Vincent from Woodbridge, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2020. The generator was commissioned in January of 2021: 16 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp managed whole-house switch, sized against a 14 kW calculation for the 2,182 square foot house. A sump pump, a refrigerator, a separate freezer, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher make up the load. Five months separated the contract from the commissioning, which was the shape of generator work through that period – the permit, the utility gas connection and the equipment lead time all ran in sequence rather than together. An annual maintenance plan covers the yearly visit, with the manufacturer’s standard warranty behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Woodbridge Township, 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
- 2,182 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Woodbridge Township homeowners
Is a standby generator the same as a portable one?
No. A home standby generator is permanently installed and automatically connected to the home's electrical and fuel systems. A portable normally has to be placed, fuelled, started and connected by hand each time, using approved connection equipment. The standby machine is designed as an integrated backup-power system rather than as something you fetch out of the garage.
Which way should the generator face?
Orientation has to comply with the installation instructions and must not create an unsafe exhaust or carbon-monoxide condition. Windows, doors, soffit openings, intake vents, window wells and mechanical fresh-air intakes all bear on it. Which way the machine faces is part of the site design, not an aesthetic choice made at the end.
Does new gas piping have to be pressure tested in Woodbridge Township?
Yes. Gas piping subject to the adopted fuel-gas code must be inspected and tested before it is accepted. New Jersey adopts the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, which governs the inspection, the test pressure and how long the test has to hold.