Jessica from Manalapan, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2019. The generator was commissioned that November: 20 kW on natural gas, on a 200-amp whole-house transfer switch, sized against a 16 kW calculation for the 3,326 square foot house. One condition was agreed in advance: two sprinkler heads would be relocated once the generator was in place. It sounds like housekeeping and it is not – a sprinkler playing on an air-cooled enclosure several times a week finds its way into places water should not be, and the damage takes years to show rather than days. Annual maintenance, an extended parts-and-labor warranty and monitoring we manage all sit behind the machine.
Project Facts
- Location
- Manalapan, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7039-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,326 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Manalapan homeowners
Does the transfer switch need flood protection as well as the generator?
Yes. A flood review should cover much more than the generator enclosure. FEMA recommends that a residential standby system consider elevation or protection of the generator, the transfer switch, the normal and emergency panels, the feeders and the control wiring together.
What size standby generator does a Manalapan 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.
Will a larger gas meter be needed?
Possibly. A generator can significantly increase a home's maximum gas demand. If the existing meter or service cannot hold the required pressure while supplying the generator and the other appliances together, the gas utility may require an upgrade.