Kohler 14RESL - 14KW Home Standby Generator System (100-Amp Indoor ATS)

First off, I've only had it a week. No major stresses/tests for it yet. The good is -it started right up and runs real quiet compared to my old Coleman 4K. The unexpected is all the other costs associated with set up. I'm pretty scared of electric stuff so I paid an electrician to wire in and that cost $1400. To be fair, we have an old farm with many versions of wiring added thru the years, so we fixed some old flaws too. Set up went pretty easily.

Next we had to move my propane tank (code stuff) and since it will be standby only we had to switch from renting to owning the tank. A good move long term -but another $1200 with installation. I wanted to do it right so no real complaints, but my $4K generator is up to $6600 and that's without the gas fill cost.

Back to the good though.. We are set for the whole house... well,water heater, heat pump, cooking and all the lights we need. Coming off of a snow and ice storm that left us without power for 5 days, it feels real good.

First off, I've only had it a week. No major stresses/tests for it yet. The good is -it started right up and runs real quiet compared to my old Coleman 4K. The unexpected is all the other costs associated with set up. I'm pretty scared of electric stuff so I paid an electrician to wire in and that cost $1400. To be fair, we have an old farm with many versions of wiring added thru the years, so we fixed some old flaws too. Set up went pretty easily.

Next we had to move my propane tank (code stuff) and since it will be standby only we had to switch from renting to owning the tank... more

EGD Responds: Kohler now offers the OnCue system that allows you to remotely monitor your generator.
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Kohler-GM62465-KP1/p7640.html


First, I will say that buying the generator from electricgeneratorsdirect.com was great. It arrived right on time and the lift-gate service worked great.

The instructions are clear and the frankly it is not rocket science. The electrician cost money because he has invested time and has good experience with the technical wiring. There are books like Stallcup's Generator, Transformer, Motor and Compressor, which can give you a good idea on what an installation by NEC Code should look like. I got myself a smart electrician and we did it together. I actually installed a switch at the entrance, right before the transfer switch, in case I want to do some electrical work I can just disconnect the power without having to pull the meter out. This actually worked well, because from time to time I will test the unit by just switching the street power off at this same switch.

The generator is quieter than the smaller Generac 7kW unit my neighbor has. This is because the housing is bigger and padded better with sound-proofing material and the muffler is larger. Also I will say that his Generac already failed in the 1st few weeks of testing. Mine has run for about 8hrs and is doing well. It test itself weekly and it gives you error code for anything that could be wrong with it. I bought the carburetor warmer but I have not installed it yet and I have been checking how low the temperature of the air will go before it fails to start. So far it exercised with 18F temps. CAUTION: This depends a lot on how dry the gas supply is in your area, so I will instal the warmer eventually.

The unit looks like it is made of high quality materials. The Generacs that I have seen, look cheaply made. I am glad I paid a little more for a Kohler. I love this unit. I am going to eventually hook it up with a wireless router. It does have a space in the electronic panel to wire a DSL type connector, but I have to call Kohler to figure out the pin-outs. They have a free software that you can download and use with it, to monitor, control and program it from your PC.

Everyone says that you may never use the generator, but the truth is that every time there is a storm on the way, your stress level is so much lower because you have a generator that is reliable, that to me that qualifies as using it. So invest in it and you will see the difference, even if you never get hit by a black-out.

EGD Responds: Kohler now offers the OnCue system that allows you to remotely monitor your generator.
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Kohler-GM62465-KP1/p7640.html


First, I will say that buying the generator from electricgeneratorsdirect.com was great. It arrived right on time and the lift-gate service worked great.

The instructions are clear and the frankly it is not rocket science. The electrician cost money because he has invested time and has good experience with the technical wiring. There are books like Stallcup's Generator, Transform... more