The Generac Guardian QuietSource 16,0000-watt home standby generator is one of the most affordable automatic standby generators on the market today. Featuring a newly designed alternator that can start a 5-ton and a 3-ton, or two 4-ton air conditioners with plenty of power to spare, this generator will give you the backup power you need when the grid goes down
At the heart of the generator is a powerful 992 cc 30 HP Generac OHVI (Overhead Valve Industrial) engine, the only air-cooled engine designed specifically for generators. This engine offers the finest lubrication technology available by providing instantaneous disbursement of lubricant to all engine parts. It also features a spin-on oil filter, which is an automotive style for easy maintenance. The generator also has an electronic governor, which maintains steady speed and eliminates voltage drop when loads are applied. This, as well as the automatic voltage regulator, provides a smooth rate of electricity, which is especially important for sensitive electronic devices such as computers. The engine offers one of the longest life expectancies in the industry, with over 3,000 hours of runtime.
Generac Guardian generators are designed for affordability and long life. See the product specifications. View the generator in greater detail.
The generator automatically sends power through your home's electrical system during a power outage.
Built with exclusive Whisper-Test technology, the Generac Guardian standby generator can give you the power you need without the added noise. Whisper-Test reduces noise to a whisper by lowering engine speed during the generator's automatic seven day test of your system. (This test allows you to verify that your generator is in peak operating condition at all times.) The Whisper-Test sound level during these tests is comparable to a car at idle and is 50 percent quieter (59 dBA) than most other standby generators in its class.
For added convenience, the generator arrives at your doorstep pre-packaged with a pre-wired, 12-circuit load center. This makes installation easy and, therefore, incredibly affordable for the do-it-yourselfer. For your safety, Guardian standby generators are UL 2200 listed and all transfer switches are UL 1008 listed. (Users should consult with area building codes and regulations before attempting installation.) The generator comes with a pre-wired automatic transfer switch, outdoor connection box and composite mounting pad. The automatic transfer switch automatically switches the source of power from the utility to the generator within seconds of a power outage, and because it's automatic, you never have to flip a switch.
Like all Guardian standby generators, this standby generator can operate on clean-burning natural gas or LP gas service. This provides you with unlimited runtime during extended utility power failures and meets all EPA emissions requirements. The engine consumes approximately 2.18 gallons per hour of LP gas, and 220 cubic feet per hour of natural gas.
Maintenance is a breeze, thanks to the generator's convenient design features. A hinged top and removable front panel offers quick and easy access for maintenance and servicing, and a new textured, powder coat paint process provides consistent coverage and better bonding to seams and exposed edges providing, which translates to a durable, long-lasting, tough finish that can withstand the elements. The enclosure also includes key locks for safety and sound-absorbing panels for exterior noise reduction. The generator measures 48-by-24-by-28-1/4 inches (LxWx H) and weighs 426 pounds. The generator is covered by a 2-year limited warranty.
Save Yourself the money and aggravation It's far cheaper to go to a hotel in my opinion than to get this up and running. After installation and running gas lines it came to about $7,000.00 for me.
After less than a year the unit is rusting. Just called Guardian and you can guess what they told me. They know it's a problem and now make aluminum ones. 1 year only warranty on the exterior product they said.
So I now have the pleasure of watching this monstrosity rust to kingdom come over the next few years .....What a waste of money.
Lousy Customer Service I have the 15000 LP model. When I tried to change the oil for the first time the oil drain plug would not unscrew. The threads of the nut were cross threaded, and probably put on with a power wrench, so three grown adults could not wrench off the bolt to drain the oil.
So, I cut it off and drained the oil. I e-mailed Generac with the engine serial number, etc. They e-mailed me back 4 days later requesting the generator serial number. This was a nuisance as we had put the generator away. (its not on a slab but on a large mobile cart for inside storage)
So I pull it out, uncover it, get the number, put it back away, and send them the number. I then get a next day response telling me to call a local dealer for warranty service????? For a 10 dollar drain hose!
So.....I could not care less how well something works. Customer service is key. And when I offer to send in a defective part for review prior to receiving a replacement I would expect any major company to comply. If they have a problem shipping a hose that costs them a buck to make on a 4000$ generator what happens if something really goes wrong? Think twice about this generator! Review of my two Guardian installs I have installed two of these generators since last December, with no problems of any kind.
The first one was the 15kw model. This model required a slight adjustment of the throttle, frequency was too high and clocks speeded up. Adjustment was not a problem with a fluke meter that can read frequencies. It has been in operation for 10 months now and required once for a little over an hour.
The second one was the newer 16KW installed one month ago at a friends house, and it is a much better machine. There is no frequency problems to worry about, (Problem was eliminated with a new design) Switching from natural gas to propane is a snap. Remove air filter cover, reach in and flip a spring loaded valve to the propane position and it's done. Instructions in booklet explain this in detail. The 16KW also comes with a larger transfer switch, sixteen poles instead of twelve, as in the case of the older 15KW.
Both units are fairly quiet, I never hear them come on, unless I am close to a window on that side of the home.
Air filters and oil filters came be purchased on line from various sources without problems.
Just make sure your gas source is close and that your gas lines are large enough to support the generator and all your appliances at the same time. Del from Kansas Due to the weather in Kansas, I have not completed the installation of this unit. The generator arrived on time and free of damage. I will send in another review when the installation is complete. Purchasing this unit from Amazon was easy and quick and they offered the best price on the net.
Thanks Comments from an Experienced User I have one of these machines that I had to rely on for six and a half days after Hurricane Ike slammed the Houston area. The machine ran O.K. except for some minor problems that had major implications: One of the flimsy little clips that are used to hold the oil lines onto the engine (lines from the engine to the oil cooler) came loose and caused a major oil leak. Fortunately, by that time, our local hardware store had re-opened, so I was able to purchase a traditional hose clamp (for about 39 cents) to repair it.
Then, and day or two later, the unit began to have trouble pulling the load. To make a long story short, I finally figured out that the engine had to be starving for air. So, I checked the air cleaner element and sure enough, it was coated with oil. I went to the local Generac dealer, and they said this problem had to be caused by over filling the engine with oil. I told them that I had been concerned about that, but the problem was that the engine dipstick is very hard to read (apparently) because of the design of the dipstick tube. (When you remove the dipstick, the sides of the dipstick are covered with oil that it picks up from the tube. The dealer admitted that this was indeed a problem and recommended just letting the unit run until the low oil pressure switch shuts the unit down. (Not a good option especially if it shuts down in the middle of the night.)
I notified Generac of the problem and received a very nice e-mail reply from them, but I have no idea if these problems have been resolved with the newer version of this unit.
I still think the dipstick on this engine could very likely be mismarked, but I will have to refill the engine more precisely and re-check the dipstick reading to prove it. I won't get around to doing that until this coming spring.
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