Whole house generator

[ssgrock3]

in my mind I just couldn't justify the price when all I could find was them priced at 16k to 20k installed, we only had a regular geny we used via extension cords and such. When I found the company in kingfisher quoted us 10k for a 22kw installed with the auto transfer switch and the whole shebang I was in. I won't own a home now without one. I am just getting to old to hassle with not having power when i need it. a few years ago we ran our stand alone generac for a week if I remember right. It worked and we had limited power for the house, but it was winter so no ac need. It ran the furnace, fridges and lights and stuff and we had cords everywhere but everyday you had to go get gas for it. This thing if we lose power for I think 15 seconds it kicks on.

 

[bigred1]

We have a 22KW Generac with a 400A ATS (required by the utility) that was installed 4 years ago and I’d absolutely do it again. Only has a total of 23 hours on it right now and that includes the 5 minute exercise it runs every two weeks. Did the first oil change myself which was no big deal but decided to have the dealer come out for the 20 hour service which was more extensive requiring a valve adjustment etc…. Figured if there was ever a warranty issue I didn’t want anyone calling that into question. Next service, at 200 hours is more routine which I’ll do myself and likely all the others from here on out.
Now the reason for the 22KW is that it’s the largest air cooled generator they offer and anything bigger would have a radiator which is something else I’d have to deal with. We’re out in the county and running it on propane which, if memory serves gives around 8% more power….something in the area of 93 Amps. Something else to consider is if you are running a furnace or a heat pump. I’ve never had a whole house generator before nor have I had a heat pump so this has been a real learning experience. IF you have a heat pump and WHEN it gets real cold those darn heat-strips are going to kick in and they are energy pigs. We have three in our home and each one of them draws around 82 Amps so there’s no way a 22KW generator can handle one along with any other loads let alone three of the darn things. I found a solution but it took some thinking.

Well.....don't leave us hanging.

 

[ssgrock3]

Did anyone have to alter there home wiring with upgrades to accept, the generac?

not at all. They just added the auto transfer switch.

 

[hunter966]

Do you do your own service on the unit?

No, just because my wife thinks that Generator Supercenter can do it better than I can. LOL

She wanted them to service it since it is still under warranty, if something goes wrong with it it’s because they did/didn’t do something to it.

 

[Firpo]

Well.....don't leave us hanging.

Sorry, at first I didn’t understand. So we have two options when it gets really cold. First, and you’ll have to read your wiring diagram. I found that the heater and 1 set of strips are on one breaker and two more sets of heater strips are on the other. Switching off the second and third set of strips (breaker 2) keeps it from crashing my generator on overcurrent. We also have two gas fireplaces, not wood fireplaces that have been converted but actual gas fireplaces that will keep the house in the 80s when it’s in the teens outside. So when it’s really snappy outside I can run one fireplace and the house fan to circulate the hot air and it keeps 3,000 sqft of home very comfortable and greatly minimizes the power draw.

 

[chuter]

We've had our Generac 16k since it was installed when the house was built in 2008. It was a discontinued model on sale for around $6k.
I had the installer company do the maintenance for 2 or 3 years but since then I change the oil, and filters, not every year since it doesn't run that much.
I've had to replace 3 or 4 batteries, and the onboard batter charger. I just bought a NOCO battery tender and it works great.
Starts up once a week and runs for about 12 minutes.

 

[KOPBET]

Did anyone have to alter there home wiring with upgrades to accept, the generac?

That's one of the things that kept me out of the market. The split bus main panel would need to be replaced/updated/upgraded with a panel that was current with code. Then there was the cost of the plumbing for gas issue. And that was even before starting with the install of the Generac and transfer switch. Costs just kept going up and in the end weren't justifiable for me.

 

[ssgrock3]

That's one of the things that kept me out of the market. The split bus main panel would need to be replaced/updated/upgraded with a panel that was current with code. Then there was the cost of the plumbing for gas issue. And that was even before starting with the install of the Generac and transfer switch. Costs just kept going up and in the end weren't justifiable for me.

I was lucky, my gas meter is just on the other side of the garage wall that also has my electrical box. they tapped the gas right behind the meter and added the transfer switch to the side of the house. Looked like a pretty easy install.

 

[Lucky]

I was lucky, my gas meter is just on the other side of the garage wall that also has my electrical box. they tapped the gas right behind the meter and added the transfer switch to the side of the house. Looked like a pretty easy install.

My gas and electric are close together on backside of the house. Just not sure about updating my electrical panels. But I think I will get it checked out.

 

[.45Lover]

We have had our Generac for a couple of years now. I called the factory and asked about the 25 hour service. The service person said we needed to run the generator for 25 hours and do all the service. Don't just let it get to 25 with the scheduled runs per week/month. The reason being if it takes a few years to get to 25 hours, the break in oil is still in there and they said it could get thick. Replace with synthetic and you are good for several years.