Lisa from Middletown, NJ became a Green Sun Energy Services client in June of 2020. The generator was installed by another company, and the servicing came to us for its first-year visit, carried out that same month. The first service is the one that matters most on a new machine: the break-in oil comes out and the valves are checked at the point they are most likely to need adjusting, and skipping it is the most common reason a generator that was fine at installation is not fine three years later. Servicing here was arranged as and when rather than under a continuing plan, but the visit was done and the machine was left in order.
Project Facts
- Location
- Middletown, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- June 2020
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 5887
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Middletown homeowners
What should a Middletown homeowner look for in a generator installer?
A contractor who can design, permit, install, commission, maintain and repair the whole system rather than one who sells the machine. That means generator sizing and transfer equipment, disconnect and shutdown requirements, grounding and bonding, the manufacturer's own installation requirements, gas or propane capacity and pressure, the model-specific clearances, the municipal zoning setbacks, windows and vents and carbon-monoxide entry points, flood requirements where they apply, permits and inspections, utility coordination, load management, commissioning, warranty registration, monitoring and long-term service. The lowest proposal is not necessarily the lowest cost over the life of the system.
What happens when the utility power comes back?
The system detects the return of acceptable utility power and transfers the house back automatically. The generator then runs through a programmed cool-down before shutting off and returning to standby. Nobody has to switch anything back by hand.
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.