Lisa from Scotch Plains, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since April of 2021. A Generac Guardian rated 22 kW on propane and 19.5 kW on natural gas went in that November, running on natural gas behind a 200-amp automatic transfer switch. The load survey put 3,000 square feet of living space behind it. At 200 amps the switch takes the whole service rather than a selected group of circuits, so an outage is something the house rides out on everything it normally uses rather than on a shortlist decided years earlier.
Project Facts
- Location
- Scotch Plains, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- April 2021
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 7043-2
- Rated output
- 22 kW LP / 19.5 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 3,000 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Scotch Plains homeowners
Will a 22 kW generator run an entire Scotch Plains 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 permanently installed generator need a disconnect?
Yes. Permanently installed generators fall under the disconnecting-means requirements of the National Electrical Code's generator article, and the equipment and electrical design have to satisfy those requirements alongside the machine's own listing and instructions.
How often should a standby generator be serviced?
Maintenance follows the schedule for the exact model and its operating hours. For current air-cooled units that means an annual inspection plus scheduled work at hour-and-year intervals. Extended running during a long outage can bring the next service forward.