James from Parlin, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since May of 2019. His 8 kW Generac dates from 2012, and rather than replace a machine that still ran we retrofitted it with a new 100-amp automatic transfer switch. A switch is the part that decides what the generator can actually carry, and upgrading it is often the cheaper half of making an older unit useful again. A PowerBase plan has covered it since. Parlin is in Middlesex County.
Project Facts
- Location
- Parlin, NJ
- Services
- Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- May 2019
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 5882
- Rated output
- 8 kW LP / 7 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 800 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 100 amp
- Transfer switch
- 100 amp
- Load management
- Essential Circuits/NEMA-3R
Standby generator questions from Parlin homeowners
Does a generator in Parlin have to sit twelve inches above the flood elevation?
That figure should not be treated as a universal rule without looking at the actual property. The required elevation can depend on the flood-zone designation, the municipal freeboard, the Design Flood Elevation, Coastal A or V Zone conditions, NJDEP requirements and the applicable building-code provisions. Each flood-zone installation is worked out individually.
Can a generator be raised on a platform?
Yes. Manufacturer guidance specifically covers installations on platforms and other supporting structures, and directs them to the applicable fire-safety standard, including a noncombustible surface extending beyond the generator for the configuration addressed. Flood and structural requirements have to be satisfied as well.
Can a standby generator be used instead of utility power?
Residential standby generators are intended for backup during outages rather than as a permanent substitute for normal utility service. Running through an extended outage is expected, but maintenance requirements become considerably more important during prolonged continuous use.