re: Educate me about standby generators

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Just for a frame of reference, 20kW is enough to run a decent sized tug boat. You can get away with MUCH smaller if you have a half-arse plan on how you will run stuff when the powers out.

Of course if you want to act like nothing is wrong and run everything and not care when certain stuff starts, 20kW is probably what it takes when the AC and freezer both kick on at the same time your wife decides to make coffee and dry her hair.

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Probably best for me to plan to run the whole house. 8000 isn't a big deal for me and I'd also like to be prepared if family has to evacuate my way.

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i installed my 20 kw GE generator myself. it really was pretty easy. pretty much everything for the install can be bought from lowes except the communication wires for the generator to talk to the transfer switch. i spent less than 6k on it.

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I'm not a handy person at all. Want me to run your business efficiently? I'm your man. Fix something and you need to go elsewhere.

Apparently this company sells enough to stay in business. I'll definitely be going with this other company. Not sure if I can do much better. Big plus as that they are in town and not in NOLA or somewhere else.

Where did you get this quote from and did you end up pulling the trigger?

There are many factors and costs to consider. Don't listen to most people on here. They have no clue. You cannot compare two jobs without knowing the details. Many details are needed to compare one job to the other.

-Generator Size?
-Air or liquid cooled?
-Transfer switch (automatic or manual)?
-Fuel type and source?
-Distance to fuel source?
-Distance of service entrance?
-Distance to distribution panel
-Circuits powered?
-Foundation (Concrete in place, precast slab, plastic pad)?

My recommendation is to save your money. It's a huge expense for something that is mostly a convenience and something that you only REALLY need once every 5 years on average (extended power outage). Don't forget that it also requires maintenance if you want it to work when you really need it.