Kevin from Freehold, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2019. The generator was commissioned that October: 20 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch. The load calculation asked for 21 kW across the 3,200 square foot house – two sump pumps, a double electric oven, two refrigerators, a separate freezer, a washer, a gas dryer and a dishwasher – so the machine sits marginally below the calculated figure and relies on the house not starting all of it at once. The first-year, two-year and three-year services were all completed, in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Project Facts
- Location
- Freehold, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Installation
- Client since
- August 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7039-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,200 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Freehold homeowners
Does a generator keep the well running during an outage in Freehold?
Yes, when the well pump is included in the design. A private well pump is electric, so without power there is no running water at all -- a different order of problem from losing the lights. Homes on a well are among the clearest cases for standby power, and the pump belongs on the load list from the start.
Why is an eighteen-inch wall clearance allowed?
Because it comes from the manufacturer's tested and listed installation configuration. Applicable units are listed and labelled for installation as close as eighteen inches to a structure, subject to openings and local requirements. New Jersey adopts the National Electrical Code, which requires listed equipment to be installed in accordance with the instructions attached to that listing -- so the eighteen inches is a tested dimension, not a rule of thumb.
Does a generator produce less on natural gas than on propane?
Some models do have a lower rated maximum output on natural gas than on propane -- a current 22 kW machine is rated 22 kW on LP and 21 kW on natural gas. Other models carry their own ratings, so the model-specific specification sheet is what settles it rather than a general rule.