Why Didn't Power Switch Over to the Generator After Losing Utility Power?

The transfer of power relies on the 194/23 wires that form the power transfer circuit. If these wires are not connected, or the generator cannot supply the 12v 194 wire with power, then the transfer will not occur.

  • Jun 11, 2025
  • Knowledge

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Why Didn't Power Switch Over to the Generator After Losing Utility Power?
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Why-Didn-t-Power-Switch-Over-to-the-Generator-After-Losing-Utility-Power

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Read the manual thoroughly and understand all of the instructions, cautions, and warnings before using this equipment. If any section of the manual is not understood, contact your nearest authorized dealer, or contact Generac Customer Service at 1-888-436-3722 (1-888-GENERAC), or www.generac.com with any questions or concerns. 


Generator starts after an outage but does not transfer power

Home standby generator systems with an automatic transfer switch (ATS) should automatically transfer power to the generator when an outage is detected. 

The ATS requires two things to transfer power automatically: Voltage available from the generator and voltage on the transfer circuit (194/23 wires).

If power transfer to the generator does not occur after an outage, reference this article with comprehensive guidance on resolving power transfer issues: Troubleshooting Automatic transfer switch issues

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