Norma from Farmingdale, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since October of 2022. The generator was commissioned in February of 2023: 18 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp service-entrance switch with surge protection. The load calculation asked for 14 kW across 1,495 square feet – a high figure for a house this size, and an electric oven and microwave combination is most of the reason. Electric cooking is the load that most often surprises people when the survey comes back: it draws hard, it draws at predictable times, and it does not care how many square feet the house has. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Farmingdale, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- October 2022
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7226
- Rated output
- 18 kW LP / 17 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 1,495 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Farmingdale homeowners
Why can't a generator be wired straight into the panel?
Because a standby generator needs approved transfer or interconnection equipment so that it cannot unintentionally energise the utility supply. The transfer switch is one of the most important electrical-safety components in the whole installation, not an accessory to it.
How level does a generator have to be?
Within the leveling tolerance specified in its installation manual -- applicable air-cooled instructions have used roughly a half-inch overall. A poorly prepared base can settle after installation and bring on drainage, vibration or enclosure problems that were not there on the day it went in.
Why do outages last longer on some Farmingdale streets than others?
Mature tree cover over overhead lines is the usual reason. Limbs coming down in wind, snow or ice take the lines with them, so heavily treed streets tend to see both more frequent outages and longer restoration times than open ones. It is one of the honest arguments for standby power rather than a portable generator.