Any recommendations? Looking to get one installed.
Best whole house generator?
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billcaldwell
Well-Known Member
I'm getting one next month. I researched them quite a bit. I decided on the Kohler or the Cummins Onan. I would NOT consider a Generac! A close friend, who builds "off the grid" homes, has had several clients buy Generac's and have had horrible warranty and customer service issues. My electrician has worked with a company that specializes in whole house generators. They recommend the Kohler over the Onan because of parts availability. So that's what I'll go with. Call your electric company, and they will give you a printout on max power usage for the last three years. The company that sells the generators, and your electrician will use that to recommend the generator output.
Good luck with your project!
Good luck with your project!
victor3ranger
Well-Known Member
Kohler, Onan are both great motors.
I have looked into it a lot over the past several years trying to figure out just how many watts I need to run everything I am running now and I found that I would need a minimum of 10,000 watts. The cost of that machine is not cheap so I started looking at estate sales and stuff for generators, I ended up with 2 6500 watt and 1 9500 watt generators.
I also contacted US carboration, gave them the information on each machine and purchased their tri-fuel conversions.
I have looked into it a lot over the past several years trying to figure out just how many watts I need to run everything I am running now and I found that I would need a minimum of 10,000 watts. The cost of that machine is not cheap so I started looking at estate sales and stuff for generators, I ended up with 2 6500 watt and 1 9500 watt generators.
I also contacted US carboration, gave them the information on each machine and purchased their tri-fuel conversions.
Miller Big Blue 400 Pro with 10,000 watts continuous pure auxiliary power. CAT turbo 3 clyinder or Kubota 4 cylinder diesel. Not only will it keep the house running in an emergency power outage but, with a few hours every month, a guy can weld up stuff and this rig will pay it's own way. Seen em run 24/7 on job sites and never falter.
Laelkhunter
Well-Known Member
We had one installed last October (2022), and went with a 20K Cummins. Very happy with it. It's more quiet than our neighbors Generac.
Same advice here. Did a ton of research, talked to professionals. Going with a Kohler 20 KV, actually puts out 18 KV on natural gas. I would also go Cummins, as there is a large dealer here and parts are easy to get, but Costco has the Kohler 20 KV with 200 AMP Kohler Transfer switch for $8,500 Canadian. That is about 3,000 less than the equivalent Generac (not in the running for the same reasons above) or Cummins. Full install is going to run about $5,000. I know I can do it cheaper if I do it myself but I am not going to wire up a transfer switch or run the Nat Gas line to hookup it up to.
I am the exception, I suppose. I have had a 20Kv Generac for going on 10 years without a hiccup. One caveat though, no one but my installer touches it. It is serviced once a year and has operated flawlessly. I do not call on Generac for anything. The BS warranty ads go straight to the big plastic can! I think most of that is garbage.
I've known my electrical guy for years and trust him to keep it going.
@Dean2 if I could get a complete install for $5,000 US or CA, I would get two! I would have a backup to my backup.
I've known my electrical guy for years and trust him to keep it going.
@Dean2 if I could get a complete install for $5,000 US or CA, I would get two! I would have a backup to my backup.
I hear you, but that is $5,000 over and above the $8,500 for the Generator and Transfer switch.
I've installed quite a few home standby generators and if you get a 3600 rpm air cooled unit, which is the $5,000 units they are all garbage!! There will be some people that have good luck with them but overall they are unreliable junk. When it really matters you buy once cry once and get water cooled 1800 rpm unit. They are more like $10,000 but they fail way less. Kohler seems to make a better generator but have had several transfer switch failures. I have personally installed at least half a dozen generacs that were doa, flat out didn't work from the factory!! But ive never seen a generac transfer switch fail……
So can you use the generac transfer switch on a Kohler. Also, I hear you about water cooled 1800 rpm but here is gets to Minus 45 pretty regular. Heat isn't a problem as it rarely goes above 85.
Generac was quoting $20,000 to my neighbor for his full house generator, while a year previous, another neighbor had one installed for $13,000, both houses had approx 2200-2400 sq feet, nothing special, 200 amp service.
The weather is going to get crazy this year depending on where you live. I will depend on my Briggs and Stratton 10,000 Watt and my Habor freight 5000 Watt using gasoline. We rarely ever use the generator, but you do have to crank them once a month and let them run. The K100 Gas additive is a lifesaver, better than the other crap on the market that I have found.
This is the best fuel stabilizer I have ever used, chain saws lawnmowers, weed eaters, and blowers from year to year, crank fast after sitting up all Winter: K100 gas additive + NON-ethanol gas is a game changer.
Amazon product ASIN B008D6HGD2
The cost of everything has gone through the roof. This Super El Nino weather pattern that the country is going into may show some massive changes in some areas.
The weather is going to get crazy this year depending on where you live. I will depend on my Briggs and Stratton 10,000 Watt and my Habor freight 5000 Watt using gasoline. We rarely ever use the generator, but you do have to crank them once a month and let them run. The K100 Gas additive is a lifesaver, better than the other crap on the market that I have found.
This is the best fuel stabilizer I have ever used, chain saws lawnmowers, weed eaters, and blowers from year to year, crank fast after sitting up all Winter: K100 gas additive + NON-ethanol gas is a game changer.
Amazon product ASIN B008D6HGD2
The cost of everything has gone through the roof. This Super El Nino weather pattern that the country is going into may show some massive changes in some areas.
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Hahaha minus 45 is to cold for me!!!!!! I do t know
about those temps but we get away with a 60 watt incandescent light bulb keeping things thawed out for temps in the teens, don't know what a guy would do when it's that cold . Long story short yes we have used generac transfer staitches on kohlers but not older units, the new machines have proprietary software to communicate between devices and I don't know if anyone that's successfully integrated them
I was thinking about the proprietary software on the new generators, which is why I asked the question about mixing transfer switches. Thanks for confirming that using someone else's switch doesn't work on the newer models.
Generators here have a smart battery trickle charger and block/oil heater that run off 110V. Some of the oil heaters are thermostat controlled others run on a timed cycle. That and 0w30 or 0W40 oil. Only way to get them to start reliably when it is cold out. It is also why air cooled is preferred over water cooled, keeping the antifreeze up to full spec is just one more area to worry about.
Generators here have a smart battery trickle charger and block/oil heater that run off 110V. Some of the oil heaters are thermostat controlled others run on a timed cycle. That and 0w30 or 0W40 oil. Only way to get them to start reliably when it is cold out. It is also why air cooled is preferred over water cooled, keeping the antifreeze up to full spec is just one more area to worry about.
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