# Looking into a whole-house system...



## RASelkirk (Sep 18, 2020)

Hi All,

We're located 15 miles from the gulf coast, midway between Houston and Lake Charles, we've had more than a few instances of long-duration power outages, including a 4 day outage from an ice storm in '96. Time to get into something!

Everything I've looked at so far states something to the effect "not intended for permanent use" but doesn't allude to the meaning of that. Do most of these gens have a duty cycle like a welder, or do they need to shut down at intervals to check vitals, or just wear out, or?

My needs are nat gas a fuel, 12k+ as an output, and as quiet as possible because the only logical place is right outside our living area (t least there's a brick wall). I've checked with the gas company and our meter will need to be replaced. Looks like 45 feet of 1" pipe from the meter up the outside wall, across the attic, and down. One tee and three 90° ells to get back out. So far, I've seen Generac (the most popular here by far!), Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Cummins, and the "new guy" Champion from China. Any others out there? I've mainly been checking Norwall for info...

I'm not averse to stepping up from the usual air-cooled V2 to an inline four, but that brings up another Q. Is it better to be over-capacity and run off-idle to 50%, or size accordingly and run flat out? From the various specs, it looks like the bigger ones would use less fuel and _may_ run quieter but are over double+ in cost. Then again, fuel use wouldn't really be a factor on a week or two run every five years. Not sure if longevity is a factor? Of course, finding an installer willing to do the job will be a factor for anything other than Generac.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Russ Selkirk


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

I have had Generac's and I can say never again.
Parts and service are completely controlled by their dealers.
Before I give you the link for my preference I have to admit that other than what I have seen, I have not investigated the items they sell.
I would definitely ask for prints, and get a better understanding of the function of the generator they sell along with the TS and enclosures.
They are far greater in price than the V twins that Generac sell, but compatible in price for the 1800 RPM units.
Here is the link:




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Generators for Sale | Order Commercial & Industrial Generators for Sale - Powerhouse Diesel Generators


Purchase high-quality generators for sale from Powerhouse Diesel Generators. We carry a large selection of commercial and industrial generators for sale including marine generators, natural gas generators, and more. Visit our site and shop for custom-built generators for sale today.




www.pdgenerators.com




They are located in Georgia.
Take a long look and then dig in and get the facts, the longevity is what you want even if it initially costs more.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

If I was in the market for an air cooled 3600rpm standby generator, I would personally go with a Kohler.

I think one of the biggest problems with standby units is that the engine is usually running under no load. Oil consumption and spark plug fouling is common. It does a weekly maintenance run, and then if a power outage occurs it’s typically operating at 25% load or less. These units are usually sized big to accommodate Central A/C.

What ever you decide, I recommend a proper break in to get the piston rings to seal well.


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## RASelkirk (Sep 18, 2020)

ToolLover said:


> I have had Generac's and I can say never again.
> Parts and service are completely controlled by their dealers.
> Before I give you the link for my preference I have to admit that other than what I have seen, I have not investigated the items they sell.
> I would definitely ask for prints, and get a better understanding of the function of the generator they sell along with the TS and enclosures.
> ...


Thanks, e-mailed them to see if they can provide installer details.



drmerdp said:


> If I was in the market for an air cooled 3600rpm standby generator, I would personally go with a Kohler.
> 
> I think one of the biggest problems with standby units is that the engine is usually running under no load. Oil consumption and spark plug fouling is common. It does a weekly maintenance run, and then if a power outage occurs it’s typically operating at 25% load or less. These units are usually sized big to accommodate Central A/C.
> 
> What ever you decide, I recommend a proper break in to get the piston rings to seal well.


Would plugs foul on NG? I'm trying to ascertain whether it's better to run a large gen at minimal loads or a small gen at marginally high loads.

Thanks!

Russ


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

drmerdp: I've been curious about the Kohler units, they seem interesting and have a good warranty. While I have several small engines here on the farm, Briggs, Tec, Honda, only have one Kohler, 26HP twin on a garden tractor. My issue is with parts cost from Kohler compared to other small engine mfg's. Kohler seems to have reduced "repair parts" to the largest assembly and that's what you have to buy. e.g. even on the older engines, need a carb rebuild kit or gaskets, etc.? Nope, buy entire carb. Bendix in a starter, same thing. That being said, the parts mentioned and others are available "aftermarket" as I've learned after replacing two coils on the 26HP. One on each side, 145 hours to date. It's a strong engine and works fine, so not sour grapes, just curiosity. Are the Kohler generator folks, the same "Kohler" as the small engine folks?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Kohler, Cummins, and cat are ok choices.
the lower 1800 rpm units work best.
get something with an spin oil filter.

and no on the spark plugs fouling on natural gas.
even on the conversion units.
ng and lp burn super clean!!
I use ng here as primary fuel on a tri fuel system.
I do change the standard spark lugs plugs to the iridium spark plugs.
they just fire better with ng and lp.


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

I did some checking into the PDG transfer switch.
Here is a link to one of the TS's;


https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/manuals/Vigilant_ATS_Spec.pdf




https://dynagen.com/sites/default/files/Support%20Files/MAN-0071%20R1.8,%20VTS%20100-200A%20User%20Manual.pdf


The .pdf may be of interest, but it seems to be in 3 phase format only.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I’ve seen plugs foul from oil consumption. NG or LPG would not carbon up a plug. As far as kohlers parts availability... I’ve repaired a few garden tractors with Koehler vtwins and didn’t have a problem getting what I needed, but as you mentioned @exmar, parts we’re pricy.


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## ToolLover (Jan 13, 2020)

Open the .pdf and scroll down to page 59.
At least they give you the software needed to troubleshoot the system.


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## RASelkirk (Sep 18, 2020)

ToolLover said:


> I did some checking into the PDG transfer switch.
> Here is a link to one of the TS's;
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for that first link (backspaced to the main site), just like Norwall except more manual availability. Got lots of reading to do!

Russ


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