Standby/Backup Generators

[jtdumallard]

Whos has them? What brands would you recommend? In the process of a new construction and strongly leaning towards installing one.

[Forrest3]

Just finished a house and put an eaton 22kw on it. Eaton and generac are the same.

[edub20]

Just finished a house and put an eaton 22kw on it. Eaton and generac are the same.

How much that set you back with your discount?

[jtdumallard]

I'd like a discount.

[QUACKERS]

Kohler makes a very good one , Call Marty with Jim Cowden Electric.601-573-5553 He has great prices and installs.

[Forrest3]

Just finished a house and put an eaton 22kw on it. Eaton and generac are the same.

How much that set you back with your discount?

I ended up about $4200 with generator and automatic transfer switch

[jtdumallard]

Thats not a bad price. I have been looking at 15-18k for around the same price. These units are both Koehler and Briggs n Straton. Generac doesnt have good reviews that I have found on the web.

[jdbuckshot]

Not sure if yall would have any need on the side - if you live in the metro area - this wouldn't work


but I would recommend getting a welder generator, and getting your house wired for it

then you could use it for other options - mount it on a small trailer.

[simplepeddler]

I have the GE model......Briggs markets it as well.

seven years old and has never failed.
one of the few units that can monitor a load to start and run two 5 ton A/C units.

[fivemile]

I have had a 20kw Generac for years, auto switch and it's great. Will run 3 HCAC units, ref., lights, etc.

[SB]

Jdbuckshot - why wouldn't the welder generator work in the metro area?? Thanks

[MudHog]

Diesel and 1800 rpm would be the best. My take on this is what does the equipment coming to a storm wrecked area run on, diesel. Farmers in the area, diesel. All the other people buying gas for their generators won't be buying the diesel you need for yours. You will have more diesel available than gas. Now for the technical aspects, an 1800 rpm generator will produce a cleaner sine wave as the generator head is a 4 pole generator. 3600 rpms generators utilize a 2 pole generator due to their rpm speed. Longevity, 1800 rpm generator will last twice as long due to running half the speed. Servicing, diesel doesn't HAVE to be ran every month. Gas does or the carb will gunk up and leave the generator useless when it is needed most. These auto transfer switches are nice, but they do not load up the generator when they do their monthly runs. Running an engine for little time is more harmful than good as the engine doesn't come up to operating temperature to burn out the built up condensation. Also, you increase the chances of blow by, wetstacking, or washing the cylinders when the engine doesn't come up to temperature and held for a little while. The best run time is under a load, and preferably an 80% load. 1800 rpm generators also run quieter due to they are running at half speed and not full speed.

Stay away from NG. You will wish you didn't run it with the cost of natural gas and the amount of fuel a natural gas engine consumes due to the lower BTU rating of NG compared to gasoline.

Me personally, I have a 12.5kw KJ Series Kubota diesel. The KJ series is more or less Kubota's general use generator. Inside my home you hardly hear it. Kubota does has a SQ (super quiet) series and they are just that, super quiet. Either model can be setup with an auto start controller which would take the output signal from an auto transfer switch. I run it every couple months on my homemade load bank simply so I don't have to worry about resetting clocks and such in the house. I built my loadbank for my generator, but I have used it more working on generators for other people. Cleaning a carb and the generator running on the shop floor doesn't mean it can handle the rated load. Load bank loads up the generator and I've came across a couple I cleaned that still had trash in the carburetor because it struggled under full load. Purred like a kitten just sitting there running with nothing hooked up to it too.

Another option is if you own a tractor to get a PTO generator. This would leave one less engine to maintain in general. Figure a rough number of 1.5kw per 1hp. You want your engine sized slightly less than the generator head as you will only bog the engine down if you overdraw on the generator. Having a larger engine and you run the risk of burning up the generator head which is a pricey repair.


That is probably more than you asked for.

[DuckBoat]

Mud hog where did you get your info on ng? Been awhile back but seems like I remember natural gas being well less than $1.00/ gge (gallon gas equivalent). Also you never have to fill a tank or worry about fuel spoilage or finding fuel in a disaster such as hurricane Katrina.

[Rowdy53103]

Jdbuckshot - why wouldn't the welder generator work in the metro area?? Thanks

I interpreted it as you won't have it in your possession very long before some thug takes it off your hands and starts the race to the Jackson-Stokes sanctuary line.

[MudHog]

Mud hog where did you get your info on ng? Been awhile back but seems like I remember natural gas being well less than $1.00/ gge (gallon gas equivalent). Also you never have to fill a tank or worry about fuel spoilage or finding fuel in a disaster such as hurricane Katrina.

My statement is from a buddy who ran his diesel Kubota SQ back about 6-8 years ago for a hurricane and compared to his buddies natural gas generator.

If you want actual number of comparing natural gas to diesel:
Natural Gas is 1000 btu / scf
Diesel is 128,488 btu / gal

Even more numbers:

Kohler 12kw NG consumes 216 cfh at 100% load - http://www.kohlergenerators.com/common/pdf/g4242.pdf

Kubota 13kw Diesel consumes 1.27 gh at 100% load - http://www.aircompressorssolutions.com/ ... kj-13.aspx


Kohler cost to operate per hour: $3.50 figuring the avg of $16.21 per 1000 cf or $84 for one day.

Kubota cost to operate per hour: $3.18 figuring $2.50 per gallon or $76.32 for one day.



Concerning the statement of Natural Gas availability, yes NG is the last utility to be shutoff by the utility company during a severe weather event. A tree uproots your NG line, just how good is a NG generator now? Unless you spent the money for a tri-fuel generator, the NG generator is now useless. That said, a diesel generator does not have the fuel problems that a gasoline engine has as there is no carburetor to deal with on a diesel. A simple fuel water separator or filter handles any condensation built up in the tank too. Also and as I stated earlier, diesel will be available in the area. What are the dump trucks, excavators, etc running off of? What do farmers use in their equipment, diesel. Diesel will be available in the area. Diesel also stores much longer than gasoline does too.