Bruno from Eatontown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2018. The generator was commissioned that November: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp managed whole-house switch, sized against a 15 kW calculation for the 2,529 square foot house. Two sump pumps are the load that decides the case here – a house with one has a wet basement, a house with two has already learned that one is not enough, and both will be running in the storm that takes the power out. Two refrigerators, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher complete the list. One condition was agreed in advance: the household would clear a large bush and the small plantings along the wall where the machine would sit.
Project Facts
- Location
- Eatontown, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- September 2018
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 70371
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,529 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Eatontown homeowners
What fuel does a home standby generator use?
Most residential air-cooled standby generators are designed to run on either natural gas or vapour-withdrawn liquid propane. The generator and its fuel system have to be configured for whichever is chosen, and the required pressure, capacity and consumption figures depend on the model.
Can the existing natural-gas service in a Eatontown 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 the generator go in the back yard?
Yes, provided the location complies with the installation instructions and the applicable state and municipal requirements. A distant back-yard position lengthens the electrical and gas runs, which can call for larger conductors or larger gas piping and can raise the cost of the installation.