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ELEssential Loads Notes

Page index

  1. Whole-home versus partial backup: what the difference means

    Whether a backup system powers every circuit or only a chosen few, and why that choice shapes the wiring, the cost and what works in an outage.

  2. What an essential loads panel (backup subpanel) is

    A backup loads panel is a second, smaller breaker panel that holds only the circuits you want kept on in an outage. Here's how it differs from the main one.

  3. What a transfer switch does and why it exists

    A transfer switch moves a load between two power sources and keeps them apart. Here's why backup power needs one and what the main kinds are.

  4. Why backup panels and transfer switches are licensed electrician work

    Backup panels and transfer switches connect to your main service. Here's why that work belongs to a licensed electrician, not a home owner.

  5. Making a loads list: which circuits matter in an outage

    How to decide which circuits and appliances to keep powered in an outage, and how to write the list down so a licensed electrician can use it.

  6. Finding watts and amps on appliance labels for your list

    Where to find how much power each appliance uses, how watts, volts and amps relate, and what to do when a label gives only one of them.

  7. Big loads that need care: pumps, heat pumps, ovens, EV chargers

    Why big loads like well pumps, heat pumps, electric ovens and EV chargers are often left off backup circuits, and what to ask before putting them on.

  8. Questions to bring to a licensed electrician about backup circuits

    What to prepare and what to ask before you get a quote for a backup panel, transfer switch or battery wiring, so the quote covers the right circuits.