Lisa from Howell, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2019. The servicing of a standby generator another company had installed came to us that month, and in March of 2024 the machine itself was replaced with a Generac model 7290, rated 22.5 kW on natural gas against a load calculation asking for 22 kW. Most of the 5,200 square feet runs on gas – two furnaces, the cooktop, the water heater and the dryer – so it is the double electric oven that accounts for much of what the generator has to carry.
Project Facts
- Location
- Howell, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- August 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7290
- Rated output
- 26 kW LP / 22.5 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Everything went quite smoothly in terms of the generator installation.
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Lisa. Replacing a standby generator is a different job from installing one: the gas line and the transfer switch are already there, and the work is making a new machine fit an existing house properly. The 22.5 kW unit in Howell was sized around what the house really draws, a double oven included. Glad it went smoothly.
Standby generator questions from Howell homeowners
Why do outages last longer on some Howell streets than others?
Mature tree cover over overhead lines is the usual reason. Limbs coming down in wind, snow or ice take the lines with them, so heavily treed streets tend to see both more frequent outages and longer restoration times than open ones. It is one of the honest arguments for standby power rather than a portable generator.
Will a 22 kW generator run an entire Howell 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.
Does a 200-amp service need a 200-amp transfer switch?
A transfer switch installed in the service path has to be rated appropriately for the service and the configuration. A 200-amp service commonly uses a 200-amp service-rated switch, but the actual design is confirmed by the electrician rather than assumed from the service size.