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Originally Posted by fireant911
I, as usual, am very late to the game but have some questions if it okay to piggy-back on this thread.
We are looking for a whole house generator using LP gas. Sizing will be between 14 and 16KW and the candidates we are currently looking at are Generac and Kohler. I see that both single phase and three phase units are available. After some quick research, it looks like the three phase units are better for most applications but I really did not grasp the 'why's' of these differences. Can someone help me out with the phasing recommendations? Also, Generac seems to be popular not only on this thread but in actual usage in the field. Is there a notable difference in the two brands? Is there a best time to purchase a whole house generator (in regards to rebates and such)? Are there any lessons learned that someone who has been there would be willing to share?
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Unless you have a specific need for 3 phase power, you do not want to buy a 3 phase unit. The USA is "Split-Phase 240VAC" Single phase power. Almost all residential houses are Single Phase 120/240 VAC.
Kholer, Generac and Briggs-Stratton are all equal in the industry. They are all easy to work on and basically 2 cylinder air cooled engines. They are pressure fed oil systems with oil filters, air filters. This is true up to the 22 kW units. I THINK there is a new Briggs & Stratton unit that is 26kW that is still air cooled. But generally, anything over 22kW is a Water Cooled, derated 4 cylinder car engine.
Generac is most popular. Stay away from the "Off-Grid" generator. It has some modes that make is screwy for a backup generator.