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Generator Installation · Maryland
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.
Baltimore rowhomes and older suburbs carry aging wiring, and summer storms bring surge and outage calls.
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 Maryland cities where we have written specific notes.
Baltimore rowhouses have small rear yards, and generators must run outdoors away from windows and doors, so a portable generator with an outdoor inlet and panel interlock, set up in the yard or on a rear pad, is the usual choice. Summer storms, such as the June 2012 derecho, and winter ice have left many BGE customers without power for days.
Utility: BGE
The June 2012 derecho left most of Montgomery County without power, some homes for a week in extreme heat, and Silver Spring's mature trees still bring down lines in summer storms and winter ice. Many homeowners want backup for the sump pump, refrigerator and furnace or heat pump.
Utility: Pepco
Hurricane remnants and summer thunderstorms bring outages to Annapolis, and waterfront homes are exposed to wind off the Severn and South rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. For a historic downtown home on a small lot, a portable generator with an outdoor inlet and interlock is often the practical choice, while suburban homes in Admiral Heights and along the rivers may suit a standby generator with an automatic transfer switch.
Utility: BGE
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: Baltimore: Baltimore City and Baltimore County are separate jurisdictions. Silver Spring: Electrical permits come from Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services. Annapolis: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Annapolis' planning and zoning permits office; Anne Arundel County handles areas outside the city.
Baltimore: BGE. Silver Spring: Pepco. Annapolis: BGE.
Listed interlock kits are accepted in many jurisdictions when installed with a permit. Your electrician will know the local rule.
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