Home Genset

[Just Plain Jeff]

Anyone got a Guardian or other such generator at home? We're looking to put one in. The Guardian guts are Generac which is a notoriously bad name in the POS motorhome biz. The home units have got to be better than what they sell for the plastic marketplace...Tom?

[Jerry Winchester]

Got a Honda. Starts every time.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

JPJ, be more specific. What is your intended use?

Permanent mounted standby with ATS, and Diesel or natural gas power?

Portable gasoline power?

How many KVA?

Had a 7.5 KVA unit from Grainger that ran on propane as a standby. No problems!

Didn't like the propane deal though. Expensive and a pain to keep full. Would recommend Diesel for a permanent set up if you don't have nat. gas.

If this is for you whole house don't get under 20 KVA.

If this is for your shop size accordingly, but remember finger loss is higher the more power tools you have.

Your Shaker furniture probably only requires a table saw and lathe and the usual assortment of hand tools.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Being up there in the north woods you just might have a tractor. If so the power take-off driven units are more cost effective for certain kinds of use.

Your source would be your favorite tractor store.

[garyde]

Anyone got a Guardian or other such generator at home? We're looking to put one in. The Guardian guts are Generac which is a notoriously bad name in the POS motorhome biz. The home units have got to be better than what they sell for the plastic marketplace...Tom?

Depending on how much load, , Onan, Koehler, Cat, Cummins, are just a few, with deisel dual lined fuel tanks or a natural gas hook-up.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Should have provided more info:

Here's the deal: Guardian has 4 units from 8Kw to 17.5 Kw which are LP powered. There is a digital control system which is hardwired into specific breakers in the panel. When the voltage goes below a certain level, the genset kicks in (kind of a home-style Watchdog deal). It is programmed to go on every week, needed or not for a self-diagnostic test and runs for a bit. It is recommended to have 2-100 gallon LP tanks (which we need for other purposes anyway) in order to have extended use.

It also comes with a transfer switch to avoid back-feeding once power is restored.

What could possibly go wrong?

[ken&ellen]

Jeff, The Guardian unit, while has a lower intial cost, has some drawbacks or at least they use to. The engine is manufactured in China and is not pre-run at the factory nor does it come with oil in it. Break in is up to the consumer. Additionally they did not include a battery, but will gladly sell you one. If I remember some of the stats the LP rating is lower than the natural gas, but that may be common on many manufactures. Now for my favorite....top only accessible! Not a big deal unless it is snowing or raining hard.....where do you live? The Eaton Culter-Hammer units offer several service entrance rated units as well as units up to 100 KW. Briggs & Stratton engines up to 15KW and then Ford & Izsus up to 100KW. The larger sizes are private labelled by CAT. The Briggs units are supported by their nationwide service group as well as CAT service. Speaking of CAT they offer some very nice diesel units with self contained fuel tanks. Check it out. Ken

[truk4u]

Sounds pretty good to me.... When I build my house I bought the generator ready 400 amp panel from the power company that you have to manually move the power lever to Aux when power is out. I then plug in my portable generator I mounted to a little trailer and away we go. Here's the deal, GO BIG! Mine is 10KW and only capable of running the bare necessities.

I thought you tough woodmen in Maine lived off the land, what's up with this woosy power need...

[Just Plain Jeff]

I was thinking 'bus' and looking at a 17.5 Kw, remembering what that powered. We already have an oil-fired continuous hot water source for heat and h/w, so have that covered.

I'm done with wood heat. It gets all icky at the bottom of the wood pile in the summer.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I have a 20 KW Kohler. It happens to be in the bus so if everything in the house loses power we are just going to move to the bus.

If you hadn't sold yours so you could buy finger removal tools then you wouldn't be asking the question.