Quote:
Originally Posted by red-beard
Any whole house generator will be quieter than a portable. They all have a decent muffler and sound insulation under the cover.
They become significantly quieter when you get to the 2 cylinder air cooler engines (16kW to 22kW). They have a lot more sound insulation and a better muffler.
25kW and up you are water cooler. They are derated 4 cylinder car engines with full mufflers. The enclosures are heavily sound insulated. Quieter than an idling car, most of the time.
The ones I am specifically talking about are natural gas/propane. The Diesel units are generally a little bit louder. for the same size. You can always put the unit in the bushes, which helps with sound as well. Or surround it with a wooden fence.
As far as going a week. I expect you can go a week between shutdowns. The manuals say change the plugs and oil every 100 hours. I doubt most people do that. I do suggest with any of them to use a very good quality synthetic oil.
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Generac just released a brand new 13kw with hydraulic lifters that, coupled with a 250 gal LP tank, will get you 100 hours of run time at 3/4 load. Thats 4 days and 4 hours straight.
I point out this new 13kw because it was specifically designed to handle the RLA of almost all modern central air compressors for average sized houses while significantly giving a longer run time on a given sized tank. If you have NG at your house, and entry cost is not an issue, then buy a 22kw.
People in hot humid areas buy whole home generators for two things. AC and the fridge. Everything else is a peripheral concern.
We are doing the 13kw, 16 circuit Automatic Transfer switch, 250 gallon tank and all electrical and plumbing, for $9,999 plus permits plus tax.
DL