Mike from Barnegat, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since October of 2020. A Generac model 7176 was commissioned in March of 2021, rated 16 kW on natural gas against a load calculation asking for 14 kW. It carries the whole house from a 150-amp service, with a load-management module keeping the heaviest circuits from starting together. A separate freezer sits alongside the refrigerator, and that is a good part of what the machine exists to protect: a freezer that thaws through a long outage empties itself, and none of it comes back.
Project Facts
- Location
- Barnegat, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- October 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7176
- Rated output
- 16 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,600 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Barnegat homeowners
Will a 16 kW generator run an entire Barnegat 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.
Does the generator start on its own?
Yes. A properly installed standby generator left in AUTO is designed to start automatically when it detects an unacceptable loss of utility power. The transfer system then moves the household loads across, and when acceptable utility power returns it transfers them back and the generator runs through its programmed shutdown.
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.