The surging on the unit is an easy fix... Can't believe they showed a kohler with this issue.. fix is either in controller gain setting and or the front engine fan is pulling air across the fuel regulator creating a vacuum on the regulator..I am a Kohler certified tech. I have fixed plenty of these small problems... Kohler is really one of the two best generator out there.. other being Generac... and if you service it regularly 20 years
With the lid down it's manageable, especially because this unit is located behind the detached carport so it's 25+' from living space in the house. I think with the recent storms you'll see lots of these installed in the coming years. Matt
My issue with gas generators is that you have to worry about fuel. Natural gas is run underground so it's pretty storm resistant and the flow is uninterruptible. There is also no worry about fuel stabilizer. Here in Austin, TX we have very little underground electric. Even windy storms knock out power in our neighborhoods regularly with our urban tree canopy weaved through power lines. This Kohler generator will get a regular workout here in Austin. Matt Risinger
Did they lose their natural gas supply too in the February freeze? I’ll bet propane tank sales in Texas have taken a jump upwards. A backup to the backup. I was impressed to learn recently that at least some of these pad mount generators can switch from natural gas to propane with the twist of a selector dial.
Oh boy, it's been a while since we completed this job. Not totally sure anymore. We sized the unit to run one AC unit, fridge, water heater, and some main lighting/tv/av. It's fired once during an outage and the clients loved it! Seems like our weather patterns are only getting crazier so I think we will see more demand for these Kohler backup generators. Best, Matt
Good observation, yes, the engine is 'loping' and this brand new unit and others like it up to the 20 Kw range are plagued with this symptom. I have found on multiple occasions, as a common denominator, the vent tubes for the demand regulator were in close proximity to the main cooling fan, the inrush of air from the fan sometimes causes atmosphere distortion for the diaphragm that's exposed to atmosphere on the demand regulator. Have experienced success 80% of the time by installing longer vent tubing from regulator to an area where there is less air turbulence detected by diaphragm. Water column in inches must not deviate 1 WC while starting and running, an absolute necessity for proper operation. The information not stated with this demonstration is the generator will only produce a certain amount of usable power and it's not a true 14 Kw machine. Even though Kohler states the power factor specification of 1.0 ,in reality, the 14 Kw produces 12 Kw of real power. The reason for this is natural gas, as a fuel source, burns with an 'efficiency factor' of 85-90 %. The 14 Kw unit produces 85-90 % of it's rated output, close to 12 Kw, and not much more. When calculated, the generator will produce 50 amps @ 240 VAC. It will power some devices, but you have to be careful as to what is selected and have knowledge of the devices FLA rating before turning on.
I'm not sure of the rule you're mentioning. Makes sense to keep the unit at least 5 or more feet from the house to ensure combustion gases aren't sucked into the house with an HVAC fresh air intake, open window, etc. This unit was 3-5' from the detached carport of this house so it's 25+' from living space. I would go Kohler any day over Generac. Matt
Thanks for responding. Had an estimate done today and was told Kohler (the company itself) required 15 ft clearance from the house, but for some reason Generac only required 5ft. I prefer the Kohler based on what I have read online, but will be forced to place the Kohler farther from my house near a pool filter and am concerned about potential issues with water near the generator. Trying to find info on warranty details as well as considerations for placement. Thanks for the video, nice to
You should add the text on the part of the video that it happens, I knew is still programming but the entire video deters anyone from buying it. And, why leave the lid open for so long. It would have been nice to had it closed and open it afterwards while mentioning how much the insulation minimizes the noise. This video hurts Kohler.
I would expect 20 years service life, but you need to be taking the time to maintain them properly. A well built Kohler engine that's well maintained should go 30+ years no problem.
Hi Matt. A backup generator can run 200 hrs a year, or 25. The lifetime really depends on usage. I'm from Toronto. Here, power outages are extremely rare. And in my opinion, not an issue unless in winter, when pipes could possibly freeze for lack of heat inside a house - despite this, backup generator installations are rare here. But in Austin? I assume the owners don't want an interruption to their air conditioning, or their internet....seems hard to justify.
In answer to your question about gas pressure failing, normally the gas companies have their own backup generators but pressure in the distribution lines is very high. Pressure can come from as far away as 50 to 60 miles. I have a Kohler 35KW which runs off natural gas and never had a gas pressure problem. This includes several storms, grid failures in the electrical power system, and hurricanes. In answer to why the engine is surging, might be several things. First thing is that it is running at max rpm (3600). Our generator turns at 1800 rpm and is much quieter. The engine is a gear drive camshaft GM 4.3 liter V-6. Very good machine. Those who complain about one brand or the other in my opinion are the type that start the flame wars over who has the best truck, etc. Do what the manufacturer says, and it will last. Some brands have had problems, Generac had problems a while back with quality control but they have fixed it.
water company also have back up generators ... But how long will they last is the question and how fast will they be to refuel them when they go down especially when you have HUNDREDS of lift stations in one city.. Small towns have water towers which do not use commercial power to flow the water .. the sheer weight of the water in the tower is what provides the pressure to keep the water flowing thru the streets ... Water is pumped into the water tower at all times via commercial power but when that power goes out, that back up generator kicks in... it only has so much fuel ... This is why during a city wide power outage, water will flow but only for so long.. In my state we lost power for almost 8 days and people claimed city water flowed for about 3-4 days before they lost water ... Thankfully the subdivision i live in, my neighbor works for the city in the water dept and he made sure that generator was topped off with 200 gallons of fuel so we had water the entire time ...
Kohler are outstanding unit and the water cooled units are even better. Just an FYI when adding a natural gas generator to an existing home or business, three parties should be involved during the planning stage ( the electrical contractor, the pipe fitting contractor and the gas utility). I can tell you if the gas utility is left out of the equation problems usually occur and I'm not just talking about the generator.
Question: if the gen runs off the fuel from the existing (natural) gas lines, how long can you run the gen in a power outage before the pressure in the gas lines drops to the point where the gen cant pull enough fuel to run? I assume that there are compressors on the nat gas lines which charge the lines with pos pressure and if these compressors also run on electricity, won't they also go down in a large scale power failure? Im not trying to be a know-it-all jerk, I just wonder how this kind of system would function in a situation where the power was down for say, over 5 days. I know that this will depend on the specific infrastructure supplying the nat gas to the house/gen, but do you (the installers) have any information on how long this system would be usable in the even of a long-term power failure?
That is a damn good question and im glad you are thinking of this... This is why you do not rely on natural gas as the source of fuel to feed this generator ... I would go with propane. This way in the event of a major power outage, you have propane stored on your property to feed the generator ... just make sure you have enough to run for days ... !!!
Worked at a natural gas company for over 30 years. Only delivery problems I recall are in beach areas where flooding at times requires the main gas lines to be shut down for awhile. Inland never unless it’s to fix a main line leak near where you live.
So you are saying that in the event of a hurricane that kills power to the entire city or state for DAYS or even WEEKS that the gas will still flow..?? Id rather be safe than sorry ... As much as you can say that it WILL flow... there is that chance and that chance i wont take. On site propane cannot be beat ...!!
You Tube ok. That’s just my experience. 99% of people who already have nat gas will hook up to it. If not propane is a great option. Keep in mind propane regulators can and do freeze up from time to time so it too is not guaranteed. I know, I have a 1000 gallon LP tank in the ground and it froze up once in the 2 years that I had it. And nat gas is usually much cheaper. If it was availabie to me I would def use it.
Donald1951: I don't live in a cold climate & never will if i have the choice .. !! So the chances of my propane regulator freezing will NEVER happen ...
One other thing to think about when you size the generator for your home is that the starting loads are about three times what the running load is. So, a lot of the smaller 14Kw to 18Kw will have problems starting an A/C unit with other loads on the generator. I oversized ours by a large amount but haven't had a problem. The engine is the heart of the machine and the slower it turns the longer it will last. The smaller generators run at 3600 rpm while the larger generators 20Kw plus run at 1800 rpm. Half the wear at 1800 and usually less fuel. Again, have someone to knows generators figure all the loads you will have on plus starting amps.(load). With the lid up, there is a lot of engine noise. Ours is no louder than the outside A/C compressor unit. Lights are out about 12 seconds on average when the power fails.
Also there are more BTUs in propane than natural gas. A 20Kw generator running on natural gas will only produce about 18Kw--and that's for handling surges. the load it can carry is about 20% less. On the plus side, Kohler puts extra copper on the alternators for the 14 RESA and the 20 RESA so they handle heavy motor and compressor loads coming on line more quickly. Other brands are good for lights, but if you have a large air conditioner, deep well pump, a couple of sump pumps, freezers, a fridge, and a house with a lot of ceiling fans you will be happier with the Kohler even if it cost you a few hundred bucks more.
capnbobretired: I am going to build a new house in 2019 and i am looking for a ~20k watt generator but i don't know which brand to get... Generac seems to have issues with moisture in the crankcase ... Kohler has been building motors for a LONG time but some say they out sourced their engine builds to china ... Briggs & stratton i can't find that many reviews on them...
That issue has been taken care of and new units do not do it. They have a fix kit from Kohler that there is no charge for that has vent tubing that will take care of it. If your generator has this problem, call the dealer you bought it from.
Slow the cameraman down and do a slow pan of the entire installation, showing all the conduit distances and talk about the wire gauge so we know what's in the transfer switch and breaker panel.
Hydraulic lifters for one thing. Generac need to be serviced and have lifters adjusted on a regular basis. Generac will cost less up front, but by the time you buy their maintenance package and have to deal with adjusting valves you will wish you bought the kohler.
seeburgm100a. Just talked to a dealer that installs both. He said there are more service issues with Koehler. IMO, people hear about Koehler issues because they probably sell 10 times the number vs Koehler.
I was told Kohler requires 15 foot clearance from the house. To my eye, that doesnt appear to be the case in this video. Why would Generac only require 5 feet? I want a Kohler but that 15 foot rule I was advised of would place the generator in a less than optimal location.
Typically I install 14 RESA and 20 RESA units on houses with 200 amp panel. They will not run everything in the house if you turn everything on at the same time, but I bet you don't do that when the utility is on either. If your electric meter base is 100 amp (I usually see this on older homes) there are smaller Automatic Transfer Switches that can be used and they are less expensive. Rule of thumb--if you are going to use an electric oven, you will need an automatic transfer switch with a load center that limits how many circuit breakers you can use, if you want to buy a 14 RESA. A 20 RESA will satisfy 95% of middle class customers.
@NonyaBusiness! We have an older Kohler home generator. I can attest they last ten years at least. ;) Portables are nice but its also nice when the power goes off and the generator starts itself up automatically and then off again once the power has returned. Our generator has about 230 hrs on it now. I wonder what the engine is actually rated at. Generac (different company I know) says their engines are rated for 3000 hours. 3000 / 230 = 13 * 10 years to accumulate those hours means the genset ought to last 30+ years with occasional use and proper maintenance.
NonyaBusiness! No way this Kohler standby gas generator can cost all that money installed. I live in the carribean Puerto Rico and everything we buy here is supposed to be more expensive than the states, but nevertheless I only paid $3,500 dollars for my Champion 8.5kw standby gas generator completely installed by a certified technician and my local professional gas company. Ok when i boutght it was in sale in my local Sams Store and both the technician and the owner of the gas company were close friends of mine so maybe i saved close to $1,000 dollars from their regular prices and service but this is no near the amount of money you’re talking about. Also the one of the same size of the video was only like $600.00 dollars more than mine. Also you can’t compare any portable generator with the benefits that offers a standby gas generator with ATS, because as soon the power goes out it starts automatically in 10 seconds and I can power the whole house with mine during a power outage. Also it can be used continually for over two days straight without having to turn it off, and mine can be used for over 125 hours at half load before i need to refill her 120 galons propane gas tank...😉
KEY issue to address is Short versus long-term power outage. Living in the Gulf states, power out for 1-4 hours is EASY to address- It's the 4-8 days given a Hurricane!!!! Please address, because that is what "most" of in the Gulf states are concerned with?? :)
Sounds like you need a 1000 gallon propane tank. That's roughly 500-600 hours of runtime depending on the size of the genset and loading. That's the better part of three weeks.
1: A local power outage as in a power outage on your street .... YES the natural gas will still flow just like city water.. If your subdivision looses power, MAYBE the gas and water will still flow.. A city wide power outage, chances are water and natural gas will stop flowing... NEXT you need to make sure your natural gas line coming in has enough pressure to feed the generator ... If that pressure is LOW, that generator will not run.. !! I have seen many times people pay THOUSANDS of $$ to install a generator this size and feed it natural gas, install the ATS then to find out the generator cranks runs and stalls .. Then to find out that the gas company only guarantee's X amount of pressure and if your stove or heater works.... There is nothing they can do about it ... Then you find out that your stove or heater does not require as much pressure as your generator needs ... Those are more about gallons per minute vs pressure ... 2: is it 10 yrs, 20 yrs or 30 yrs...?? 3: 14 K W is right in the middle towards the top....... 4: you people should be saying its a 14 thousand watt generator ... lastly but not least... That ATS is just another point of failure with all those electronics ... All it takes it a lightning hit or power surge to damage it and you wont know until your power goes out and that sucker does not switch over... I am all for electronics and technology but when it comes to power, i keep it simple.... Generator to MTS to panel = power to house...
You Tube A city wide power outage. Water and gas still flows. Almost always. A generator is made for an electric outage. What is everyone so concerned about a gas outage. Once every 20-30 years.
Donald1951: Hurricane Irma cut our state in half and put us out of power for 9 days ... Water stopped flowing after 24 hrs ... Nat gas was down for 5 days. Yes they STOP flowing ... And why do you keep saying that a generator is made for an electric outage..?? We know this already.. !!
have a 14kw Kohler on natural gas like this, had for 10+ years. Lots or outages here, gen has always operated flawlessly. Power out for many days - gas does not stop. No city water - we're on a well which is a good reason for standby power. Is quiet with lid down. Gen is just outside of guest bedroom and guest during outage last summer said noise no problem.
Water needs pressure and does not move. Why forget that a GAS, a GAS naturally expands and unlike water, it only needs one pound of pressure to operate. Gas will keep expanding naturally inside the gas lines without any need to apply strong pumps. In fact, even once outside after it leaks it keeps expanding and fills an entire room. Hence, it is reliable.
Water needs pressure and does not move. Why forget that a GAS, a GAS naturally expands and unlike water, it only needs one pound of pressure to operate. Gas will keep expanding naturally inside the gas lines without any need to apply strong pumps. In fact, even once outside after it leaks it keeps expanding and fills an entire room. Hence, natural gas is reliable. Besides, what else, a wind turbine backup, and if there is no wind a solar panel back up , and if it rains and there is no sun, if there is an EMP, etc etc...
The surging on the unit is an easy fix... Can't believe they showed a kohler with this issue.. fix is either in controller gain setting and or the front engine fan is pulling air across the fuel regulator creating a vacuum on the regulator..I am a Kohler certified tech. I have fixed plenty of these small problems... Kohler is really one of the two best generator out there.. other being Generac... and if you service it regularly 20 years
With the lid down it's manageable, especially because this unit is located behind the detached carport so it's 25+' from living space in the house. I think with the recent storms you'll see lots of these installed in the coming years. Matt
My issue with gas generators is that you have to worry about fuel. Natural gas is run underground so it's pretty storm resistant and the flow is uninterruptible. There is also no worry about fuel stabilizer. Here in Austin, TX we have very little underground electric. Even windy storms knock out power in our neighborhoods regularly with our urban tree canopy weaved through power lines. This Kohler generator will get a regular workout here in Austin. Matt Risinger
Did they lose their natural gas supply too in the February freeze? I’ll bet propane tank sales in Texas have taken a jump upwards. A backup to the backup. I was impressed to learn recently that at least some of these pad mount generators can switch from natural gas to propane with the twist of a selector dial.
Oh boy, it's been a while since we completed this job. Not totally sure anymore. We sized the unit to run one AC unit, fridge, water heater, and some main lighting/tv/av. It's fired once during an outage and the clients loved it! Seems like our weather patterns are only getting crazier so I think we will see more demand for these Kohler backup generators. Best, Matt
last 10-20-30 years. That is a large distance in time. Which is it?
Lmao...
I was just about to type that in 😆
Good observation, yes, the engine is 'loping' and this brand new unit and others like it up to the 20 Kw range are plagued with this symptom. I have found on multiple occasions, as a common denominator, the vent tubes for the demand regulator were in close proximity to the main cooling fan, the inrush of air from the fan sometimes causes atmosphere distortion for the diaphragm that's exposed to atmosphere on the demand regulator. Have experienced success 80% of the time by installing longer vent tubing from regulator to an area where there is less air turbulence detected by diaphragm. Water column in inches must not deviate 1 WC while starting and running, an absolute necessity for proper operation. The information not stated with this demonstration is the generator will only produce a certain amount of usable power and it's not a true 14 Kw machine. Even though Kohler states the power factor specification of 1.0 ,in reality, the 14 Kw produces 12 Kw of real power. The reason for this is natural gas, as a fuel source, burns with an 'efficiency factor' of 85-90 %. The 14 Kw unit produces 85-90 % of it's rated output, close to 12 Kw, and not much more. When calculated, the generator will produce 50 amps @ 240 VAC. It will power some devices, but you have to be careful as to what is selected and have knowledge of the devices FLA rating before turning on.
I'm not sure of the rule you're mentioning. Makes sense to keep the unit at least 5 or more feet from the house to ensure combustion gases aren't sucked into the house with an HVAC fresh air intake, open window, etc. This unit was 3-5' from the detached carport of this house so it's 25+' from living space. I would go Kohler any day over Generac. Matt
Thanks for responding. Had an estimate done today and was told Kohler (the company itself) required 15 ft clearance from the house, but for some reason Generac only required 5ft. I prefer the Kohler based on what I have read online, but will be forced to place the Kohler farther from my house near a pool filter and am concerned about potential issues with water near the generator. Trying to find info on warranty details as well as considerations for placement. Thanks for the video, nice to
petulia67 Is. I think Generac is only 18” from the house. 5’ from windows etc.
The pulse of the engine is HIGHLY annoying. I'm glad I'm hearing it here first!
thats because there is no load on it
This was an initial start up and we must have not bleed all the air out of the line. It's sounding great now. Matt
You should add the text on the part of the video that it happens, I knew is still programming but the entire video deters anyone from buying it. And, why leave the lid open for so long. It would have been nice to had it closed and open it afterwards while mentioning how much the insulation minimizes the noise. This video hurts Kohler.
Nice observation Ed 10, 20 or 30 years. That generator was so quite lol
I would expect 20 years service life, but you need to be taking the time to maintain them properly. A well built Kohler engine that's well maintained should go 30+ years no problem.
Hi Matt. A backup generator can run 200 hrs a year, or 25. The lifetime really depends on usage. I'm from Toronto. Here, power outages are extremely rare. And in my opinion, not an issue unless in winter, when pipes could possibly freeze for lack of heat inside a house - despite this, backup generator installations are rare here. But in Austin? I assume the owners don't want an interruption to their air conditioning, or their internet....seems hard to justify.
How many run time hours would that be?
In answer to your question about gas pressure failing, normally the gas companies have their own backup generators but pressure in the distribution lines is very high. Pressure can come from as far away as 50 to 60 miles. I have a Kohler 35KW which runs off natural gas and never had a gas pressure problem. This includes several storms, grid failures in the electrical power system, and hurricanes. In answer to why the engine is surging, might be several things. First thing is that it is running at max rpm (3600). Our generator turns at 1800 rpm and is much quieter. The engine is a gear drive camshaft GM 4.3 liter V-6. Very good machine. Those who complain about one brand or the other in my opinion are the type that start the flame wars over who has the best truck, etc. Do what the manufacturer says, and it will last. Some brands have had problems, Generac had problems a while back with quality control but they have fixed it.
water company also have back up generators ... But how long will they last is the question and how fast will they be to refuel them when they go down especially when you have HUNDREDS of lift stations in one city..
Small towns have water towers which do not use commercial power to flow the water .. the sheer weight of the water in the tower is what provides the pressure to keep the water flowing thru the streets ... Water is pumped into the water tower at all times via commercial power but when that power goes out, that back up generator kicks in... it only has so much fuel ... This is why during a city wide power outage, water will flow but only for so long..
In my state we lost power for almost 8 days and people claimed city water flowed for about 3-4 days before they lost water ... Thankfully the subdivision i live in, my neighbor works for the city in the water dept and he made sure that generator was topped off with 200 gallons of fuel so we had water the entire time ...
Kohler are outstanding unit and the water cooled units are even better. Just an FYI when adding a natural gas generator to an existing home or business, three parties should be involved during the planning stage ( the electrical contractor, the pipe fitting contractor and the gas utility). I can tell you if the gas utility is left out of the equation problems usually occur and I'm not just talking about the generator.
Yes, we got that fixed after the video was shot. Matt Risinger
I have one. Its worth the money. Its call no worries. Set it and forget it with proper maintenance.
Why did the Technician put one hand on the live incoming service line while holding the grounded cabinet with his other hand??
The surging was the result of a fault with the ‘flux capacitor’!
Question: if the gen runs off the fuel from the existing (natural) gas lines, how long can you run the gen in a power outage before the pressure in the gas lines drops to the point where the gen cant pull enough fuel to run? I assume that there are compressors on the nat gas lines which charge the lines with pos pressure and if these compressors also run on electricity, won't they also go down in a large scale power failure? Im not trying to be a know-it-all jerk, I just wonder how this kind of system would function in a situation where the power was down for say, over 5 days. I know that this will depend on the specific infrastructure supplying the nat gas to the house/gen, but do you (the installers) have any information on how long this system would be usable in the even of a long-term power failure?
That is a damn good question and im glad you are thinking of this... This is why you do not rely on natural gas as the source of fuel to feed this generator ... I would go with propane. This way in the event of a major power outage, you have propane stored on your property to feed the generator ... just make sure you have enough to run for days ... !!!
Worked at a natural gas company for over 30 years. Only delivery problems I recall are in beach areas where flooding at times requires the main gas lines to be shut down for awhile. Inland never unless it’s to fix a main line leak near where you live.
So you are saying that in the event of a hurricane that kills power to the entire city or state for DAYS or even WEEKS that the gas will still flow..??
Id rather be safe than sorry ... As much as you can say that it WILL flow... there is that chance and that chance i wont take. On site propane cannot be beat ...!!
You Tube ok. That’s just my experience. 99% of people who already have nat gas will hook up to it.
If not propane is a great option. Keep in mind propane regulators can and do freeze up from time to time so it too is not guaranteed. I know, I have a 1000 gallon LP tank in the ground and it froze up once in the 2 years that I had it. And nat gas is usually much cheaper. If it was availabie to me I would def use it.
Donald1951:
I don't live in a cold climate & never will if i have the choice .. !! So the chances of my propane regulator freezing will NEVER happen ...
"Oh that cover makes a big difference. Yeah...very quiet!" Lmao! They do bog down after cycling for a while though. I've installed tons of these.
nice vid. how many and what circuits were ran in the 3/4" conduit that leads to the generator
One other thing to think about when you size the generator for your home is that the starting loads are about three times what the running load is. So, a lot of the smaller 14Kw to 18Kw will have problems starting an A/C unit with other loads on the generator. I oversized ours by a large amount but haven't had a problem. The engine is the heart of the machine and the slower it turns the longer it will last. The smaller generators run at 3600 rpm while the larger generators 20Kw plus run at 1800 rpm. Half the wear at 1800 and usually less fuel. Again, have someone to knows generators figure all the loads you will have on plus starting amps.(load). With the lid up, there is a lot of engine noise. Ours is no louder than the outside A/C compressor unit. Lights are out about 12 seconds on average when the power fails.
Also there are more BTUs in propane than natural gas. A 20Kw generator running on natural gas will only produce about 18Kw--and that's for handling surges. the load it can carry is about 20% less. On the plus side, Kohler puts extra copper on the alternators for the 14 RESA and the 20 RESA so they handle heavy motor and compressor loads coming on line more quickly. Other brands are good for lights, but if you have a large air conditioner, deep well pump, a couple of sump pumps, freezers, a fridge, and a house with a lot of ceiling fans you will be happier with the Kohler even if it cost you a few hundred bucks more.
GunfighterWyo:
i powered up my 3 Ton central ac with a 7k watt generator .. !!! It only pulls 3200 watts ...
capnbobretired:
I am going to build a new house in 2019 and i am looking for a ~20k watt generator but i don't know which brand to get... Generac seems to have issues with moisture in the crankcase ... Kohler has been building motors for a LONG time but some say they out sourced their engine builds to china ... Briggs & stratton i can't find that many reviews on them...
GunfighterWyo I called Generac. The rpms are the same from 14kw to 22 kw.
Why is the engine loping?
So you heard it too. No idea, might be something with the governor.
That issue has been taken care of and new units do not do it. They have a fix kit from Kohler that there is no charge for that has vent tubing that will take care of it. If your generator has this problem, call the dealer you bought it from.
We have an older Kohler generator and it doesn't do that.
Is the engine surging because the generator isn't under load?
Slow the cameraman down and do a slow pan of the entire installation, showing all the conduit distances and talk about the wire gauge so we know what's in the transfer switch and breaker panel.
You would go with Kohler any day over Generac based on what?
Hydraulic lifters for one thing. Generac need to be serviced and have lifters adjusted on a regular basis. Generac will cost less up front, but by the time you buy their maintenance package and have to deal with adjusting valves you will wish you bought the kohler.
seeburgm100a. Just talked to a dealer that installs both. He said there are more service issues with Koehler. IMO, people hear about Koehler issues because they probably sell 10 times the number vs Koehler.
I was told Kohler requires 15 foot clearance from the house. To my eye, that doesnt appear to be the case in this video. Why would Generac only require 5 feet? I want a Kohler but that 15 foot rule I was advised of would place the generator in a less than optimal location.
How many amps was the house panel?
Typically I install 14 RESA and 20 RESA units on houses with 200 amp panel. They will not run everything in the house if you turn everything on at the same time, but I bet you don't do that when the utility is on either. If your electric meter base is 100 amp (I usually see this on older homes) there are smaller Automatic Transfer Switches that can be used and they are less expensive. Rule of thumb--if you are going to use an electric oven, you will need an automatic transfer switch with a load center that limits how many circuit breakers you can use, if you want to buy a 14 RESA. A 20 RESA will satisfy 95% of middle class customers.
surging?
So the guy asks how long will it last? Answer 10, 20 or 30 years. Make up your mind.
@NonyaBusiness! We have an older Kohler home generator. I can attest they last ten years at least. ;)
Portables are nice but its also nice when the power goes off and the generator starts itself up automatically and then off again once the power has returned.
Our generator has about 230 hrs on it now. I wonder what the engine is actually rated at. Generac (different company I know) says their engines are rated for 3000 hours. 3000 / 230 = 13 * 10 years to accumulate those hours means the genset ought to last 30+ years with occasional use and proper maintenance.
NonyaBusiness! No way this Kohler standby gas generator can cost all that money installed. I live in the carribean Puerto Rico and everything we buy here is supposed to be more expensive than the states, but nevertheless I only paid $3,500 dollars for my Champion 8.5kw standby gas generator completely installed by a certified technician and my local professional gas company. Ok when i boutght it was in sale in my local Sams Store and both the technician and the owner of the gas company were close friends of mine so maybe i saved close to $1,000 dollars from their regular prices and service but this is no near the amount of money you’re talking about. Also the one of the same size of the video was only like $600.00 dollars more than mine. Also you can’t compare any portable generator with the benefits that offers a standby gas generator with ATS, because as soon the power goes out it starts automatically in 10 seconds and I can power the whole house with mine during a power outage. Also it can be used continually for over two days straight without having to turn it off, and mine can be used for over 125 hours at half load before i need to refill her 120 galons propane gas tank...😉
westlake?.. did you get paid in wine?
Code says a propane tank must be 15 feet from a house in many city areas.
why is it surging
KEY issue to address is Short versus long-term power outage. Living in the Gulf states, power out for 1-4 hours is EASY to address- It's the 4-8 days given a Hurricane!!!! Please address, because that is what "most" of in the Gulf states are concerned with?? :)
Sounds like you need a 1000 gallon propane tank. That's roughly 500-600 hours of runtime depending on the size of the genset and loading. That's the better part of three weeks.
You must be hard of hearing ....that thing is loud
1: A local power outage as in a power outage on your street .... YES the natural gas will still flow just like city water.. If your subdivision looses power, MAYBE the gas and water will still flow.. A city wide power outage, chances are water and natural gas will stop flowing... NEXT you need to make sure your natural gas line coming in has enough pressure to feed the generator ... If that pressure is LOW, that generator will not run.. !! I have seen many times people pay THOUSANDS of $$ to install a generator this size and feed it natural gas, install the ATS then to find out the generator cranks runs and stalls .. Then to find out that the gas company only guarantee's X amount of pressure and if your stove or heater works.... There is nothing they can do about it ... Then you find out that your stove or heater does not require as much pressure as your generator needs ... Those are more about gallons per minute vs pressure ...
2: is it 10 yrs, 20 yrs or 30 yrs...??
3: 14 K W is right in the middle towards the top.......
4: you people should be saying its a 14 thousand watt generator ...
lastly but not least... That ATS is just another point of failure with all those electronics ... All it takes it a lightning hit or power surge to damage it and you wont know until your power goes out and that sucker does not switch over... I am all for electronics and technology but when it comes to power, i keep it simple.... Generator to MTS to panel = power to house...
You Tube A city wide power outage. Water and gas still flows. Almost always. A generator is made for an electric outage. What is everyone so concerned about a gas outage. Once every 20-30 years.
Donald1951:
Hurricane Irma cut our state in half and put us out of power for 9 days ... Water stopped flowing after 24 hrs ... Nat gas was down for 5 days.
Yes they STOP flowing ...
And why do you keep saying that a generator is made for an electric outage..?? We know this already.. !!
have a 14kw Kohler on natural gas like this, had for 10+ years. Lots or outages here, gen has always operated flawlessly. Power out for many days - gas does not stop. No city water - we're on a well which is a good reason for standby power. Is quiet with lid down. Gen is just outside of guest bedroom and guest during outage last summer said noise no problem.
Water needs pressure and does not move. Why forget that a GAS, a GAS naturally expands and unlike water, it only needs one pound of pressure to operate. Gas will keep expanding naturally inside the gas lines without any need to apply strong pumps. In fact, even once outside after it leaks it keeps expanding and fills an entire room. Hence, it is reliable.
Water needs pressure and does not move. Why forget that a GAS, a GAS naturally expands and unlike water, it only needs one pound of pressure to operate. Gas will keep expanding naturally inside the gas lines without any need to apply strong pumps. In fact, even once outside after it leaks it keeps expanding and fills an entire room. Hence, natural gas is reliable. Besides, what else, a wind turbine backup, and if there is no wind a solar panel back up , and if it rains and there is no sun, if there is an EMP, etc etc...
diesel has less then 50 decibels, Pretty loud. Not sure if NG is the right way to go but better then nothing.
Doesn't anyone else here the motor surging. There is something wrong with it
That engine sounds horrible. Id put a voltmeter on the output and i bet the voltage is following the engine surging up and down. That aint good.
This brand generator is not that good or great.
too loud.
Sounds like its going to explode. Why is there no gearing to keep engine running quiet? Just designed by cave men I suppose.
The generator is hunting, that needs a real technician to fix the problem, does not speak well of the technician’s abilities.
Can’t even calculated a generator and installing them. 12000 just for a 1500 square feet 22000 for a 2500 or 2800 feet don’t shet
It most be nice to be rish
O5fordgtx1 some people need a generator due to illness. Not about being rich.