Grace from Farmingdale, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since December of 2012. She signed a week before Christmas and the generator was commissioned at the end of April, a 17 kW Generac behind a service-rated automatic transfer switch. It covers 2,240 square feet with two electric ovens, a freezer, a refrigerator, a dishwasher and the laundry. It has been on a PowerBase plan every year since, which is why a thirteen year old machine is still worth what it cost. Farmingdale is in Monmouth County.
Project Facts
- Location
- Farmingdale, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- December 2012
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6053-0
- Rated output
- 17 kW LP / 16 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,240 sq ft
- Transfer switch
- 200 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Farmingdale homeowners
Why do outages last longer on some Farmingdale 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.
What gas pressure does a generator need?
It is model-specific and has to be read off the specification sheet rather than assumed. A current 22 kW model, for instance, specifies a minimum natural-gas pressure of 3.5 inches water column. Different models carry different requirements.
What is the main line circuit breaker on a generator?
It is the generator's primary AC output breaker. Worth knowing because if it is open the engine can run without delivering any power through the transfer system -- a machine that sounds like it is working while the house stays dark.