Upgrade Your Gas Meter If You Add A Home Emergency Standby Generator

If you've added a standby Generator to your House, you need to audit your usage to see if you need a larger meter. Generators require a lot of energy to run at full capacity and it may starve your other gas appliances.
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#kohler #generator #emergencypower

[@AndTodaysProjectIs]

This was an excellent video sir! Thank you for posting that. I am wayyyy over my available capacity once I install this generac 26kw. Thank you!

[@richardleesparks6694]

Thank you so much for making this video. I’m just getting acquainted with all of the nuances of upgrading my electrical service and installing a generator, and your video was really helpful. Cheers from Michigan.

[@user-ss6zt2mo1l]

IF you are thinking about installing a Natural Gas Generator, contact your Gas Utility and get on the list for an upgraded meter right away. In Wisconsin, gas meter upgrades are taking A YEAR. I am now on a list to receive a bigger meter. 12 months to get a new meter. It’s crazy. All because of manufacturing slowdowns. The upgrade for us is $188.00. I didn’t realize I could get double the flow from my Sensus R-275 Meter. I have been limiting my shopping to a 14KW and below because I need about 403,000 BTU if I ran everything. I only really need the generator and my 75K Btu furnace. I’ll have to call my utility and question them. Thanks for the videos. Love that AmsOil Small engine oil.

[@mikeswink1031]

Mine was upgraded to the next level size when I had my Kohler 20 KW Generator installed . Water heater , furnace , fireplace and a NG fire pit . My installer took care of this process

[@hphillips7425]

Good video and informative. The only thing I have reservations about my generator install is dealing with Memphis LGW

[@RozsaAmplificationLLC]

I went thru this exercise with my home (and outbuilding). The generator installers typically don't give you the inside skinny that you will need to update the meter or meter and line. In my instance, they cost is only $485 to upgrade the meter and right now backlog of work, so will take months and not be done until sometime in 2024 and did not indicate the time. They will not start until the Work Order is approved AND PAID FOR IN ADVANCE!! Besides the meter thou, I need a larger gas line from the street to the house where it spilts to the house and outbuilding. Its only 40' and he confirmed would just be a Directional Bore, not dug, needed to increase the 7/8 to an 11/8 and would cost me $7000!!!! :O I had our utility company run a 350-400' gas line from the split to the outbuilding about 6-7 years ago and the entire cost was like $2300! Needless to say, I did not approve any work yet until I see what my options are. Can anyone else touch the line from the street to the house, like a gas contract company or plumber?? If so, I'll get another quote. Any suggestions?!???

[@richardleesparks6694]

Following you on this. I have about 80’ to the street and dread the possibility of upgrading my gas line. Anybody know if a plumber/contractor can do the upgrade of pipe size outside of the gas company?

[@RozsaAmplificationLLC]

UPDATE: I escaladed the issue within the utility company in December, filing a complaint and getting the name of the supervisor. In the end, I told them I would NOT pay that kind of money, so would only do the meter upgrade. I emailed the supervisor and guy who did the quote and let him know I spoke with the supervisor and was only doing the meter upgrade and supervisor and I directed him to update the quote to just the meter and $485. When I got the quote back and then paid, I did note on the Work Order, it still indicated running a line! I thought...nah. We'll wait until they install it and see what happens. In the end, I got contacted in February they were already ready to come out and we organized a time. They came out and like 6 trucks and equipment showed up with 8 guys! They DID end up not only upgrading the meter to a A-425, but also did run a new 1-1/4" line and I only paid $485!! Soo, it's correct and the way it should have been in the first place and I got it at a discount!! In total, those guys ran the line from across the street, directional bore to the house. Not sure the distance, I think like 120'?!? They indicated again, as I knew previously, to my house there is no service regulator, so I already can get up to 40PSI to the meter, so they were reluctant to run the line and questioned it on install day as suggesting I should have enough pressure, but like I said, still ran it. So again, with the higher than most folks pressure, 1-1/4" line run from service line across the street to house, and meter upgraded to A-425. I'm gold now, done right, as should have been and at a discount and can run both of my houses off of the 24kW under Full Load!! Very Happy...Finally. Wishing everyone else luck and be sure to push the issue if they try to rape you on cost and not just roll over and pay it, or not get it done.

[@richardleesparks6694]

@@RozsaAmplificationLLCcongratulations! Not knowing the ins and outs of this process, it sounds like you got a fair shake. Thank you so much for the update. I’m filling out the paperwork this weekend and this really helps put things in perspective in case they try to jack me on the install price. Thanks again!

[@aarond1508]

Same situation with a tankless hot water heater. They can be 200,000 btu, which is more than the furnace in most average sized homes.

[@merlinjust4753]

Had to upgrade mine.

[@traviskinaya3952]

Lots of these meters are on backorder in Michigan. It took us 1 year to get ours after our gen was installed

[@jimsullivan9976]

Were you able to use your generator ok on your older meter? Did it come up as an issue with permit approval? I'm in Michigan on list for upgraded meter and about to have generator installed. I'll be just over the BTU limit on my current gas meter.

[@traviskinaya3952]

⁠@@jimsullivan9976sorry I’m just now seeing this. We were able to use the generator with the old meter but were very careful to not have any other gas appliances on. It wasn’t an issue with inspection and permits because everyone was aware of the meter shortage. Most companies are just hooking them up to the old meters until consumers or whoever your utility is can come out to upgrade

[@jimsullivan9976]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@nspro931]

I would have left it alone for the following reasons: 1. Where are you getting 340k for the Kohler 20? Spec sheet says 281 on natural. 340 is for propane. 2. The generator only runs 340 if at absolute full load. Rarely/never happen. If it happens the air conditioning will be a big part of it and then the furnace is not drawing gas. 4. Cooking loads are very diverse and will not run full tilt. So if we add 40+50(stove not at max)+22+243(gen @75%) we get 355 which is 1.4x meter capacity which is fine Or 98(full heat)+40+50(stove not at max)+22+161(gen @ 50% in winter) we get 1.5x meter capacity which is still fine

[@camilo8cheryl]

Im i stalling an 18kw Generac,plate says NG at 247,000 btu hr and minimum 3.5 in WC and Max of 7 in WC, I’m currently testing the gas pressure with a 25 foot 1” CSST line from the house supply manifold, if i get at least 5-6 in WC at the end of the 25 feet line then I’m good to go and start my own install

[@zaclauren22]

that 340 is at full load of the generator though. The likely hood of your generator running at full load is very unlikely. But i guess you don't have to worry about it now

[@kd8118]

What was the cost to replace the meter?

[@EnthusiastsGarage]

nothing

[@Alphasig336]

Upgrade anyways, but your generator shouldn’t run anywhere near 340k

[@trith72]

I had a 24kw Generac installed a month ago and the local gas co came out and made some changes to my gas install. They took off the old meter and replaced it with one of the new smart meters, it was an Intelis V5 250 CFM. I asked him why they went from an old 250cfm to a new one and did not go to a larger meter, and he explained I wouldn't need it. they replaced the regulator before it going to the street with a 2PSI regulator. He told me this regulator, coupled with these new smart meters would allow me to easily draw 550k BTU to the house and generator. I have gas dryer and gas heat and 2 hot water heaters. Along with the generator he worked up all the numbers and said I wouldnt have an issue even running the generator full bore with the others on as well. Apparently, as he put it, with the right regulator, you can push these modern meters way beyond what they are rated for, as long as the pressure and pipe size coming from the street is there, which mine is now. I'm in Louisiana BTW, right on top of the Hayneville Shale NG deposit, so we have more Natural Gas than we know what to do with around here.

[@boby115]

Your gas provider did the correct thing by using a 2lb system with most likely an ultrasonic gas meter . I would think you would have a regulator on the outlet of the meter or at appliances. By using a 2 pound system you virtually double the capacity of the new meter, with a 2 pound compensating index. I’m not a big fan of the way the gas company in this video upgraded the customer’s meter set. They did upgrade the regulator for the new gas load on inches of delivery (not lbs) but in doing it that way, the capacity of the meter stays at 425 cubic feet per hour and should not exceed more than 10% of its capacity . By doing so that shouldn’t affect the operation of your generator or gas appliances but it does affect the accuracy of the gas meter. So the engineering department of the gas utility is undermining the engineering department of the gas meter manufacture.

[@trith72]

@@boby115 You are right the Intelis is a ultrasonic meter. We actually had about an 8 hour outage about a month ago and were able to run the generator, home heat, and the dryer and hot water heaters and never had an issue, so he was spot on.