What Should a Standby Generator Power? A Yukon “Critical Loads” Checklist
Backup power is most valuable when it’s planned—before the outage.
Most people start shopping for a standby generator with a single sentence: “I want power when the grid goes down.”
That’s true… but it’s not specific enough to design a system that’s reliable, safe, and cost-effective. The smarter question is:
What do you need to keep running in a Yukon outage—especially in winter?
A standby generator system is typically paired with an automatic transfer switch (ATS) that isolates your home from the utility and switches your selected loads to generator power during an outage. Generac explains that a transfer switch prevents a home from being powered by utility and generator power at the same time, and the generator controller signals the transfer switch when utility power is lost.
That “selected loads” part is where good planning happens.
Step 1: Choose your “must-have” loads (the essentials)
These are the circuits that protect your home, health, and property:
- Heat system essentials (furnace/boiler controls, circulation pumps, fans)
- Fridge + freezer (food protection)
- Basic lighting (safe navigation, stairs, exits)
- Internet + communications (router/modem/charging)
- Well pump / pressure system (if applicable)
- Sump pump (if applicable)
If you’re unsure which circuits feed these, that’s normal—most panels aren’t labelled well. A quick site visit is often enough to map them.
Step 2: Decide what “comfort power” means for your household.
These loads aren’t always essential, but they make an outage much easier to live through:
- Microwave or a few kitchen receptacles
- One or two bedroom circuits (charging, lamps)
- Garage door opener (in some setups)
- HRV/ventilation equipment
- A small office circuit (computer/monitor)
The goal here is to be intentional. Backup power isn’t about pretending nothing happened—it’s about keeping life functional.
Step 3: Understand why starting loads matter (motors are different)
Some equipment draws a quick surge when it starts:
- pumps
- compressors
- fans
- some refrigeration equipment
That surge can be far higher than the normal running draw. This is why a “critical loads” approach is often better than trying to power everything at once.
Step 4: Pick a strategy: “managed essentials” vs “whole-home”
Most homeowners land in one of two good options:
Option A: Essentials-first (most common)
- Lower cost
- High reliability
- Easy to expand later
Option B: Whole-home coverage
- More comfort
- Higher generator capacity required
- More planning around large loads (and sometimes load management)
A good installer will size the solution to your real needs—not just sell the biggest unit.
Step 5: Add one Yukon-specific layer: cold reliability
If your generator is part of your winter risk plan, cold-start reliability matters. Generac publishes cold weather kits (for certain models) that include thermostatically controlled components like a battery pad warmer and crankcase heater, recommended for regions where temperatures regularly fall below freezing. generac.com.
A practical “call us” checklist
If you can answer these, you’re ready for a smooth quote:
- Do you want essentials or whole-home?
- Are you on natural gas or propane (or neither)?
- What are your top 5 “can’t lose” items?
- Any future plans: EV charging, suite, hot tub, shop equipment?
Moffat Electrical Contractors are Generac installers and service providers in Whitehorse for residential, commercial, and industrial work. Moffat Electrical Contracting. If you want help defining your critical loads, they can map your panel, design the right transfer approach, and build a plan that fits Yukon realities.
