mean.
The Surface Problem: "How Do I Switch Over?"
The question that kicked off most of our orders sounded simple: how to transfer switch 1 to switch 2. Our facilities manager needed to know the sequence—flip this, unplug that, press this button. We'd get a generac 11kw generator installed, and suddenly someone was asking for the on-off switch diagram or a specific generac generator on off switch part because they weren't comfortable with the interface.
I figured the answer was just training. Buy a manual, get the dealer to walk them through it once. Problem solved.
But the questions didn't stop. And that should have been my first clue that the problem wasn't operational—it was architectural.
The Deeper Reality: Why Transfer Switches Don't Get Used Right
After the third reconfiguration of a single building's power setup, I sat down with our primary electrical contractor—the one who didn't sell us the generator—and asked a blunt question: "Why do we keep having to redo this?"
His answer was pretty straightforward, though I didn't like hearing it: "Because nobody asked the right questions before you bought the equipment."
Let me rephrase that. The issue wasn't that the transfer switches were bad. It was that the relationship between the switches—which loads go where, what gets prioritized, how the automatic sequence works—hadn't been thought through at the system level. A generac 11kw generator is plenty of power for many setups. But if you're trying to run three critical systems on a single switch when you should be using two dedicated switches, you're going to run into problems. (Should mention: we learned this after a partial outage that left our server room running but our HVAC dead in August.)
I want to say that the issue was isolated to one location, but don't quote me on that. We had similar patterns across two other sites. The common thread? Everyone focused on the generator specs—kW output, fuel type, enclosure style—and nobody spent enough time on the switch architecture.
The Real Cost: More Than Just Parts
When I consolidated our vendor setup in 2024, I looked back at the actual costs associated with these reconfigurations. The numbers were kind of sobering.
- Direct costs: Additional electrical enclosure accessories, rewiring labor, and a second transfer switch we hadn't budgeted for. Roughly $2,400 across two projects.
- Indirect costs: Two days of lost productivity in one facility while we waited for reconfiguration. Our VP of operations was not amused.
- Relationship costs: The original installer looked bad. We had to decide whether to go back to them for the fix or hire someone else. We went with someone else, and that created friction with the original dealer network.
Oh, and I should add that the whole thing could have been avoided if the initial quote had included a question we never knew to ask: "What happens when you need to transfer between switches that weren't designed to coordinate?"
The vendor who gave us the first quote was fairly competitive. They listed the generac generator on off switch parts, the generator itself, the enclosure. What they didn't include was the consultation on system architecture. That was an extra. And because we didn't know to ask for it, we ended up paying for it later at a premium.
What I've Learned About the Right Way to Plan This
I'm not 100% sure this applies to every situation, but in my experience, the right approach is to ask the question before you get the price. Specifically: "What's the plan for switching between loads when the primary generator can't handle everything?"
If the vendor can't answer that clearly—with a specific switch configuration, load priorities, and a defined failover sequence—you're probably getting a partial solution that will need rework later. It doesn't matter if it's a generac 11kw generator or a bigger unit. The switch plan is the foundation.
I've also come to believe that the vendors who list all the contingencies upfront—including the cost of a properly architected switch setup—are usually the ones you should trust. Their total might look higher on paper. But when you factor in the cost of the reconfiguration you won't need, they're often cheaper.
Take this with a grain of salt, but I'd estimate we spent about $800 more than necessary on our first two generator installations simply because we didn't plan the transfer switch allocation at the start. That's not a huge number for a single project. But across three sites over 18 months? It adds up. (I should add: that doesn't include the indirect costs, which were probably another $1,200 in lost time and internal frustration.)
If you're planning a generator setup and you're asking yourself how to transfer switch 1 to switch 2, that's a good sign—it means you're thinking about the operation. But I'd suggest you also ask: "Why am I needing two switches in the first place?" That's the question that leads to the right architecture, which is what actually saves you money and headaches.
Because in the end, the hardware—whether it's a generac-generator or any other brand—is only as good as the plan it's plugged into.
