Fredric from Scotch Plains, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2019. The generator was commissioned that December: 18 kW on natural gas, on a 150-amp managed whole-house switch with two smart management modules, sized against a 15 kW calculation for the 2,600 square foot house. Two sump pumps are the load that decides the case here – a house with one has a wet basement, a house with two has already learned that one is not enough, and both will be running in the storm that takes the power out. Two refrigerators, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher complete the list. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Scotch Plains, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7038-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 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 Scotch Plains homeowners
Which fuel-gas code applies?
New Jersey currently adopts the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code as its Fuel Gas Subcode, which is what governs the piping, testing and shutoff arrangements on a natural-gas generator installation.
What size standby generator does a Scotch Plains home need?
The correct size is decided by the electrical loads the generator is expected to run, not by the square footage of the house. Central air, heat pumps, electric heat, well and sump pumps, refrigerators and freezers, electric ranges and dryers, pool equipment and EV chargers all count. Where a load is connected automatically, the generator either has the capacity for it or an approved load-management system controls it.
How much space is needed at the ends of the generator?
Applicable air-cooled installation instructions commonly require about three feet at the ends. That space protects cooling airflow, exhaust operation and the access a technician needs to work on the machine. The model-specific manual controls.