Jamie from Middletown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since March of 2022. The generator was installed by another company and commissioned at the end of 2020, and the servicing came to us just over a year later. Four intervals have been kept since, each in late winter – the two-year service in March of 2022, the three-year in February of 2023, the four-year in February of 2024 and the five-year service in January of 2025. Servicing in the depth of winter is the right instinct on a machine meant for storms: it is put in order at the point it is most likely to be called on, rather than months after the season has already tested it. An annual maintenance plan covers the visit.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- March 2022
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7038-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
Does a generator produce less on natural gas than on propane?
Some models do have a lower rated maximum output on natural gas than on propane -- a current 22 kW machine is rated 22 kW on LP and 21 kW on natural gas. Other models carry their own ratings, so the model-specific specification sheet is what settles it rather than a general rule.
Does a generator keep the well running during an outage in Middletown?
Yes, when the well pump is included in the design. A private well pump is electric, so without power there is no running water at all -- a different order of problem from losing the lights. Homes on a well are among the clearest cases for standby power, and the pump belongs on the load list from the start.
Will a larger gas meter be needed?
Possibly. A generator can significantly increase a home's maximum gas demand. If the existing meter or service cannot hold the required pressure while supplying the generator and the other appliances together, the gas utility may require an upgrade.