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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions when considering a backup generator for your home.


Backup generators can be the difference between night and day in the event of a power outage.
  • For families, backup generators are most critical if you have special medical needs and require appliances to stay online. For families caretaking their elderly or even a new born baby, the last thing you want to worry about is the loss of lights and appliance usage during a storm.
  • For business, a power outage could mean you have to close down for the day, or possibly longer if the power goes out. For property managers, a power outage will be a nightmare to deal with if your business isn't equipped with a backup generator.
The cost of not having a generator for your home adds up and the risk outweighs the cost of installing one.

Source: Kohler - What Does a Power outage Cost?

Every home and business has different needs that need to be considered when choosing a generator. At Northeast Generators, Anthony will determine and order the best generator based on your needs and preferences so that you don't need to figure this out on your own. We will also handle all of the necessary paperwork required in the pre-installation process.
When picking out a generator model, the following will be assessed:
  • The size of your home or business
  • The number of appliances or utilities you're planning on running with your generator
    • This can be the most important utilities such as lighting, sump pump, water heater, well pump, heat, air conditioning, and stove.
    • Or you can choose a larger capacity generator to ensure all of your utilities stay powered including refrigerators, microwaves, TVs, washer & dryers, coffee makers and computers.

A backup generator can be installed year-round. The best time to install one is when you don’t necessarily need it. It’s better to get ahead of storm season to ensure your home is well equipped to handle a power outage.

BE PREPARED - Installing a Standby Generator in the Winter

Depending on the fuel supply available, most homes in New Jersey run their standby generators off of propane or natural gas lines. Generators that run on diesel or gas are also available for larger homes or businesses.

Here is what you can expect from our generator installation process:
  1. Once you decide to move forward, we'll need a copy of your property survey with lot and block number written on it.
  2. We will fill out a gas load form for the gas company and fax it to them to ensure that the check to see that your gas meter is large enough to supply your new generator. (If the meter needs to be replaced the gas company will coordinate with you to do so once the generator is installed)
  3. We will fill out all of the permits and paperwork necessary to submit to your town's construction office and will pick them up when they are approved.
  4. After we have the approved permits, we will proceed with the installation of your generator starting with setting the generator on a
  5. Next the transfer switch will be set and wired to your existing electrical system in the manner required for your generator installation. Whether it be a whole house or partial house system.
  6. Wire the generator to your newly installed transfer switch.
  7. The plumber will run his gas piping from your gas meter to the generator.
  8. At completion of gas piping, an inspection will be scheduled for a gas line pressure test to ensure that there are no leaks in your new gas line.
  9. Upon passing the gas inspection, Northeast generators will perform a factory authorized startup and warranty registration.
  10. The last step is final inspections to ensure your new generator is fully operational.

Anthony Valle of Northeast Generators walks you through the specifics of a generator installation.

Yes, during the two-day installation process someone must be home to provide the technicians access to your house for wiring and gas piping the generator.
  • During the first day, you can expect the power to be turned off for a period of 2-4 hours depending on the complicity of the installation.
  • On the second day, we will need to turn off the gas for a period of 1 hour. Once gas is restored, our plumbing tech will need to gain access to the common areas of your home to ensure that all of the pilot lights are re-lit on all of your gas fired appliances. Please note some appliances may not have a pilot light or automatically light themselves once gas is restored.

Yes, we can maintain and service all generators regardless of brand or who originally installed it. The brands we service are Kohler, Generac, Siemens, Honeywell, GE, Easton, Briggs & Stratton and Cummins.
We are an authorized Kohler dealer and can sell new generators to home and business owners in New Jersey.

Generators should be serviced once a year for optimal performance. Yearly servicing is critical when living in an area with changing seasons and inclement weather.
Not only will we keep up on the maintenance of your new generator, we offer 24-hour emergency service to our customers that sign up for bi-annual service contracts. This ensures that in the unfortunate event of there being a mechanical issue with your generator during a power failure that we are available to our customers around the clock. There is always a tech on call ready to assist you. We keep a truck fully stocked with parts to do repairs on your generator if there ever is a mechanical issue so that your generator power is restored ASAP.

Yes, when you get the OnCue Plus generator monitoring system.

OnCue is the generator monitoring system designed to work specifically with your Kohler generator. It provides many key features to keep you up to date on the generator status. It will send email and text message alerts to notify you and/or us (Northeast Generators) of the current state that the generator is in whether it's performing its weekly exercise or providing backup power to your home during an outage. It will also notify us if there are any problems with the generator. We can then determine the severity of the problem via OnCue. If necessary we can dispatch a technician to your home to further investigate the problem.

OnCue Plus Wireless Features:

  • The OnCue Plus wireless kit allows the use of OnCue Plus without running a network cable from the owner’s router to the generator set. (The owner’s computer must be equipped with a wireless router.)
  • Use a computer and/or mobile device to monitor your Kohler power system from any location in the world with Internet access.
  • OnCue Plus apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices are available on the App Store and Google Play.
  • Demo button allows you to preview OnCue Plus screens and operation without creating an account or logging in.
  • Simple activation: Enter the generator set serial number, controller password, and activation code into OnCue Plus just once for each generator. Then monitor your power system from your computer and/or mobile devices.
  • Monitor your complete Kohler power system, including the generator, RXT automatic transfer switch, Load Control Module (LCM), and Programmable Interface Module (PIM).

Control home automation when the generator set is paired with a Programmable Interface Module (PIM). Remote control features:

  • Remotely turn appliances, outdoor lighting, storm shutters, or other electrical equipment on or off.
  • The generator does not need to be running in order to use On- Cue Plus for remote control of circuits connected to the PIM.
  • Monitor your home’s power consumption for full power management control at your fingertips.
  • Monitor multiple generator sets. Generator selection panel lists multiple generator systems on one account and allows for the easy selection of each system for detailed monitoring and control.
  • View time-and date-stamped event history listing generator set starting and stopping, faults, and notifications. (RDC2)
  • Receive alerts by email, text message, or push notification on your mobile device or PC. Customize messages by selecting the events that will prompt a notification to be sent to each recipient.
  • Start and stop generator exercises from your computer or mobile device.
  • Clear faults from a remote location.
  • Controller password and generator set serial number protect against access by unauthorized users.
  • All Ethernet communication is authenticated and encrypted for privacy.

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