Generator Interlock Kit Installation · New Jersey

Generator Interlock Kit Installation in New Jersey

A generator interlock kit is a mechanical slide on the main panel that prevents the main breaker and the generator breaker from being on at the same time. With an exterior power inlet, it lets a portable generator power chosen circuits without backfeeding the utility.

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Local notes for 3 New Jersey cities

A standby generator on a concrete pad beside a house

Generator Interlock Kit Installation across New Jersey

Generator Interlock Kit Installation in Trenton, NJ

Trenton rowhomes and older single-family houses near the Delaware River face both storm outages and flooding, so a generator interlock setup here has two placement rules: the generator must run outdoors and away from windows, and the inlet and generator should sit above any past flood level. In attached homes, exhaust can drift into a neighbor's house, so the back of the property is usually the safest spot.

Older rowhomes often have small services, knob-and-tube and patched wiring, and renovations commonly require full rewiring. Basements near the river can take on water.

Generator Interlock Kit Installation in Newark, NJ

Hurricane Sandy left much of northern New Jersey without power for days in 2012, and many Newark homeowners have since added a way to connect a portable generator safely. In a two- or three-family house, each unit usually has its own panel, so the owner decides which unit's essentials the generator will run and installs the interlock on that panel.

Multi-family homes typically have a separate small service and meter for each unit, and knob-and-tube or patched wiring is common. Adding central air or converting a basement often needs more capacity.

Generator Interlock Kit Installation in Jersey City, NJ

For a Jersey City brownstone or rowhouse with a small rear yard, an outdoor inlet and a breaker interlock are often the only practical way to use backup power, a lesson many owners learned when Sandy cut power for days in 2012. In rowhouse and brownstone neighborhoods with small yards, a portable generator wired through an outdoor inlet and a breaker interlock is often the only practical backup.

Older brownstones and rowhouses often have knob-and-tube or cloth wiring, small services and multiple apartments with separate meters. Basement-level panels and meters in flood-prone blocks are at risk during storm surge and heavy rain.

What generator interlock kit installation involves

Plugging a generator into a wall outlet, or a "suicide cord", can send power back onto utility lines and injure line workers. An interlock and inlet box is the lower-cost, code-compliant alternative to a full transfer switch.

With an interlock, you choose which circuits to run during an outage, such as the furnace blower, refrigerator, sump pump and some lights, within the generator's capacity.

Signs to look for

You own or plan to buy a portable generator
Outages in your area last hours or days
You need to keep a sump pump, furnace or well pump running
You want backup power without a standby generator

What moves the price

Interlock kit availability for your panel
Inlet amperage (30 or 50 amp)
Distance from panel to inlet
Generator cord length and type
Permit fees

Generator Interlock Kit Installation in New Jersey: questions

Where in New Jersey is generator interlock kit installation common?

Our local notes cover Trenton, Newark, Jersey City. Trenton rowhomes and older single-family houses near the Delaware River face both storm outages and flooding, so a generator interlock setup here has two placement rules: the generator must run outdoors and away from windows, and the inlet and generator should sit above any past flood level.

Who issues permits for generator interlock kit installation in New Jersey?

The city or county building department where the home is. Trenton: New Jersey uses a statewide Uniform Construction Code, and electrical permits in Trenton come from the city's construction code office. Newark: New Jersey uses a statewide Uniform Construction Code, and electrical permits in Newark come from the city's construction code office. Jersey City: Electrical permits come from Jersey City's Division of Construction Code Official.

Is an interlock kit legal?

Yes, when it is listed for your panel and installed with a permit; it is a recognized way to prevent backfeeding.

Interlock kit or transfer switch?

An interlock uses your existing panel and lets you pick circuits; a transfer switch has dedicated circuits or switches automatically with a standby generator.

What can a portable generator run?

Typically a furnace blower, refrigerator, sump pump, lights and a few outlets, depending on its wattage.

Related help in New Jersey

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