Dave and Susan from Farmingdale, NJ have been Green Sun Energy Services clients since May of 2016. The generator was commissioned that July: a 16 kW machine on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch with two priority management modules and surge protection. The load calculation asked for only 7 kW across the 3,000 square foot house, which makes this one of the widest margins we have installed – and it is a deliberate choice rather than an oversized one, because a generator that never approaches its limit runs cooler, quieter and longer than one sized to the number. A double electric oven, two refrigerators, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher all keep going. An annual maintenance visit and a ten-year extended parts-and-labor warranty sit behind it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Farmingdale, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- May 2016
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6462
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,000 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Farmingdale homeowners
Does a propane generator need permits in Farmingdale?
A permanently installed propane generator normally requires construction permits, and the propane installation has to satisfy the applicable fuel-gas and LP-gas requirements. Tank placement, capacity, piping, regulators, setbacks and fire-safety provisions all come under review.
What is a sediment trap for?
It helps stop foreign material in the gas line from reaching the generator's fuel controls. Where the fuel-gas code and the system configuration call for one, it is fitted, and the maintenance schedule includes inspecting or cleaning it.
How much clearance is needed above a generator?
Applicable air-cooled guidance requires roughly five feet of overhead clearance from structures, overhangs and projections. That is what rules out a good many low decks, roof overhangs and alcoves as generator locations, and it is worth establishing early rather than after a site is chosen.