Whole home generator warnings.

[Mike D]

I agree..... now selling you a 25kw when all you need is a 20 or 22kw is most likely the way it will go

And that’s not a bad thing. Less prone to failure if not used at max rated capacity.


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[Mike D]

I read that a 16kw propane whole home generac will burn approximately 1.7 gallons of propane an hour at 50% load. That would get expensive real quick and actually was a deal breaker for me. I'm going to go the big portable route with the plug/breaker switch.

16kw gas won’t be much of any better on gasoline. Plus you then have to store gas long term which can be problematic as well. Propane or NG is the way to go. You just have to make provisions for it if using propane.


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[twistedmidnite]

Yea, i hear that. At 50% load, a 250 gal propane tank would last about 6(ish) days if my math is correct. My only problem with gasoline is having a place to store it or it going bad over time.


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Yea also you have to supply propane for the weekly 30 minute test run. Unless there's a way to not have that happen. A 11000 watt portable will burn about .75 gallon per hour at 50 % load per the specs. I'd rather have to deal with gas occasionally when theres a storm brewing than have to feed a propane beast all the time. I already have a 500 gallon in ground propane tank for my stove and water heater and it sucks filling it a couple times a year. Propane is usually $2.50-3.00 per gallon and who knows what gas will be next winter.
Just my thoughts on it.

[bboswell]

Yea also you have to supply propane for the weekly 30 minute test run. Unless there's a way to not have that happen. A 11000 watt portable will burn about .75 gallon per hour at 50 % load per the specs. I'd rather have to deal with gas occasionally when theres a storm brewing than have to feed a propane beast all the time. I already have a 500 gallon in ground propane tank for my stove and water heater and it sucks filling it a couple times a year. Propane is usually $2.50-3.00 per gallon and who knows what gas will be next winter.

Just my thoughts on it.

This is the reason I went with a propane company with a keep full program. I get topped off monthly so I keep a good supply on hand and I get a small bill instead of a big hit 2-3 times per year.

[bloodstick]

Yea also you have to supply propane for the weekly 30 minute test run. Unless there's a way to not have that happen. A 11000 watt portable will burn about .75 gallon per hour at 50 % load per the specs. I'd rather have to deal with gas occasionally when theres a storm brewing than have to feed a propane beast all the time. I already have a 500 gallon in ground propane tank for my stove and water heater and it sucks filling it a couple times a year. Propane is usually $2.50-3.00 per gallon and who knows what gas will be next winter.
Just my thoughts on it.

I agree. This 250 gal propane tank is my first one i ever owned and i have yet to fill it up. It’s sitting at about 50% capacity right now. I’ve got two gas stations very close (1/4 mile) and have some storage tanks and cans for small usage. About 55 gallons worth. I figure it won’t be too difficult getting fuel a week or so before a hurricane or couple weeks out of an event like this.

Just might invest in a slightly larger storage tank if/when more may be needed.


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[175gr7.62]

I'm looking real hard at them now. My company is a generac dealer so I can get one at 6% above cost. I've been looking at the 22kw whole home guardian and running off of a propane tank. Anyone with experience with generac?

Our local dealer sells Generac and Kohler. He has a Kohler at his house so that is what I bought.


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[Mike D]

This is the reason I went with a propane company with a keep full program. I get topped off monthly so I keep a good supply on hand and I get a small bill instead of a big hit 2-3 times per year.

I’m on a keep full program as well and they offer a discount for that. I get an alarm at 35% and a refill alarm at 25%. They get the same alarms in their end. I may up my refill to be at 35-40% instead.

I had been paying $1.50-$1.70/gal but this last refill just before all this hit was up to $2.05/gal.


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[175gr7.62]

That just means they will crank. They don’t switch over and do a load test. That should be done at least quarterly.


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My Kohler ATS switches off utility power and runs loaded for 20 minutes.


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[Swanyriver]

I'll just move to Key West. Tapping out.

[Arrowsmith]

I’m on a keep full program as well and they offer a discount for that. I get an alarm at 35% and a refill alarm at 25%. They get the same alarms in their end. I may up my refill to be at 35-40% instead.

I had been paying $1.50-$1.70/gal but this last refill just before all this hit was up to $2.05/gal.


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Our suppliers system is very low tech but seems to work great. No electronics or alarms. They have a formula based on your propane appliance demands, average past usage and average ambient temperature.

On February 5th our 500 gallon tank gauge was showing 28%. I called our supplier and they said they were showing we should be at about 30%. She said we were on the fill list. I told her I would have the driveway snow plowed and be ready. On February 9th the delivery truck showed up with chains on and filled us up. 337 gallons (84%). We pre-buy 1000 gallons in July/August when the prices are generally at a yearly lows.

[bboswell]

I’m on a keep full program as well and they offer a discount for that. I get an alarm at 35% and a refill alarm at 25%. They get the same alarms in their end. I may up my refill to be at 35-40% instead.

I had been paying $1.50-$1.70/gal but this last refill just before all this hit was up to $2.05/gal.


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Wish I got those alarms and REALLY wish I could get that price!

[eastex56]

I don't know about down there but up here most propane generators are set up to kick on every once in a while automatically for test runs. Staining a log house up here that had one and it would kick on about once a week or so and run just a bit.
The huge backups at UW also kick on every so often to make sure they are ready when needed, they are diesel powered mostly.

Generac is the preferred brand up here for sure.

I have a 22 kw Generac at home and it has worked flawlessly but have only had it for 3 years. My kids bought six Generac units of various size (several larger than mine) two years ago because they all live on the Gulf Coast and wanted to be ready in the event of hurricanes/power outages. They all worked well for them during this event except for one that was not installed correctly and was at a home that is rarely used. We purchased automatic transfer switches for them as well. They all start and do a test run weekly and have the capability of remote monitoring. I don't have any brand loyalty to any manufacturer but can't say anything negative about Generac. We also have a few larger Generacs at our businesses (350kw and larger) and have had no problems with them. Of course regular maintenance is a must whether its a small one or a larger one!

[Take Dead Aim]

Yes they are set up that way. We have had 2 in our family that will exercise weekly as scheduled, but wont run under a load when needed.

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What are lots of issues? Ive run and installed many generacs, kohlers and Cummins. They are all solid machines. Have very few issues with any of them. Only one that has a slight advantage to me personally is Generac. There are so many out there that finding parts and someone to work on them is easy. Had a client yesterday call and had service guy out same day and had machine running. All three have little hiccups but I would own any of the three and sleep at night.