OT: Whole house standby generator

[houstonutsack]

I am thinking about getting one and it seems that Generac is the biggest name on the internet. Are they as good as they claim they are or should I also consider another brand? Your shared experiences are appreciated.

 

[Colonel Angus.sixpack]

Generac seems to be one of the more popular brands in South Louisiana. The key is regular maintenance. You can possibly do it yourself but I don’t think it’s that expensive to have someone do it for you. The installation company will probably offer you a maintenance plan.

 

[AlSwearengen]

Had a big generac in our previous house (4500 sq ft.). No problems that I recall. I can’t remember for sure what brand motor it had but for some reason I want to think it was Kohler. These days, they probably come strictly with a generac branded motor, just a guess though.

We have a Briggs & Stratton in our current house (3200 sq ft.) that has a B&S vanguard motor, which is supposed to be a good one. Over 4 years, no issues with the motor but the generator seems to be pretty buggy. We get error messages once a year probably over 4.5 years.

The builder (dumbass) talked us into it. Without researching it, I would probably go generac unless you find something that says honda on it.

 

[SwampDawg]

Just remember, nothing is a guarantee. A house here in the Swamp had one of those whole house generators (don't know the brand.) Every Saturday it self-started and ran a while just to make sure it was still working. Katrina came, the power went off, and although the house was high, dry, and undamaged the generator did not start. And could not be started.

 

[the dog is on the loose]

3,000 sq ft home for 6 years with a 20kw kholer. Exercises on once a week for twenty minutes. Do my own maintenance and no issues.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Generac is top of the line. Most RVs and Sleeper Semis have Generacs.

 

[maroonmadman]

Generator Technologies is in Madison, or actually their address is. They are actually located on Hwy 51 north of Yandell Rd. in Gluckstadt. Les and Cheryl Battles are the owners and good Bulldog Fans and alums. Give them some business if you can. They work statewide.

 

[Dawgbite]

Generac is top of the line. Most RVs and Sleeper Semis have Generacs.

Most RVs have Onans. I think Generac got out of the RV industry years ago.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

A friend just put in Kohler

He said it was better than generac. He said generac has started using cheaper parts in the last several years. No clue if that’s true. My parents have a generac, the one time they needed it, the battery was dead. I’m sure that was their fault.

 

[Baddmann]

Agree with Onan. (My RV has a 12.5K onan in it.)

I have been researching this also. You can get air or water cooled. (Air cooled are smaller, but less maintenance).

You can use 2 air cooled Kohler generators in parallel with their Powersync module. Very slick. This is probably what I am going with.

 

[PapaDawg]

I have a 20 KW Kohler for 5 years. So far it has been dependable without any issues. If you do install one make sure the base of the generator is a little higher than the slab of your home. You don’t want the generator to flood before your house if you live in a flood prone area. Happened to a buddy of mine during the Hurricane Harvey flooding around Houston.