When the storm comes and one of you is gone
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base puts a lot of military families in and around Goldsboro, and hurricane season doesn't wait for a deployment or a long TDY to end. When a storm comes through with one spouse away, the one at home is left managing the kids, the house and the outage.
A standby generator takes the outage off that list. It starts on its own within seconds of the power going out, runs the house on natural gas or propane, and shuts itself off when the grid comes back. Nobody has to drag out a portable, run cords or find gasoline after the storm. Most current Generac units can also be checked from a phone, so the spouse who's away can see that the house has power.
If you own your home and expect to sell when orders come, it's worth knowing that a standby generator is a permanent fixture that stays with the house.
What the Neuse has done here
Goldsboro sits on the Neuse in the middle of Wayne County. Floyd in 1999 brought a record crest, Matthew in 2016 set another and flooded stretches of I-95 in the region, and Florence followed in 2018. Each time, wind took down lines across the county and high water slowed the repairs. Near the river and its tributaries, the installer checks your flood zone and sets the generator at a height that meets floodplain rules.
Gas in town, propane in the county
Wayne County splits fairly cleanly by fuel:
- Inside Goldsboro and its close-in neighborhoods, Piedmont Natural Gas is widely available. A natural gas generator never needs refilling, though many homes need a meter upgrade from Piedmont to carry the generator alongside the furnace, water heater and range.
- Around Pikeville, Grantham, Rosewood and the rest of rural Wayne County, many homes are beyond the gas lines. A propane tank sized for several days of run time is the usual answer.
See propane and natural gas generators for tank sizing and meter upgrades.
The local details
Goldsboro is on Duke Energy Progress, and some outlying parts of Wayne County are on an electric cooperative. The transfer switch works the same with either. Inside the city, the City of Goldsboro's Inspections department issues the generator permit and inspects the work; outside the city it's Wayne County Inspections. The installer, a licensed NC electrical contractor and authorized Generac dealer, pulls the permits and schedules the inspections. Read about whole house generators and Generac installation.
Communities we serve around Goldsboro
Goldsboro, Pikeville, Fremont, Mount Olive, Rosewood, Grantham, Dudley, Seven Springs, Walnut Creek, Eureka and Princeton, along US 70, I-795, US 117, US 13 and NC 111. We also provide generator repair and maintenance and transfer switch installation in the area.
Common questions
I'm stationed at Seymour Johnson. Is a generator worth it if I'll move in a few years?
It depends on your plans. It protects your family through the storm seasons you're here, and it stays with the house when you sell. The installer can give you a quote to weigh.
Can I run a generator on natural gas in Goldsboro?
Many Goldsboro homes have Piedmont Natural Gas service, so often yes. The installer checks your meter capacity. Homes without gas use propane.
Who issues generator permits in Goldsboro?
Inside city limits, the City of Goldsboro Inspections department. Outside the city, Wayne County Inspections. The installer handles the permits and inspections.