Steve from Freehold, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since December of 2019. The 20 kW Generac had been installed by another company in January of 2013, so it came to us with seven years behind it and no service history of ours to read, which is the ordinary position when a machine changes hands. It was serviced in December of 2019, October of 2021 and November of 2022. A generator already years into its life is worth more attention than a new one rather than less, because the parts that wear are the ones nobody looks at.
Project Facts
- Location
- Freehold, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- December 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 5887
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
Standby generator questions from Freehold homeowners
What actually gets done at a service visit?
It depends on the model, the age and the interval, but typically engine oil and filter, air filter, spark plug inspection or replacement, battery inspection, a fuel-system leak check, sediment-trap inspection, valve clearance where applicable, and inspection of the enclosure and intakes.
Can the existing natural-gas service in a Freehold home supply a generator?
Often yes, but the gas system has to be evaluated first. The review covers the generator's BTU demand, meter capacity, available pressure, regulator capacity, pipe diameter and length, and every other gas appliance in the house -- furnace, boiler, water heater, range and fireplace among them.
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.