Satish from Scotch Plains, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since April of 2018. He and Anita signed in late April and the generator was commissioned at the end of July, an 11 kW Generac on its own pad wired to a sixteen circuit transfer switch. That configuration covers the circuits that matter, the heat, the refrigerator and the outlets people actually use, rather than the whole panel. A Generac service contract has kept it maintained since. Scotch Plains is in Union County.
Project Facts
- Location
- Scotch Plains, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- April 2018
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 70321
- Rated output
- 11 kW LP / 10 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 1,000 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 100 amp
- Load management
- Essential Circuits/NEMA-3R
The technician (John) arrived on time. He explained us pros/cons of locking or not locking the generator door. Also gave us update on current condition and next things to plan for the generator.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Satish and Anita, and John will be glad to hear it. Giving the pros and cons of locking the enclosure rather than simply an instruction is how we would want it done, and saying what to plan for next is what makes an annual visit worth having. The generator in Scotch Plains is in good order.
Standby generator questions from Scotch Plains homeowners
Can the existing natural-gas service in a Scotch Plains home supply a generator?
Often yes, but the gas system has to be evaluated first. The review covers the generator's BTU demand, meter capacity, available pressure, regulator capacity, pipe diameter and length, and every other gas appliance in the house -- furnace, boiler, water heater, range and fireplace among them.
Can a standby generator be installed in the garage?
No. Residential air-cooled standby generators are designed for outdoor installation and must never be run inside a garage, basement, shed or any other enclosed occupied space. The engine produces carbon monoxide, which can cause serious injury or death. That is why outdoor location and separation from building openings are treated as critical rather than as preferences.
What does the automatic transfer switch do?
It moves the home's electrical supply between the utility and the generator. That is what lets the system work automatically, and it is also what prevents the house being connected to both sources at once. It is the piece that makes the rest safe.