McCombs Electrical Heating & Air

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McCombs Electrical Heating & Air

McCombs Electrical Heating & Air has served Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment since 1974. Call (850) 994-5467.

Led by Florida Engineer Josh Rogers, License 75495, we handle AC repair, electrical, HVAC, heat pumps, and generators.

11/05/2026

How an interlock device actually works during a power outage, step by step.

1. PLUG IN. Portable generator plugs into the exterior inlet installed during the interlock install (weatherproof box with a twist-lock plug).
2. SHUT OFF. Main utility breaker goes off, disconnecting your house from the utility.
3. SLIDE. Mechanical interlock plate slides over, revealing the generator breaker.
4. SWITCH ON. Generator breaker flips on. Your entire panel is now powered by the generator.
5. MANAGE LOAD. Manually turn off breakers you do not need (central AC, electric water heater, electric dryer, oven) to stay within generator capacity.

Your fridge, lights, wifi, outlets, and a window AC can all run from a 5,000 to 7,500 watt portable generator through an interlock. Most people find manual load management intuitive after one storm.

McCombs installs UL-listed interlock kits across Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/transfer-switch-vs-interlock-device/

(850) 994-5467

11/04/2026

"Is an interlock legal in Florida?"

Yes, when all four of these are true:
1. It is a UL-listed interlock kit specific to your panel brand and model (Square D, Siemens, Eaton, GE in the common configurations)
2. It is installed by a licensed electrical contractor
3. The installation is permitted through your county
4. The work passes an electrical inspection

Non-listed interlocks (homemade sliders, generic plates) are not legal and will not pass inspection. If someone offers you a quick interlock install without a permit, that is the kind of installation that voids homeowner insurance claims and creates lineworker safety hazards during the next outage.

McCombs only installs listed kits with the full permit sequence across Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/transfer-switch-vs-interlock-device/

(850) 994-5467

11/03/2026

Is a generator interlock legal in Santa Rosa and Escambia County?

Yes, when it is a UL-listed interlock kit for your exact panel brand, installed by a licensed electrical contractor, permitted through your county, and inspected.

The permit paths:
• Santa Rosa County, including Navarre and Pace: Development Services via MyGovernmentOnline (MGO)
• Unincorporated Escambia County: eTRAKiT or MGO
• City of Pensacola limits: City Building Inspections office directly

Inspectors verify four things before signing off: the UL-listed interlock plate matches your panel brand, the generator-input breaker has a hold-down kit, your portable generator uses a floating-neutral configuration, and the outdoor inlet is weather-rated and hardwired.

Non-listed interlocks and unpermitted installs do not pass inspection, void homeowner insurance claims, and create lineworker safety hazards during the next outage.

McCombs handles the permit, the install, and the inspection as one process across Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/transfer-switch-vs-interlock-device/

(850) 994-5467

11/02/2026

If you ran extension cords from a portable generator through a window during Hurricane Isaias and swore you were never doing it again, this piece is for you.

There are two permanent fixes for Northwest Florida homes. An interlock device and a transfer switch. Both are safe. Both are permitted. Both eliminate extension cords through windows. Both prevent back-feeding the utility line, which is a safety hazard for lineworkers restoring your power.

We just published a plain-English guide to both options, how they work, and which one is right for your home in Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, or Cantonment.

Read it here: https://mccombselectrical.com/transfer-switch-vs-interlock-device/

Josh Rogers, PE and the McCombs team. Serving Northwest Florida since 1974.

10/30/2026

Wrapping this week's content on post-storm standby generator service.

If your Generac, Kohler, Cummins, or Briggs & Stratton standby unit ran continuously during Isaias and has not been serviced since, you are already past the manufacturer-tracked service point for runtime hours. Oil and filter, air filter, battery, transfer switch, system diagnostic.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/generator-service-after-extended-storm-run/

Our office answers the phone Monday morning. Call us to get on the schedule, or submit a request through our website and we return every one within one business day.

(850) 994-5467

McCombs Electrical Heating & Air, serving Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment since 1974. Generac-authorized service provider.

10/29/2026

Post-storm standby generator service, step by step. In order.

1. OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. Continuous runtime drops oil quality faster than scheduled hour intervals account for.
2. AIR FILTER inspection and replacement if needed. Hurricane debris in the air intake is normal.
3. BATTERY LOAD TEST. Measure actual cranking amps against spec after the outage. Replace below spec before next storm season.
4. TRANSFER SWITCH INSPECTION. Open the switch, verify contacts clean and seated, confirm controller board reads the utility signal. Where most post-storm no-starts hide.
5. FULL SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC. Pull the controller log, check for pending fault codes.

McCombs is Generac-authorized and services Kohler, Cummins, and Briggs & Stratton across Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/generator-service-after-extended-storm-run/

(850) 994-5467

10/28/2026

A question we are hearing a lot this week in Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment:

"My standby generator ran the whole time during Isaias. Does it really need service, or is that just a sales push?"

It needs service, and it is not a sales push. Generac's own owner documentation specifies oil change intervals based on runtime hours, not calendar months. A typical extended outage puts 50 to 120 runtime hours on the engine in a single stretch.

Skipping service does not break the generator today. It breaks it the next time you lose power.

Full breakdown: https://mccombselectrical.com/generator-service-after-extended-storm-run/

(850) 994-5467

10/27/2026

The generator in this photo sat quiet for weeks before Hurricane Isaias. Then it ran for days straight.

That is what a standby generator is built to do, and it is also the hardest thing one ever does. Generac tracks service in runtime hours, not calendar months. If Isaias put 100+ hours on your unit, you are already past the service point.

Oil and filter, air filter, battery load test, transfer switch inspection, system diagnostic. In that order. Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/generator-service-after-extended-storm-run/

McCombs is Generac-authorized and we also service Kohler, Cummins, and Briggs & Stratton standby units across Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment.

(850) 994-5467

10/26/2026

If your standby generator ran for days during Hurricane Isaias, it is due for service now, not next spring when you remember.

Generac is direct about this in their owner documentation. Oil breaks down faster under continuous load. Air filters clog with storm debris. Batteries lose capacity after dozens of start cycles. Transfer switches develop contact wear that is invisible until the next outage, when the generator fires up and nothing happens on the house side.

We just published a plain-English guide to what post-storm generator service involves, for Northwest Florida homeowners from Milton to Cantonment who have standby units.

Read it here: https://mccombselectrical.com/generator-service-after-extended-storm-run/

Josh Rogers, PE and the McCombs team. Serving Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, and Cantonment since 1974.

10/23/2026

A quick wrap on this week's storm recovery content.

If you are still waiting on power because of damage to your service entrance (weatherhead, mast, meter box), you need a licensed electrical contractor to repair it before Florida Power & Light or your co-op will reconnect. We laid out the whole process this week in a plain-English guide: who owns what, what the law requires, how the Santa Rosa County "Work With" permit speeds things up.

Full guide: https://mccombselectrical.com/who-is-responsible-electrical-service-northwest-florida/

Our calls will be answered this weekend. If you spot damage over the weekend, call us Monday morning and we will get you on the list for assessment.

(850) 994-5467

McCombs Electrical Heating & Air, serving Northwest Florida since 1974.

Address

5217 US-90
Milton, FL
32571

Website

https://mccombselectrical.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

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