Outdoor Generator

[redalpha7]

We are looking install a Kohler natural gas generator

We lose power 2 to 3 times a year . Average out time is about 8 hrs

Looking for comments ( pro and con) if anybody here has a generator

Thanks

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by redalpha7

We are looking install a Kohler natural gas generator

We lose power 2 to 3 times a year . Average out time is about 8 hrs

Looking for comments ( pro and con) if anybody here has a generator

Thanks

I don't have one yet. Only a small 5000 watt portable I can run my well off of, but my farrier recently got one and he did a lot of research before buying. He swears by the Kohler. He said that the Kohler has much heavier duty components than the equivalent Generac. He also liked that it can be programmed with priorities for each individual circuit.

[D. Bergin]

Smart getting a natural gas generator if you have access. When we moved to a rural area a couple years ago we realized right away we would be losing power a lot.

I went out and bought our first generator, that plugged right into the main fuse box. Last summer we lost power for over a week after a big windstorm knocked down a bunch of trees in the neighborhood.

What a pain in the ass it was to run the house on 3-5 gallons at a time from out of a gas can, while changing out the oil every couple of fillups during the break in period. Wish I'd had the foresight to get a generator to plug into our 80 gallon propane tank instead.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

I don't have one yet. Only a small 5000 watt portable I can run my well off of, but my farrier recently got one and he did a lot of research before buying. He swears by the Kohler. He said that the Kohler has much heavier duty components than the equivalent Generac. He also liked that it can be programmed with priorities for each individual circuit.

Yeah, we have a 7500 watt Champion portable and we basically ran the well and the lights during the summer outage. Thankfully we haven't had too much of a winter emergency yet, but we'd probably have to use it for the water heater (radiant heating) and well, and have to mostly forgo the lights.

Hoping to invest in a stronger whole house generator someday.

[rgpete]

I have a Portable Duro Max Duel Fuel XP13000 EH Press Button Start and it has a Recoil start too ,that I run it off a 100 Lb propane Tank (24.5 gallons) both my panels have built in Transfer Switches

[jiw98]

I have installed, I'm guessing over a thousand emergency generators over my career. The company that worked for, installed Generac for residential. We installed both Kolher and Generac on the commercial side. Both are good units. There are several options available with the transfer switches.
I don't think you will disappointed with either choice.
I would go with a 15Kw with automatic start. I would not go smaller than 12.5Kw.

[rgpete]

The Duro Max Generator XP 13000EH $1399, 100 lb Propane Tank empty $155 I had my house built with the Electric Panel with the built in transfer switch to accommodate a portable generator Just remember an electrical panel will have to be replaced with one that has a transfer switch built in

[D. Bergin]

Definitely helps to have a transfer switch. When I said earlier I plugged right into the main box, it was by way of a transfer switch, which was already built into the house when we bought it.

[rgpete]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Definitely helps to have a transfer switch. When I said earlier I plugged right into the main box, it was by way of a transfer switch, which was already built into the house when we bought it.

Propane is the way to go in Rural Areas, it doesn't screw with the carb as the gas does and I know you get less KW with propane then gas but less maintenance then gas

[redalpha7]

Thank you for the input on the generator

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by rgpete

Propane is the way to go in Rural Areas, it doesn't screw with the carb as the gas does and I know you get less KW with propane then gas but less maintenance then gas

Good to know. Thanks.