Jaye from Skillman, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2020. The load survey came to 3,100 square feet, and the Generac commissioned in January of 2021 is rated 16 kW on either fuel, so the natural-gas supply it runs on takes nothing off the nameplate. A 200-amp automatic transfer switch backs the whole panel rather than a short list of chosen circuits, which suits a house where nobody wants to think about which rooms stay live. Remote monitoring was set up at commissioning, and the machine has been through every scheduled service from the one-year visit in December of 2021 to the five-year visit in October of 2025.
Project Facts
- Location
- Skillman, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7178
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,100 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Skillman homeowners
Does a generator keep the well running during an outage in Skillman?
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.
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.
Can a generator sit on compacted stone?
Certain air-cooled models can, on a properly prepared compacted aggregate base, where the applicable installation manual permits it. The base has to be stable, level, and resistant to settling and erosion, and the preparation comes from the model's own manual rather than from general practice.