Frank from Holmdel, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since May of 2019. The 20 kW standby generator at the house was commissioned in January of 2013 by another company, and Frank moved its servicing to us six years later. Every interval since has been carried out — the seven-year service through to the ten-year, the most recent completed in February of 2026 with 297.4 hours on the meter and the fuel plenum inspected and clear of rust. Approaching three hundred hours on a thirteen-year-old machine is a working generator by any measure, and the reason it is still working is that nothing has been deferred: the oil, the plugs, the battery and the transfer switch have all been seen to on schedule.
Project Facts
- Location
- Holmdel, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- May 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 5875
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Electrical service
- 200 amp
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Holmdel homeowners
What does the kW number on a generator mean?
It is the maximum continuous output the machine is rated to produce under the manufacturer's specified conditions. A current 22 kW model, for example, is rated 22 kW on liquid propane and 21 kW on natural gas. That difference is exactly why the fuel and the model both matter when a generator is sized.
How much space does a generator need in front of it?
For applicable air-cooled installations, roughly three feet of unobstructed clearance at the front, for airflow and for servicing. Fences, shrubs and stored materials should not intrude into that space. Newer models should be checked against their own current manual.
What should a Holmdel 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.