LP generators?

[LowKey]

I'm looking to install an automatic emergency generator. A couple of electricians I talked to say just go to Home Depot or Lowes and get one and they'd install it. Save ya money. Uh huh. Frankly, I haven't had much luck with things purchased from either store.
HD has the Guardian.
Lowes has the Centurion
These are the same machine made by Generac.

I've done a search through the forums here and round-about and there seems to be a consensus in the mentions I could find that these machines aren't that great. I particularly don't like the charger not being a float charger. Too many stories of exploding batteries, rubber parts dry rot and rust for my taste.

Is anyone using a residential Kohler or Onan? Is there something better? I want the instant-on feature cuz I work more than 50 miles from home and the family isn't tech savvy. Plus if no one's home, the basement might flood, depending on the season...

I was gonna go look at both this weekend or next but I hate facing sales weasels unarmed.

Any advice? I don't need much more than 8 or 12 kW to run the house so can't really afford or justify an industrial unit. No AC or big draw items. Just the fridge, freezer, stove, furnace and the gawdam sump pump, all of which cycle.

<sorry for the long post>

[Rick]

I'm not running anything that big. I'm running a 5000 watt/6250 surge Coleman and I can run a small air conditioner/heater (for my sun room), two refrigerators, a freezer, a fan, and about half the lights in the house. I can't run my furnace/heat pump however.

That doesn't answer your question but I thought it might help to compare.

[Ken]

Look at this thread: :) http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7582

[Sourdough]

You don't want one that is too big. They need to carry a 70% average load, with the load changing from 50% to 90% I just bought a luger liquid cooled 5KW Deisel, and I have 6 gasoline air cooled generators in the 7000 to 10,000 Watt range. We use Onan, Lister, etc. at the Bush Lodges. All generators are a major pain in the A$$. And require 40 to 60 hour oil change.

[Sourdough]

Electric dryers, electric ranges & Water well pumps are big draws.

[Rick]

I was quite surprised to find an air conditioner compressor draws less than the heat elements on the heater. I just assumed the compressor would be the big draw. Surprisingly, my computer room is a kicker, too. It draws a ton.

[crashdive123]

I was quite surprised to find an air conditioner compressor draws less than the heat elements on the heater. I just assumed the compressor would be the big draw. Surprisingly, my computer room is a kicker, too. It draws a ton.

Yeah, well, go figure.

Rick's computer room.

http://snitchjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/supercomputer-banks-noaa21.jpg

[LowKey]

ken, that thread turned up in my forum search and is what turned me on to the Kohler, thanks. Just been outside reading up on it.

I don't have a water well pump but the sump is 8 amps with a heavy start load and in the spring rains with the ground still frozen it can cycle as much as every 30 seconds for days. I've been threatening to just backfill the cellar because of it.

I was hoping for the electric range top for others' convenience but I can get by cooking by other means. The hot water tank is only insulated storage. It isn't electric.