Gerry from Manalapan, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since June of 2018. The 20 kW standby generator at the house was installed by another company in July of 2013, and Gerry moved its servicing to us five years later. The one, two, three and four-year intervals were all carried out, the last completed in March of 2021 with 167.3 hours on the meter and the fuel plenum inspected and clear of rust, and a separate plenum job was done along the way. At 167 hours a 20 kW machine has been earning its keep — that is roughly a week of continuous running, accumulated an outage at a time.
Project Facts
- Location
- Manalapan, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- June 2018
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 5875
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Manalapan homeowners
Will a 20 kW generator run an entire Manalapan 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.
How level does a generator have to be?
Within the leveling tolerance specified in its installation manual -- applicable air-cooled instructions have used roughly a half-inch overall. A poorly prepared base can settle after installation and bring on drainage, vibration or enclosure problems that were not there on the day it went in.
Which way should the generator face?
Orientation has to comply with the installation instructions and must not create an unsafe exhaust or carbon-monoxide condition. Windows, doors, soffit openings, intake vents, window wells and mechanical fresh-air intakes all bear on it. Which way the machine faces is part of the site design, not an aesthetic choice made at the end.