Installation
Generator Installation
Phone Survey
Contact O.J. Mann Electric direct to speak to one our in-house sales representatives about your inquiry for a standby generator. We can provide you general pricing for installation based upon basic information about your home and your needs for electrical coverage during an outage. This information can provide you a broad outline on what a typical standby generator will cost to electrically install in your home. For a concrete quote, we provide a free estimate to your home.
Site Survey
O.J. Mann provides site surveys to every town in Connecticut during regular weekday hours. We are sensitive to your time and work on your schedule, providing you a two hour window for arrival and will contact you a half hour before arrival.
Our surveys are typically around an hour depending on the complexity of the installation. We have two central purposes while at your home: locate your generator in your yard, and scope out the electrical installation. For this we need access to your electrical panel and your property for placement. We scope the location of the generator as if it was our home, sensitive to the aesthetics of your property, manufacturer guidelines, and State of Connecticut Electrical Code.
Generator Proposal
After our survey has been completed, we will provide you a detailed quotation. Our proposal will include the complete cost of the generator and electrical installation with exception of the fuel cost and connection. For natural gas and propane connections we can recommend contractors with years of experience installing standby generators.
Fuel Proposal
All standby generators require fuel to operate. Residential standby generator runs on either natural gas or liquid propane. For homes without propane or natural gas, we will either recommend a propane supplier, or coordinate with a fuel supplier of your choosing.
Natural Gas: For homes with natural gas, the generator will be piped to your natural gas meter. The gas meter to your home will need to support both the BTU rating of your natural gas appliances and the BTU rating of the generator. Your gas provider will be able to determine if your meter needs to be upgraded.
Propane: The size of the propane tanks required to run a standby generator is determined by the kilowatt rating of the generator and the amount of days it will run during an outage. If you have existing propane, you will need adequate fuel coverage for cover both the generator and the appliances running on propane. Most propane providers recommend tank sizes that will run a generator for at least a week. A general guide line to follow for propane tank sizing is as follows: selective house generators running essential circuits will require one or two 100 or 120 pounds tanks, and most full house generators will require at minimum two or three 100 or 120 pound tanks. Propane tanks are required to be placed at minimum 10 feet away from a standby generator.
Town Permitting
Your town considers your standby generator a permanent addition to your home and will require specific permits for placement. All standby generator installations require an electrical permit pulled by a Connecticut Licensed E-1 Electrician and a mechanical permit pulled by a Connecticut Licensed Master Plumber for the propane or natural gas. The electrical permit will be pulled by O.J. Mann Electric, and the mechanical permit will be pulled by the fuel provider.
Generator Base
Standby generators require a level base for placement of either a concrete pad, bed of crushed stones, or a wood framed base filled with crushed stone. O.J. Mann provides either the option of a pre-cast GenPad© made to the specific contours of the generator, or a custom created pressure treated wood framed base filled with crushed stone. Our pressure treated wood framed base is ideal for locations that are on an incline and are custom built by a carpenter at O.J. Mann Electric.
Generator Delivery
O.J. Mann Electric delivers the generator to location on a customer built gurney that temporally affixes wheels to the base of the generator. We wheel the generator to location and hydraulically ease the unit onto the base. Our gurney is able to cross over sensitive areas of the home such as septic and sprinkler systems without impairing the integrity of your yard. Once your generator is dropped off to location, you are now ready for the fuel installation.
Fuel Installation
Propane: Your propane provider will now provide the tanks, fill, and piping up to the back of the generator. The final connection is not provided yet, as your local town official will need to inspect the gas line. Your propane provider will coordinate the fuel inspection with your town.
Natural Gas: The licensed plumber will now provide the piping from the gas meter up to the back of the generator. The final connection is not provided yet, as your local town official will need to inspect the gas line. Your plumber will coordinate the fuel inspection with your town.
Fuel Inspection
A local town official will inspect your gas line with a pressure test up the generator. When the line is approved, the inspector will contact the fuel provider to follow up with the final fuel connection.
Final Fuel Connection
Your fuel provider will come back to your home to perform the final fuel connection to the generator. Once the connection is complete, O.J. Mann Electric is ready to install your generator.