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Generator Installation · Pennsylvania
A generator must connect through a transfer switch or an approved interlock so it can never feed power back into utility lines. Electricians install standby generators, portable generator inlets with interlocks, and the transfer equipment for both.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh rowhomes and older suburbs carry original wiring and small services.
Across the Mid-Atlantic, homes deal with humid summers, coastal storms and occasional ice. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how generator installation is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the Pennsylvania cities where we have written specific notes.
The October 2011 snowstorm dropped heavy wet snow on trees still in leaf, causing widespread outages across the Lehigh Valley, and summer storms and nor'easters still knock out power in Allentown. For rowhouse owners in Center City and Old Allentown, yards are small and generators must run outdoors away from windows, so a portable generator with an outdoor inlet and interlock in a rear yard is the common choice.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
Winter storms in northeastern Pennsylvania can leave Scranton's hillside neighborhoods without power for days, and in deep cold a boiler without power becomes a problem. Many homeowners want backup for the boiler or furnace, sump pump and refrigerator.
Utility: PPL Electric Utilities
1. Size the load
Circuits that must stay powered are listed and the generator sized.
2. Choose the connection
Inlet and interlock, manual transfer switch or automatic transfer switch.
3. Install and inspect
Permitted installation, gas connection by a licensed fitter where needed, and inspection.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: Allentown: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Allentown's building standards and safety office; surrounding townships issue their own. Scranton: Electrical permits come from the City of Scranton's licensing, inspections and permits office.
Allentown: PPL Electric Utilities. Scranton: PPL Electric Utilities.
Listed interlock kits are accepted in many jurisdictions when installed with a permit. Your electrician will know the local rule.
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