Robert from Fords, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2021. A Generac model 7043-2 was commissioned in February of 2022, rated 19.5 kW on natural gas. The load calculation asked for 8 kW, which is what 1,177 square feet with gas cooking and gas hot water comes to – but the house also runs three mini-splits and two sump pumps, all electric and all wanted during an outage, and the machine was sized with room rather than to the minimum. Two load-management modules keep the largest of them from starting together.
Project Facts
- Location
- Fords, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- September 2021
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7043-2
- Rated output
- 22 kW LP / 19.5 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 1,177 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Fords homeowners
Why does the generator run when the power is on?
It is performing its automatic exercise cycle, which confirms basic engine operation and keeps the machine ready. A generator can also start because utility voltage has become abnormal even though the power has not gone off completely -- the controller watches the quality of the supply, not simply whether it is absent.
Will a 22 kW generator run an entire Fords 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.
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.