Read the manual thoroughly and understand all of the instructions, cautions, and warnings before using this equipment. If any section of the manual is not understood, contact your nearest authorized dealer, or contact Generac Customer Service at 1-888-436-3722 (1-888-GENERAC), or www.generac.com with any questions or concerns. 

Managing large appliance loads on home standby generators

Generators are designed to handle a certain amount of electrical load (measured in Kilowatts, or kW) without potentially causing damage to the generator or sensitive electrical devices. In cases where the amount of load exceeds the limitations of the generator, several options are available to aid in managing the load. The two places where load management occurs is either within the transfer switch itself, or with a load management device.

In any case, in scenarios when the combined electrical load exceeds the generator's limits, the excess load must be removed to help ensure safe operation.  While it is possible to remove loads from a generator by manually turning off circuits in the house's electrical panel, load management options exist for the automatic "shedding" of non-essential loads until the load can be added back to the circuit.
 

Load management solutions for homeowners

Solution	What it is	When to use it	Why it’s different
ecobee by Generac Smart Thermostat Enhanced	A smart thermostat used to control and optimize heating and cooling.	Use when HVAC is a major load and you want more control over comfort settings and HVAC runtime, especially during outages.	Primarily focuses on thermostat-based HVAC control and energy management rather than directly shedding multiple non-HVAC circuits.
Generac HVAC energy manager	A device designed to manage HVAC electrical demand when the generator is powering the home.	Use when you need a dedicated solution to help manage one or more HVAC loads so other essential loads can stay on.	Focused specifically on HVAC load behavior, rather than shedding a variety of large appliance circuits.
Integrated Smart Air Conditioning Module (SACM)	A module used with compatible transfer switches to automatically manage air conditioner loads during generator operation.	Use when you want the transfer switch to control A/C load shedding automatically during an outage.	Provides transfer-switch-based management of A/C loads, which can reduce the need for separate external modules for those loads.
Generac Load Manager	A load management module that can automatically shed non-essential, high-draw circuits when the generator is running.	Use when you have multiple large appliances (for example, water heaters, pumps, or other high-demand loads) that may need to cycle off to keep total load within generator limits.	Designed for broader whole-home load shedding across multiple circuits, beyond just HVAC.

Note: Depending on the model of automatic transfer switch, either a SACM or a Fuse Control Module (FCM) may be present. Refer to pertaining sections in the automatic transfer switch owner's manual for information on what module is installed in the product. 

Using one or more of the above options makes it possible to automatically shed up to 12 loads, including up to four Air Conditioning units. For more information on each of these units, click the links above.

A Generac authorized dealer can help uncover available options for managing large electrical loads for the most cost-effective solution. To contact a Generac dealer in your area, use the dealer locator.