Tom from Lavallette, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since December of 2015. The 20 kW standby generator at the house was installed by another company that April, and Tom and Francine moved its servicing to us eight months later, adding an extended parts-and-labor warranty at the same time. Every scheduled interval was carried out from the one-year check through to the six-year service in October of 2020, and that January we fitted a fuel plenum. The hour meter read 62.7 hours at the six-year visit — not much running for a house on the barrier island, where losing power is hardly a rare event, and a fair sign the machine had been kept in the condition to start when it was asked to.
Project Facts
- Location
- Lavallette, NJ
- Service
- Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- December 2015
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 6730
- Rated output
- 20 kW LP / 18 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Transfer switch
- 90 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
Standby generator questions from Lavallette homeowners
Does new gas piping have to be pressure tested in Lavallette?
Yes. Gas piping subject to the adopted fuel-gas code must be inspected and tested before it is accepted. New Jersey adopts the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, which governs the inspection, the test pressure and how long the test has to hold.
Why is an eighteen-inch wall clearance allowed?
Because it comes from the manufacturer's tested and listed installation configuration. Applicable units are listed and labelled for installation as close as eighteen inches to a structure, subject to openings and local requirements. New Jersey adopts the National Electrical Code, which requires listed equipment to be installed in accordance with the instructions attached to that listing -- so the eighteen inches is a tested dimension, not a rule of thumb.
How does the starting battery stay charged?
The system includes battery-charging provisions so the starting battery stays ready while the generator waits for an outage. A charging fault, a blown fuse, a wiring problem or simply a tired battery can stop a generator starting when it is needed, which is why battery condition is part of routine maintenance rather than an afterthought.