Joyce from Farmingdale, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2019. The generator was commissioned that November: a 16 kW Generac Guardian on natural gas, on a 150-amp whole-house transfer switch with a smart management module. The load calculation asked for 14 kW across the 2,847 square foot house, with a double electric oven, a refrigerator, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher on the list. A double oven is the appliance that most often pushes a kitchen past what its size suggests – two elements drawing together approach the demand of everything else in the house combined. The generator is on annual maintenance with monitoring we manage, so a fault reaches us rather than waiting to be discovered during an outage.
Project Facts
- Location
- Farmingdale, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- September 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 70351
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,847 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Farmingdale homeowners
Will a 16 kW generator run an entire Farmingdale house?
For many homes, yes, but that does not mean every load can run at the same moment. Houses with two central air conditioners, electric heat, EV charging, pool equipment or electric cooking may need load management or a larger machine. The answer comes from a load calculation rather than from the phrase whole house.
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.
Does the generator need its own gas shutoff?
The fuel installation has to include the shutoff arrangements required by the adopted fuel-gas code and by the installation instructions. The valve must be positioned where it is accessible, both for servicing and for isolating the machine in an emergency.