Automatic Stanby Generator

[starsandstripes]

I'm looking for info on automatic standby generators;
Do they all have clean power? I'm concerned about homeowners electronics. Any opinions on brand names? Are some easier to install than others? Are there minimum/maximum distances from the main panel and/ or gas meter? How deep is the trench for the gas line? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

 

[ceb58]

I'm looking for info on automatic standby generators;
Do they all have clean power? I'm concerned about homeowners electronics. Any opinions on brand names? Are some easier to install than others? Are there minimum/maximum distances from the main panel and/ or gas meter? How deep is the trench for the gas line? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

Depends on how much money you want to spend. Most have decent power output but it can differ from brand to brand and if you spend the money on an inverter type. Generac almost has the home owner market cornered. They are easy to install and come with several options as to the ATS. Install distance from the panel would be like any thing else you would need to figure voltage drop on the feeders if it was a long way away. The gas piping is best left to a licensed plumber to install

 

[EMFelectric]

I believe they have to be at least 5' from any combustable materials and 5' from any windows. Check with your local codes. I sell Kohler generators to my customers.

 

[gk351]

Cummins Onan makes a very nice lineup of residential generators. I installed a 20Kw for a customer of mine this past november. It came with an generator heater, and also comes with its own mouting skid ( no need for concrete!.) It was a little more than a generac unit. I have not heard any good things about a Generac system, but I have yet to install one. The ATS used Square D Circuit breaker, and Onan's own transfer gear. First time out, my customer lost power for 7 days, shut off one time. Reset the unit, and fired it right back up.

 

[hillbilly1]

I installed a 15 KW air cooled Generac for a homeowner that ran his business out of his basement, his smaller ups units didn't mind it, but the 3 kva ups did not like it, kept cycling. Usually when you have ups loads you have to oversize the generator to keep the ups units happy.:grin: This install was a takeover from another contractor, so we had no input on generator sizing. That contractor flubbed several of them, even though that was their specialty. May be why they couldn't perform!:roll:

 

[ceb58]

I installed a 15 KW air cooled Generac for a homeowner that ran his business out of his basement, his smaller ups units didn't mind it, but the 3 kva ups did not like it, kept cycling. Usually when you have ups loads you have to oversize the generator to keep the ups units happy.:grin: This install was a takeover from another contractor, so we had no input on generator sizing. That contractor flubbed several of them, even though that was their specialty. May be why they couldn't perform!:roll:

That is not necessarily true. Most UPS mfg. recommends 1 1/2 time larger gen. than UPS to cover their butt. We have one site that has an 80kw gen. with a 12kw UPS that only has a 5kw load on it. The UPS did the same. Kept cycling not locking on to the gen. After load banking it we had to install a relay on the gen. side and install a 5kw heat strip that would come on when the gen. was running. The load on the building was not enough to make the regulator settle in on a constant voltage and Hz.

 

[Daja7]

I can and do sell almost any kind of generator however Generac is 95% of what i sell and install, Generac used to be a little suspect on reliability years ago. They have made tremendous strides in the las several years and in my opinion have become a very good and reliable product. Priced right which is why most home owners choose this option. The new generation has many improvements and flexability. Most of my installations are 17 and 20KW. easy installs, we can install one complet in 8 to 10 hours one man. They can be install within 18" of the structure. the independant testing from NFPA allows this as the enclosure is rate to contain an internal fire for 2 hrs. Gas is always done by my Sub contractor. I don,t mess with stuff that i don,t know about. IMO Generac is the best compromise price and quality. Onana, cumnmins may be on the high end quality wise but for the amount of use the generac is a good choice. Also there are a phone book full of people that can work on them but anly a very few that can do so on the other brands, this is a major factor for the consumer.

 

[hillbilly1]

I can and do sell almost any kind of generator however Generac is 95% of what i sell and install, Generac used to be a little suspect on reliability years ago. They have made tremendous strides in the las several years and in my opinion have become a very good and reliable product. Priced right which is why most home owners choose this option. The new generation has many improvements and flexability. Most of my installations are 17 and 20KW. easy installs, we can install one complet in 8 to 10 hours one man. They can be install within 18" of the structure. the independant testing from NFPA allows this as the enclosure is rate to contain an internal fire for 2 hrs. Gas is always done by my Sub contractor. I don,t mess with stuff that i don,t know about. IMO Generac is the best compromise price and quality. Onana, cumnmins may be on the high end quality wise but for the amount of use the generac is a good choice. Also there are a phone book full of people that can work on them but anly a very few that can do so on the other brands, this is a major factor for the consumer.

They are still not all that good on reliability, but for the the money, and if your not backing something critical up, there a good buy. Another problem with Generac, is they don't make very big units, if you want to have a lot of kw capacity, then you have to parralell units. We install Cat, Kohler, and Generacs, with the occasional Onan. The Generacs give the most problems.

 

[tryinghard]

I'm looking for info on automatic standby generators;
Do they all have clean power? I'm concerned about homeowners electronics. Any opinions on brand names? Are some easier to install than others? Are there minimum/maximum distances from the main panel and/ or gas meter? How deep is the trench for the gas line? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Rick

Each local jurisdiction places specific and often different emphasis on sound. Looks like these are residences you should review Article 702 Optional Standby Systems.

 

[ceb58]

Another problem with Generac, is they don't make very big units, if you want to have a lot of kw capacity, then you have to parralell units. We install Cat, Kohler, and Generacs, with the occasional Onan. The Generacs give the most problems.

Don't tell that to the 4-80kw units and the 2-125kws I look after not to mention the numerous 40kws. I have found out that if you buy a CAT gen. and it is 100kw and lower that all you are buying is a Generac with a CAT paint Job.

 

[hillbilly1]

Don't tell that to the 4-80kw units and the 2-125kws I look after not to mention the numerous 40kws. I have found out that if you buy a CAT gen. and it is 100kw and lower that all you are buying is a Generac with a CAT paint Job.

??? 4-80kw and 2-125's is paralleling, that is the only way you can do it with a Generac. We did a new 4-80 Kw parallel Generac install, and most of the time only 3 would crank, various faults with each genset, anywhere from leaking radiators to large puddles of oil to blown control boards. Cat and kohler both make a single 1 meg unit. 125 is not that big of a unit until you have to have a big enough space to parallel them. We put in a lot of 1 megs. The Cats we install are 450 kw or greater. I just looked at a future 17 kw Trane/Kohler install, and it looks an awfull lot like a Generac!

 

[ceb58]

??? 4-80kw and 2-125's is paralleling, that is the only way you can do it with a Generac.

Let me rephrase. The units are individual units at communication sites miles apart. No paralleling involved.

 

[tufts46argled]

Generac has industrial distributors that sell units up to 1000KW. We are a Generac dealer and can buy up to 150KW NG or LP units from the factory. Larger units must come from an industrial dealer, most of them don't install, just do sells and service. Since we're an electrical contractor we can and do sell the unit and do the install and relay on the industrial dealer for support.

 

[wirenutt]

generators

generators

I have recently installed
(2) 60 kw and (1) 48 kw and (1) 14 kw generac standby generators. the 14 kw was a eaton unit that is a generac with a fancy paint job . the installs are pretty easy,withthe entrance rated atc. the eaton unit uses minimal wiring for control which is easier and made me call their 800 # to verify . the only problems with the generacs i ran into is the gas consumption on the larger units that sometimes suck out the pilot lights in the homes due to the gas consumption. this is on the plumber and not me though. the problems were corrected . i stand by generac and their product for ease of installs and not needing additional parts like the briggs and strattion units