“Generac” Cable

S

Stevect

Member
Location
Connecticut
Occupation
Electrician
Does anyone know the name or cable type for the 6C cable for generator communications?
(This is for an 18 kw Generac)

Side note. I am NOT looking for the all in one cable that has line and low voltage in the same assembly.
 
Just be aware that that cable has line and low voltage together. The yellow conductors are 240V for utility sense, and the blue pair is 120V for battery charger.

If you are looking to separate low voltage and line voltage, that cable will not work.
 
I don't see why you couldn't use TC-ER cable, which possibly is what this Generac cable is. They just happen to also have it made with the same colors as their wiring terminals are marked with.

I have never used this cable, not saying I never would, if I hooked up generators all the time I likely would use it. But the few times I do this I always just ran raceway and pulled conductors through it, most cases I pulled power and controls in same raceway, I don't see that they need to be separated.

Haven't run into a generac that didn't need the six or now seven conductors but have run into other manufacturers that use a digital signal cable between genset and transfer switch. Still need a 120 volt circuit run for battery charger, engine heater, or any other such accessories to run off of though.
 
kwired said:
. . . I always just ran raceway and pulled conductors through it, most cases I pulled power and controls in same raceway, I don't see that they need to be separated.
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Same here. I have several spools of #16 and #18.

Generac required separate conduits years ago.
 
LarryFine said:
Same here. I have several spools of #16 and #18.

Generac required separate conduits years ago.
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They started requiring? I know years ago they bundled it together in the whips that came with the generator, so if they are requiring separate conduits, it’s been in the recent 10-20 years. Kohler has, and still does require separate conduits.
 
hillbilly1 said:
They started requiring? I know years ago they bundled it together in the whips that came with the generator, so if they are requiring separate conduits, it’s been in the recent 10-20 years.
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My bad. I was saying that they used to require separate conduits years ago, even though the single whip contained all of the wires, but then they stopped saying it.
 
Kohler still requires low voltage and line voltage to be separate.

Generac allows them together. If fact, Generac promotes the use of the GenCable, which is all-in-one, TC-ER cable, with power and control in one cable. On Generac, some of the control wiring, i.e., utility sense and battery charger, are 240 and 120 volt respectively.

Kohler RDT ATS uses a 2-wire start, but that still has to be run separately, per Kohler. You could run the battery charge circuit with the power conductors, but sometimes that is difficult. It's already hard enough getting Kohler's power conductors into the back of the unit. Only fittings I've been able to get to work has been a rigid LB with a chase nipple. If you upsize the conduit enough to run battery charge wiring as well, the LB probably won't fit behind the lid. All in all, Kohler did a very poor job of designing the residential air-cooled units, from an installation perspective.

Kohler RXT ATS require Belden 1075A shielded cable, which, at least in my area, is not available. And it too must be run in a separate conduit.

From an installers perspective, Generac nailed the engineering. Kohler, not so much. I have to upcharge around $800 to install the same size Kohler unit over a Generac.
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Kohler RDT ATS uses a 2-wire start, but that still has to be run separately, per Kohler. You could run the battery charge circuit with the power conductors, but sometimes that is difficult. It's already hard enough getting Kohler's power conductors into the back of the unit. Only fittings I've been able to get to work has been a rigid LB with a chase nipple. If you upsize the conduit enough to run battery charge wiring as well, the LB probably won't fit behind the lid. All in all, Kohler did a very poor job of designing the residential air-cooled units, from an installation perspective.
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I don't know what the problem could be. I use 90 degree Carflex connectors on 1.25" for most Kohlers and 1.5" will also barely fit, depending on fitting mfr. I always run the main power and battery charge in the conduit, no upsize is required for installing a few 14 AWG conductors along with some 1/0 or bigger, it is not significant.

It is more T+M for the second conduit, to be sure.
 
Stevect said:
Does anyone know the name or cable type for the 6C cable for generator communications?
(This is for an 18 kw Generac)

Side note. I am NOT looking for the all in one cable that has line and low voltage in the same assembly.
Click to expand...

Generac always has line and LV in the same conduit or cable, can't really escape it.

They have +12VDC, ground to transfer, battery ground, and 2 wires for e-stop switch loop for LV, plus N1 and N2 for utility sensing and T1+neutral for batt charge, I guess you could use a 5C cable plus a 4C cable separately if you wanted but it is never done.
 
Birken Vogt said:
I don't know what the problem could be. I use 90 degree Carflex connectors on 1.25" for most Kohlers and 1.5" will also barely fit, depending on fitting mfr. I always run the main power and battery charge in the conduit, no upsize is required for installing a few 14 AWG conductors along with some 1/0 or bigger, it is not significant.

It is more T+M for the second conduit, to be sure.
Click to expand...

Flex 90 connectors are right up there at the top of my “Things I Hate” list. 😳😲😡😂😂
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Kohler still requires low voltage and line voltage to be separate.

Generac allows them together. If fact, Generac promotes the use of the GenCable, which is all-in-one, TC-ER cable, with power and control in one cable. On Generac, some of the control wiring, i.e., utility sense and battery charger, are 240 and 120 volt respectively.

Kohler RDT ATS uses a 2-wire start, but that still has to be run separately, per Kohler. You could run the battery charge circuit with the power conductors, but sometimes that is difficult. It's already hard enough getting Kohler's power conductors into the back of the unit. Only fittings I've been able to get to work has been a rigid LB with a chase nipple. If you upsize the conduit enough to run battery charge wiring as well, the LB probably won't fit behind the lid. All in all, Kohler did a very poor job of designing the residential air-cooled units, from an installation perspective.

Kohler RXT ATS require Belden 1075A shielded cable, which, at least in my area, is not available. And it too must be run in a separate conduit.

From an installers perspective, Generac nailed the engineering. Kohler, not so much. I have to upcharge around $800 to install the same size Kohler unit over a Generac.
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I always stub up in the slab, so I don’t have that problem. But I always end up making a new knockout in the bottom because Kohler doesn’t show the knockout location, just the window.
 
hillbilly1 said:
I always stub up in the slab, so I don’t have that problem. But I always end up making a new knockout in the bottom because Kohler doesn’t show the knockout location, just the window.
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You talking about stubbing up in the slab for air cooled?

Only seen it done once, and it looked like a rabid beaver had gnawed it. It didn't work, we were there to fix the screwups.
 
Birken Vogt said:
You talking about stubbing up in the slab for air cooled?

Only seen it done once, and it looked like a rabid beaver had gnawed it. It didn't work, we were there to fix the screwups.
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Water cooled on the Kohlers, Air cooled on the Cummins/Onan. Plenty of room on the Cummins in the front right corner. Haven’t done an air cooled Kohler.
 
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