One Texas homeowner says a planned gas meter upgrade could create a new weak point in their backup generator before the state's next major freeze.
Their main worry is not a mechanical failure. Instead, it's that the utility could limit or cut off the gas supply, leaving the generator unable to provide emergency power when conditions are at their worst.
Here's what to know
In a post to Reddit's r/Generator community, the homeowner wrote that they have a 22-kilowatt Generac connected to a 250-cubic-feet-per-hour gas meter and that "everything works fine, not the issue."
They said the concern stems from his utility's rollout of updated gas meters that include an electronic high-flow cutoff and can be reset only by the utility.
According to the homeowner, the standard cutoff is 500 cfh, which would not be a problem by itself. But they said the utility can reduce that setting, and he believes his house was pulling about 400 cfh during the Texas Freeze.
This original poster also wrote, "I see a risk of being locked out… The obvious answer is to contact them and put in a 450 cfh / 2lb meter. Well, I can't, I believe the generator was installed DIY which opens the door to many other issues… So what're my options here?"
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The top comment read, "Even if the generator was a DIY, the gas company should be able to take that into account and put a larger meter in. For my generac, the electrician installed and I called [the] gas company to let them know I needed a higher flow meter. No problem."
Another commenter added, "With my 24kw Generac, the contractor sent my info to my local gas company and upped my meter from 250 to 425cfm. I had to pay $300 for the privilege though."
More background
The homeowner's concern was not limited to equipment capacity, but about control. A meter that can electronically cut service leaves the utility in charge of when service can be restored.
In a state where extreme weather can quickly turn power reliability into a life-and-safety issue, a meter trip during an outage could leave a household with a working generator and an available fuel supply but no way to run essential appliances until the utility responds.
A common headache for homeowners who inherit older or undocumented work is that even when a practical fix exists, people may hesitate to ask questions if they suspect a previous owner bypassed permits or proper installation practices.
That can leave them choosing between the risk of a future lockout and the risk of costly corrections or service disruption.
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