Generac Generator Owners Question

[marshman]

Looking at a generac generator but am running into an issue. My gas meter is on one side of my house and the electric meter is on the complete opposite side. I’ve had several companies out for bids and all but one wants to run the gas line underground from the meter down the side of my house, all the way across the back then up the other side to where the generator would Be placed by the meter. Problem with that is there is a slab on that side of the house and we will either have to cut the concrete to lay the pipe then recover with concrete or use uni-strut type material and place the gas line on top of the slab but that would make a tripping hazard. One company (and it is a reliable one) said they could run the gas line through the attic and drop it down the wall to the generator. My question is why are all the other companies not willing to do it that way? One said it has 2lbs of pressure in it and he’d rather if it leaked to have it leak outside than in the attic which I agree with but on the other hand our stove and hot water heater are both on the opposite side of the house than where the gas meter is and those lines are in the attic.

anyone else that has a generac have something similar to this?

[Dale Moser]

I don’t, but I would not hesitate to run it through the attic.

[Alemana]

Similar situation to my parents house but they went with a Kholer generator and they bored underneath the slab to run the gas line and it only cost around $23k to run a 5500 sq ft house that was total cost.

[TheWidowMaker]

through the attic is fine I'd do whichever is cheaper to buy the pipe or the wire and that's what would determine which side of the house i put the generator on. fyi running off natural gas you're going to lose a couple kW off the advertised rating

[Sackett]

Similar situation to my parents house but they went with a Kholer generator and they bored underneath the slab to run the gas line and it only cost around $23k to run a 5500 sq ft house that was total cost.

You’re throwing that “Only” word around pretty loosely, LOL. I’m with Dale, if code allows, I’d run it through the home.

[Txhunter3000]

Through the attic where probably your main line is anyway. As long as you don't have one of those nonbreathing foam attics, then you have a combustion chamber.

[IowaHunter]

I have the same situation. The gas line will run through the attic.

[marshman]

Through the attic where probably your main line is anyway. As long as you don't have one of those nonbreathing foam attics, then you have a combustion chamber.

Do you mean spray on insulation? Thats what I have up there but I do have ventilation also

[Larryf250]

We had the same issue but had a second meter installed. Less issue running a new line and pressure is better per the generator company we used. Easy to do it just took the city of Houston forever to approve the permit

[Greenheadless]

We had the same issue but had a second meter installed. Less issue running a new line and pressure is better per the generator company we used. Easy to do it just took the city of Houston forever to approve the permit

This, and I would look hard at Kholer over Generac.

.You could also look at setting the gen set by the gas meter and your electric line thru the house. When I looked at adding one to my house, they said they would need to upgrade the gas meter anyways.

[Monark]

I'm on propane and line runs in the attic & drops to utility room & then on to the kitchen & one to the fireplace which has been capped. Residential propane pipes run at about 14" WC after the regulator, I think nat gas pressure is even less. Closer to 7" WC or 1/3 to 1/4 psi. Certainly not 2 psi.

[Txhunter3000]

Do you mean spray on insulation? Thats what I have up there but I do have ventilation also

I wouldn't do it but I don't have a lot of experience with foam. You say ventilation but how much is adequate is beyond my paygrade. Maybe run the gas line in another line so that it vents to the outside on both ends.

[60 Deluxe]

Buy a diesel fueled generator and put it where you want it.

[Scotsman 1]

We run the gas line through the attic in one piece of pipe, Connections are done on the outside of the home.Its cheaper to run gas line than electric line. 2nd meter is also an option but you have to pay the monthly rental on it as well as your original meter.
Unfortunately we don't cover as far as Orange but shoot me a PM with any other questions you may have.

[bowmansdad]

I just installed one. Originally, I was going to install the generator on the west side of the house next to the electrical. I wound up installing the
genny on the east side of the house and running the electrical through the attic, much simpler and easier to do.