The surging on the unit is an easy fix... Can't believe they showed a kohler with this issue.. fix is either in controller gain setting and or the front engine fan is pulling air across the fuel regulator creating a vacuum on the regulator..I am a Kohler certified tech. I have fixed plenty of these small problems... Kohler is really one of the two best generator out there.. other being Generac... and if you service it regularly 20 years

With the lid down it's manageable, especially because this unit is located behind the detached carport so it's 25+' from living space in the house. I think with the recent storms you'll see lots of these installed in the coming years. Matt

Nice observation Ed 10, 20 or 30 years. That generator was so quite lol

My issue with gas generators is that you have to worry about fuel. Natural gas is run underground so it's pretty storm resistant and the flow is uninterruptible. There is also no worry about fuel stabilizer. Here in Austin, TX we have very little underground electric. Even windy storms knock out power in our neighborhoods regularly with our urban tree canopy weaved through power lines. This Kohler generator will get a regular workout here in Austin. Matt Risinger

Good observation, yes, the engine is 'loping' and this brand new unit and others like it up to the 20 Kw range are plagued with this symptom. I have found on multiple occasions, as a common denominator, the vent tubes for the demand regulator were in close proximity to the main cooling fan, the inrush of air from the fan sometimes causes atmosphere distortion for the diaphragm that's exposed to atmosphere on the demand regulator. Have experienced success 80% of the time by installing longer vent tubing from regulator to an area where there is less air turbulence detected by diaphragm. Water column in inches must not deviate 1 WC while starting and running, an absolute necessity for proper operation. The information not stated with this demonstration is the generator will only produce a certain amount of usable power and it's not a true 14 Kw machine. Even though Kohler states the power factor specification of 1.0 ,in reality, the 14 Kw produces 12 Kw of real power. The reason for this is natural gas, as a fuel source, burns with an 'efficiency factor' of 85-90 %. The 14 Kw unit produces 85-90 % of it's rated output, close to 12 Kw, and not much more. When calculated, the generator will produce 50 amps @ 240 VAC. It will power some devices, but you have to be careful as to what is selected and have knowledge of the devices FLA rating before turning on.

The pulse of the engine is HIGHLY annoying. I'm glad I'm hearing it here first!

Oh boy, it's been a while since we completed this job. Not totally sure anymore. We sized the unit to run one AC unit, fridge, water heater, and some main lighting/tv/av. It's fired once during an outage and the clients loved it! Seems like our weather patterns are only getting crazier so I think we will see more demand for these Kohler backup generators. Best, Matt

Yes, we got that fixed after the video was shot. Matt Risinger

Thanks for responding. Had an estimate done today and was told Kohler (the company itself) required 15 ft clearance from the house, but for some reason Generac only required 5ft. I prefer the Kohler based on what I have read online, but will be forced to place the Kohler farther from my house near a pool filter and am concerned about potential issues with water near the generator. Trying to find info on warranty details as well as considerations for placement. Thanks for the video, nice to

I'm not sure of the rule you're mentioning. Makes sense to keep the unit at least 5 or more feet from the house to ensure combustion gases aren't sucked into the house with an HVAC fresh air intake, open window, etc. This unit was 3-5' from the detached carport of this house so it's 25+' from living space. I would go Kohler any day over Generac. Matt

last 10-20-30 years. That is a large distance in time. Which is it?

Kohler are outstanding unit and the water cooled units are even better. Just an FYI when adding a natural gas generator to an existing home or business, three parties should be involved during the planning stage ( the electrical contractor, the pipe fitting contractor and the gas utility). I can tell you if the gas utility is left out of the equation problems usually occur and I'm not just talking about the generator.

This was an initial start up and we must have not bleed all the air out of the line. It's sounding great now. Matt

In answer to your question about gas pressure failing, normally the gas companies have their own backup generators but pressure in the distribution lines is very high. Pressure can come from as far away as 50 to 60 miles. I have a Kohler 35KW which runs off natural gas and never had a gas pressure problem. This includes several storms, grid failures in the electrical power system, and hurricanes. In answer to why the engine is surging, might be several things. First thing is that it is running at max rpm (3600). Our generator turns at 1800 rpm and is much quieter. The engine is a gear drive camshaft GM 4.3 liter V-6. Very good machine. Those who complain about one brand or the other in my opinion are the type that start the flame wars over who has the best truck, etc. Do what the manufacturer says, and it will last. Some brands have had problems, Generac had problems a while back with quality control but they have fixed it.

"Oh that cover makes a big difference. Yeah...very quiet!" Lmao! They do bog down after cycling for a while though. I've installed tons of these.

Why did the Technician put one hand on the live incoming service line while holding the grounded cabinet with his other hand??

I have one. Its worth the money. Its call no worries. Set it and forget it with proper maintenance.

nice vid. how many and what circuits were ran in the 3/4" conduit that leads to the generator

I would expect 20 years service life, but you need to be taking the time to maintain them properly. A well built Kohler engine that's well maintained should go 30+ years no problem.

The surging was the result of a fault with the ‘flux capacitor’!

Slow the cameraman down and do a slow pan of the entire installation, showing all the conduit distances and talk about the wire gauge so we know what's in the transfer switch and breaker panel.

Is the engine surging because the generator isn't under load?

One other thing to think about when you size the generator for your home is that the starting loads are about three times what the running load is. So, a lot of the smaller 14Kw to 18Kw will have problems starting an A/C unit with other loads on the generator. I oversized ours by a large amount but haven't had a problem. The engine is the heart of the machine and the slower it turns the longer it will last. The smaller generators run at 3600 rpm while the larger generators 20Kw plus run at 1800 rpm. Half the wear at 1800 and usually less fuel. Again, have someone to knows generators figure all the loads you will have on plus starting amps.(load). With the lid up, there is a lot of engine noise. Ours is no louder than the outside A/C compressor unit. Lights are out about 12 seconds on average when the power fails.

surging?

I was told Kohler requires 15 foot clearance from the house. To my eye, that doesnt appear to be the case in this video. Why would Generac only require 5 feet? I want a Kohler but that 15 foot rule I was advised of would place the generator in a less than optimal location.

Question: if the gen runs off the fuel from the existing (natural) gas lines, how long can you run the gen in a power outage before the pressure in the gas lines drops to the point where the gen cant pull enough fuel to run? I assume that there are compressors on the nat gas lines which charge the lines with pos pressure and if these compressors also run on electricity, won't they also go down in a large scale power failure? Im not trying to be a know-it-all jerk, I just wonder how this kind of system would function in a situation where the power was down for say, over 5 days. I know that this will depend on the specific infrastructure supplying the nat gas to the house/gen, but do you (the installers) have any information on how long this system would be usable in the even of a long-term power failure?

You would go with Kohler any day over Generac based on what?

Why is the engine loping?

Code says a propane tank must be 15 feet from a house in many city areas.

How many amps was the house panel?

So the guy asks how long will it last? Answer 10, 20 or 30 years. Make up your mind.

diesel has less then 50 decibels, Pretty loud. Not sure if NG is the right way to go but better then nothing.

westlake?.. did you get paid in wine?

why is it surging

KEY issue to address is Short versus long-term power outage. Living in the Gulf states, power out for 1-4 hours is EASY to address- It's the 4-8 days given a Hurricane!!!! Please address, because that is what "most" of in the Gulf states are concerned with?? :)

1: A local power outage as in a power outage on your street .... YES the natural gas will still flow just like city water.. If your subdivision looses power, MAYBE the gas and water will still flow.. A city wide power outage, chances are water and natural gas will stop flowing... NEXT you need to make sure your natural gas line coming in has enough pressure to feed the generator ... If that pressure is LOW, that generator will not run.. !! I have seen many times people pay THOUSANDS of $$ to install a generator this size and feed it natural gas, install the ATS then to find out the generator cranks runs and stalls .. Then to find out that the gas company only guarantee's X amount of pressure and if your stove or heater works.... There is nothing they can do about it ... Then you find out that your stove or heater does not require as much pressure as your generator needs ... Those are more about gallons per minute vs pressure ... 2: is it 10 yrs, 20 yrs or 30 yrs...?? 3: 14 K W is right in the middle towards the top....... 4: you people should be saying its a 14 thousand watt generator ... lastly but not least... That ATS is just another point of failure with all those electronics ... All it takes it a lightning hit or power surge to damage it and you wont know until your power goes out and that sucker does not switch over... I am all for electronics and technology but when it comes to power, i keep it simple.... Generator to MTS to panel = power to house...

Doesn't anyone else here the motor surging. There is something wrong with it

You must be hard of hearing ....that thing is loud

That engine sounds horrible. Id put a voltmeter on the output and i bet the voltage is following the engine surging up and down. That aint good.

This brand generator is not that good or great.

too loud.

Sounds like its going to explode. Why is there no gearing to keep engine running quiet? Just designed by cave men I suppose.

Can’t even calculated a generator and installing them. 12000 just for a 1500 square feet 22000 for a 2500 or 2800 feet don’t shet

It most be nice to be rish

The generator is hunting, that needs a real technician to fix the problem, does not speak well of the technician’s abilities.