GENERAC 69981 7.5/6kW Air-Cooled Standby Generator, Steel Enclosure, 8 Circuit LC

The 69981 is third-party certified to NFPA standards for installation as close as 18 inches from the home's exterior wall, as long as it sits away from doors, windows, and fresh-air intakes. Local code can override that, so the 18 inches is a floor, not a guarantee. Plan the pad location around the openings first, then the clearance.

A transfer switch is included. The 69981 ships with a 50 amp, NEMA 1 load-center transfer switch that covers 8 circuits. NEMA 1 is indoor rated only, so it has to be mounted inside, typically next to the main panel, not on an exterior wall. If your only practical mounting location is outdoors, you need a different, outdoor-rated switch.

The generator itself measures 25 inches high, 27 inches wide, and 36 inches deep, weighing 208 pounds assembled. Shipping form is larger at 41 by 29.5 by 36 inches and 350 pounds, which is what matters for getting it off the truck and around the side of the house. At 208 pounds set weight it is a two-person lift onto a pad or a light equipment move, not a one-man job.

Eight. The 69981 is a load-managed 8 circuit system, which means you pick the eight circuits that matter (furnace, well pump, refrigerator, a few lighting and receptacle circuits) and those get wired into the included load center. It is not a whole-house unit. If you need everything in the panel to stay live, you want a larger air-cooled unit with a service-rated whole-house switch instead.

240 volts, with a 25 amp current rating at 7,500 watts standby output. That is single phase residential service voltage, so it feeds a standard 120/240V panel through the supplied load center. It will not serve a three phase commercial service.

Yes. True Power Technology holds total harmonic distortion under 5 percent, which is the threshold that matters for electronics, variable speed motors, and modern appliance boards. Below 5 percent THD you can put a furnace control board or a computer on it without an additional line conditioner.

The enclosure is Galvanneal steel with a powder-coat finish in a bisque color, built to sit outside year round with no shelter. Galvanneal is zinc-annealed steel, which is what lets the powder coat bond and resist rust at the panel edges. Three of the four sides come off for service, so you can get at the unit for oil changes without pulling it off the pad.

The digital controller uses LED indicators on the unit for three states: generator status, utility power presence, and maintenance required. It is a look-at-the-box system rather than a display screen, which is fine on a single residence but worth knowing if you manage several properties and expect remote status.

No. The 69981 is not flagged as containing chemicals that cause birth defects under California Prop 65, and it carries no shipping or sale restrictions. It is manufactured in the United States, which also matters on Buy American or domestic-content procurement.

Generac 69981 is the part number, and it is the only configuration in the family, no finish or option suffixes to specify. It covers the generator and the 50 amp 8 circuit load center together. Accessories shown in application photos, like pads or conduit, are not part of the package.