Generac home standby generators

[rlevan]

I am trying to choose between different standby generators. Don't want to use diesel because of the problems with fuel oxidation, microbial growth, etc. Of the LP types, Generac seems to be the best rated in the 15KW size with slow turning (1800RPM) engines. Does anyone out there have any experience with this size Generac? I'd like to know its reliability, fuel consumption at various loads, etc. Out here, we seem to lose power for about 1 week every winter. This is usually spread over 2 or 3 ice storms, so it isn't all at once. The people get along fine without power. It's kind of hard pumping water for the horses out of a 1000' well with no power, tho [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[DocHeb]

I have that model (Generac 1800 RPM, liquid cooled) purchased last year. The 1800 RPM was what sold me (over the 3600 RPM) - a much less frantic engine. Mine looks a little different compared to the ones at the Generac site now - I don't know what is different internally. It's relatively quiet (but the enclosure is not sound-proofed as well as my friend's Kohler unit), but I paid 1/2 what he paid. It is such that you can have a normal conversation next to the unit, but you can hear a hum from inside the house. I'm planning to add a 4' vertical extension to the muffler so the sound is dumped a little higher in the air. Mine runs on Natural Gas, so I can't tell you about consumption - I'll have some idea next month when I get my bill - it ran for 24 hours with the recent big blackout. The auto-transfer switch works well, so I don't have to worry about my wife when I'm gone. The only thing is that the electrician was pretty unselective about what was wired. With the house going full bore (but no AC) I was only pulling 5 amps @ 220v. Although I need some slack for motor startups, I think I'll be adding some additional lighting circuits.

[GaryM]

I have the 15KW, 3600 RPM unit in a home that's under construction. I went with the 3600 RPM because of anticipated use and lower initial cost. (almost 3K) I may someday regret the decision!

According to the manual, my unit consumes 2.8 Gal/Hr under full load and 1.73 Gal/Hr under half load.

The info on the 1800RPM liqued cooled 15KW unit states it uses 3 Gal/Hr under full load. No half load figures are given for this unit.

I don't see any noise figures for either unit.

I went with propane over diesel for the same reasons as yours.

Hope this helps

[Inspector507]

Gary,
I've been looking at the 12KW unit @3600RPM. I know it is better to use the 1800 RPM units, but cost is a factor as well. We did not lose power (except for 10 secs.) during the blackout. But we have in the past, for hours. I need something my wife will not have to worry about if I'm not home......or if we're at work.
We are on a well here, so there's nothing if there's no power, no water or worse, no sump pump. The water level is high here and the pump runs even in a drought.
I gave my wife a few nasty stares when the blackout was happening [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] . Her mother lives in Cleveland and did not have power until the next day......steady power anyway.
Oh yeah.....we have NG here, so I'd get it plumbed in to that. Gas has never failed me yet [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

Inspector,

The consumption figures I furnished were for propane. If you have NG available, it's less of an issue as you have a virtually unlimited supply. There is a note on my unit that details the CF volume needed for NG. I didn't make any notes on that as I'm using propane.

I bought mine from www.electricgeneratorstore.com. Free shipping!

There are links to the specs and manuals for the various units.

As you said, I'd rather have the less expensive 3600 RPM unit than no unit!

[Slamfire]

You are counting on NG pumping plants to be up and running during the electrical outage. By no means a gimmie. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

That's a point to consider, but I'd prefer NG over propane because a truck doesn't have to come and fill my tank. But there's no NG in most areas of Missouri. Outside of metro areas, propane is pretty much it.

[egon]

And the NG distribution systems are interconnected just as is the electrical grid. Lots of variables there to shut it down as has been stated by Slamfire.

Egon

[Inspector507]

GaryM,
I think I have decided to go with the 12KW 3600 RPM Natural Gas unit. I weighed all the options........
A portable unit my wife probably could not get out of the barn, wheeled over to the house and connected properly if I was not at home. Gas does go bad, besides you need to have a supply on hand for an extended outage. Diesel, same reasons. And if the area is out of power......the local suppliers won't have power either. LP........?? that would be the only thing here on LP, but that is still an option as they come prepared to work on LP or NG.
Now, for NG......?? the booster pump stations I am familiar with all have back up power. I have done all the calculations on the the gas lines we have now. We currently have a demand of 175 cubic feet/hour and will need 355 cubic feet/hour after the genset. The lines are good for 680. Think I'm good to go. Now just a visit to the credit union to do a "funds transfer" and I can place my order from http://www.electricgeneratorstore.com./
I need this to be as simple and foolproof as possible. My health in the future will never be as good as it now, so I need to take a look at the future and get us prepared [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

I didn't bad mouth diesel, I don't think I did. I just felt that propane, or NG, was a better choice for my needs. Based on convenience mostly. for my JD I buy fuel 5 gal at a time. I don't have any storage tank and don't intend to.

The folks at the Electric Generator Store were good to work with and the unit was delivered when they said it would be. I paid $30 extra for a truck with a liftgate. As it truned out my GC had his Bobcat on site with forks, but I couldn't depend on that happening.

I eliminated the portable unit for the same reasons you did. Convenience when I'm not home. I can count on the lights being on when I get there!

The cables that connect the outside box to the load center are 30' in length. In my case that's not enough. My electrician is putting a connection box in place and then continuing on from there with his own cableing. Needed another 15' or so.

Here's a picture of the 15KW unit with the cover open. Reasonable amount of soundproofing inside. BTW, you need to supply your own starting battery. Do you think those Optima batteries are any good? Oh wait, that's a different thread!