Milton and Gloria from Middletown, NJ have been Green Sun Energy Services clients since August of 2020. A Generac Guardian rated 20 kW on propane and 18 kW on natural gas went in that November, running on natural gas behind a 200-amp automatic transfer switch, with 2,888 square feet of living space behind it on the load survey. Natural gas is what makes a machine this size practical to live with: nothing to deliver and nothing to monitor, so an outage lasting four days demands no more attention than one lasting four hours.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7039-1
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,888 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
Can the existing natural-gas service in a Middletown 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.
How far does a generator have to be from a window or door?
Manufacturer guidance requires substantial separation from operable windows, doors, vents and other openings through which exhaust could enter the house -- commonly five feet for the applicable air-cooled configurations. The exact model's current installation manual has to be checked before a location is approved.
Is a standby generator the same as a portable one?
No. A home standby generator is permanently installed and automatically connected to the home's electrical and fuel systems. A portable normally has to be placed, fuelled, started and connected by hand each time, using approved connection equipment. The standby machine is designed as an integrated backup-power system rather than as something you fetch out of the garage.