Opinions on this Kohler standby generator?

[k1xv]

We mostly have a home generator for winter outages so the house does not freeze. The problem with diesel fueled generators is, they do not start as easily in cold weather as NG/propane generators, and the fuel lines can get gelled up stopping fuel flow.

I don't know anything about Kohler generators, but my 20 kw propane Generac is now out of service because, for a 15 year old generator, some parts are no longer available from the manufacturer.

 

[The motor guy]

We mostly have a home generator for winter outages so the house does not freeze. The problem with diesel fueled generators is, they do not start as easily in cold weather as NG/propane generators, and the fuel lines can get gelled up stopping fuel flow.

I don't know anything about Kohler generators, but my 20 kw propane Generac is now out of service because, for a 15 year old generator, some parts are no longer available from the manufacturer.

That's another reason for going with a more commercial version generator. They'll keep parts around longer typically

 

[doitmyself]

As already stated, we don't know much about your needs. I don't know about the particular model. 30 kw seems very high (consume more fuel). I maintain a workplace 17KY Kohler nat. gas generator with auto transfer, purchased in 2001 (pennies on the dollar after Y2K). It has a robust small 4cyl. Ford engine. Pros and cons to each fuel type. Diesel will require the most maintenance (algae, etc.). If the event(i.e., earthquake) is enough to knock out natural gas, I think that I will have bigger things to worry about.

My unit has been nearly flawless with routine maintenance. Kohler generators are very well respected, right up there with CAT/Onan for commercial use - the 2 leading brands in the U.S.. Parts and Service availability has been excellent. I would consider Generac next in line because they have a huge dealer network.

Good luck.

 

[The motor guy]

As already stated, we don't know much about your needs. I don't know about the particular model. 30 kw seems very high (consume more fuel). I maintain a workplace 17KY Kohler nat. gas generator with auto transfer, purchased in 2001 (pennies on the dollar after Y2K). It has a robust small 4cyl. Ford engine. Pros and cons to each fuel type. Diesel will require the most maintenance (algae, etc.). If the event(i.e., earthquake) is enough to knock out natural gas, I think that I will have bigger things to worry about.

My unit has been nearly flawless with routine maintenance. Kohler generators are very well respected, right up there with CAT/Onan for commercial use - the 2 leading brands in the U.S.. Parts and Service availability has been excellent. I would consider Generac next in line because they have a huge dealer network.

Good luck.

Could probably do 24kw, the ac alone needs like 12kw to startup, so that's half right there

 

[doitmyself]

Could probably do 24kw, the ac alone needs like 12kw to startup, so that's half right there

That's probably the startup/inrush current, not the operating current. That 12kw surge is only needed for a few seconds.

EDIT: As long as you don't have a bunch of additional motors all trying to start up at the same time, you can probably downsize the generator quite a bit. I'm also biased about just running the bare essentials during an emergency (others might differ). I have not done the calculations for many years.

 

[The motor guy]

That's probably the startup/inrush current, not the operating current.

That's what I said

 

[SC Maintenance]

I can confirm that during 2 extended hurricane induced power outages, we never lost natural gas. Made boiling water convenient. Not sure I would bet my life on it - but I would go that way as well, with a small gasoline backup for end of times.

I would agree 30KW is a lot. Maybe if you need to run the AC/Heat/dryer and electric range at one time. My wife would try.

 

[SC Maintenance]

That's probably the startup/inrush current, not the operating current.

Speaking of this - how does one equate inrush to a generator need.

I assume my generator peak need to meet inrush? I only ask because I have a little portable AC that uses 17A @ 120V on inrush = 2040 Watts - as measured by me. So I got a 4000W peak generator, but I always wondered if a 2000W unit would handle it. It uses half that when running, about 8.5A@120V.

 

[Opelman]

The big problem with Generac is they don't keep parts around for long, and the 3600 rpm is a non starter. 1800 rpm is the way to go. Generac electronics don't have the best reputation either.

 

[eljefino]

A traditional generator has more headroom for motor starting than an inverter one. The "stuff is spinning" model will have the inertia of... the stuff spinning.

I know someone who has a whole house standby auto-switching generator for the first day of the outage, when he's at work or whatever. Saves his freezer and keeps his house running normally. When he gets home, he sheds loads and sometimes switches to something smaller and easier on fuel.

I have one of those 6-circuit transfer switches so I have the luxury of switching circuits (including motors) on one-at-a-time.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Wouldn't something like this be way better than those home rated generac generators that everyone installs? This thing doesn't say much about the engine though. I think it says 2.2 liter turbo charged, runs off LP/natural gas. I'd prefer a diesel model honestly.

https://www.electricgeneratorsdirec...Nhicxytn4Hu7fJq2LLRfHonx708dheXBoCVZ4QAvD_BwE

See https://www.centralmainediesel.com/order/Perkins-12-kW-Diesel-Generator-Enclosed.asp?page=Perkins12 and then explore along the edges from there. Diesels need to be run, and they need to be run hard a few times a year to prevent wet stacking. Diesel fuel doesn't last forever either.

If I wanted to generate power days on end I would want a unit spinning at 1800 RPM, liquid cooled, fueled by Diesel or Propane. Propane has the advantage of lasting forever yet every large fixed installation I am familiar with runs on Diesel. I've seen a Lowe's location run 20 hours on Diesel without a hiccup.

 

[Dutchy491]

A 2000w MIGHT handle it, but only if you didn’t have anything else running on it. Even a light or two, or TV….

 

[Astro_Guy]

Could probably do 24kw, the ac alone needs like 12kw to startup, so that's half right there

Where did you arrive at that 12KW figure to start the A/C? A/C startup is a momentary load lasting a fraction of a second. If you can supply 70% of the compressor LRA you will easily get by. This is especially true with a Diesel generator with a lot of spinning inertia.

 

[meep]

I’ve seen houses hold their 3 ton AC on a 6500 portable without issue. I’d want the smallest unit I could run the bare basics with - fridge, gas water heater, and one HVAC unit if I have any hopes of my wife not wanting to leave town.

 

[SupremePossum]

Yep, go for it. That Kohler RCLA30 is pretty good. Just watch out for the Ignition Module which is a common fault lately for some reason.

I have a similar genset from Generac, the RG027-QS. 1800RPM, liquid cooled, 2.4L NA Mitsubishi Engine. Just ran for over 6 days for Beryl, and it was great. Natural gas cost was ~$11/day

Diesel would be cool, but then you have a limited, much more expensive fuel source. Doesn't really make sense if you have NG

If you want liquid cooled, you'll end up with a big genset. But with NG thats no concern and fuel usage scales quite well. My RG027 uses less gas at the same kw as my neighbors 22kw air cooled

I'd pull the trigger

 

[Nesterenko]

I'd like to feel like it's a normal day, no sit and tittle my thumbs when it's 110 outside

What does tittle mean?

 

[4WD]

One nice thing about propane and natural gas, is it never goes bad like gasoline and diesel can. It is also very rare, if not impossible to have issues with water or moisture in the fuel.

The downside to propane and natural gas is most generators produce less power on those type of gaseous fuels, than they do on gasoline.

Doesn’t gum up carburetors either …

 

[The motor guy]

What does tittle mean?

twittle

 

[Cujet]

Regarding Natural Gas reliability. About 10% of NG pumps and controls are solely on grid power. This does not translate into a 10% chance of NG loss during a power outage. In fact the NG industry claims reliability of 99.9999%

However, my PA house was part of the wide-spread NG outages that lasted 3 days each, along with the associated electrical
power outages.

After experiencing no heat and no power there, I was very thankful for my stand-alone power system in FL.

The good news is that I was able to simply airline back to FL and avoid the problem in PA.

 

[1lieutenant]

Purchased an air cooled Generac 20k NG standby generator in 2013. Has worked flawlessly for multiple 4-5 hour outages. The longest it has had to work was a 5 day outage. I would stop the generator every morning to check the oil level. About a 15 minute “rest”. Essentially ran 23 hours 45 minutes between stops. It used no oil. Will run the whole house with the exception of clothes dryer or oven. These will run, but I don’t see any reason during an emergency to put such a high load on a the system.

The generator has safety systems which stop the generator if the oil is low or the temperature is too high.