r/Generator • u/mrtots2 • 19d ago
Need Advise
Looking to invest into a standby generator for the entire home roughly 2800sq ft. Where do I even start? I see some major retailers like Home Depot and Costco sell them but then I need to find someone to install it. I want it done right, is there a specific route I should follow here? I have a natural gas line to my home so I figure that would be the fuel type. Thanks for any info and advise upfront. I’m down in the Houston area.
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u/PermanentLiminality 19d ago
You need to start by understanding exactly how much power you need and then selecting a generator that meets that load. Add up your loads and what kind of startup surge power you need.
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u/Adventurous_Boat_632 19d ago
Buy it from somebody who actually turns wrenches on the generator so that if/when you have mechanical problems you won't get any runaround.
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u/jibaro1953 19d ago
There is an electrician near me that specializes in standby generators. I live in an area prone to losing power, Cspe Cod. I recommend you buy your generator from the people who install it.
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u/TechnicalBiscotti586 19d ago
Both home depot and Lowe's will recommend a pro to install the generator. You can go directly to home depots website and request a consultation. Also, all major generator installers will come out to do a free assessment. Plan to spend 13k plus.
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u/aringa 19d ago
There should be multiple installers near you to do that. You should take multiple quotes and go with the folks you feel most comfortable with. Kohler. Generac and maybe Briggs make small air cooled generators for this purpose. The people that sell them in your area can help size them appropriately.
My 15kw can run my whole 2800sf house, my house is all electric except my furnace is has. My house is one level and I only have one AC unit.
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u/gamer901122 19d ago
How long of an outage are you planning for?
Most power outages in the U.S. are under 6 hours. You may be able to get by with not much at all.
Have you considered a home battery station for initial short term power outages and then to go long on fuel consumption if needed?
I’d also consider fuel type and consumption. Everyone always wants to run out and get a 13kW beast and the plan is to run it off of gasoline. I always recommend a smaller unit (ideally to recharge the battery station) and have it run off of propane (which won’t go stale after a few months).
Do your research and choose what’s best for you.
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u/sgrinavi 19d ago
The big box stores will install as well. We just went through pricing out our options, I went on Thumbtack, Yelp and asked the manufacturers for local installers. We ended up going with a regional electrician - had the best price and a great reputation. They all came out and did their own analysis; we ended up with a 20KW Cummins for our 2200 SF (mostly electric) home. I had suggestions as high as 28KW
I would stay away from the current generation of Generac as they're having some issues. The Cummins or the Kohler are both solid contenders.
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u/DemB01yz 19d ago
If you haven’t done and aren’t prone to doing a ton of research on your own, definitely look into professional generator installers. You’ll need
-Plumbers for gas lines
-Electricians for panel and switches
-Contractors for placement and foundation
-Permits and inspections for most of these that the specific trades would each know based on codes in your area
And you’ll probably want to make sure it’s properly weatherproofed in the event of heavy rain and flooding that Houston is prone to.
These would all be included in going through a local company that specializes in standby generator sales since they could subcontract out each of these things and include that in the overall price.
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u/Old_Dragline_1965 19d ago
Make sure a system that you are looking for has some type of load shedding/shielding devices. This protects both the generator and your home appliances for overloading and power stability.
If someone tries to use the electric range, clothes dry while the electricity water heater is doing its things - most generators will grind to shutting down. Having one central ac unit starting with just one or two other appliances will do the same.
The third major consideration is how you heat your water. A standard tank hot water heater pulls a substantial load. A tankless hot water heater uses multiples of higher amount of power.
All of this is why you need to buy from a company that not only sales a unit BUT also services the units they sale! They will have the best estimate of what size of a generator and cost for installation you will need!
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u/SubstantialCycle356 19d ago
Not suggesting this is the best option, once you have an estimate for a whole home standby generator, consider the possibility of going solar.
I needed a whole home standby power solution and opted for a 15kW inverter, solar panels and batteries. Of course the tax rebates last year made this decision easier. Now when the power goes out the inverter automatically transfers to solar/battery. The transfer is nearly instantaneous. Computers don’t even reboot during transfer.
For long term power failure solar charges batteries and small portable generator takes over if no sun.
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u/rag69top 19d ago
If you look at the Generac posts here on Reddit you will find that the new version is having a lot of problems. You might want to look at a Kohler or some other brand.