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Kohler 14 RESA – Quiet, Reliable & Powerful!

GenSpring Power • May 29, 2015

When the chips are down, most of us want to make sure that we have the best available to back us up.

One home generator system that has impressed us is the Kohler Model 14 RESA.   While there are certainly smaller and larger generators, the Kohler 14 RESA in our opinion is the sweet spot when it comes to a small, quiet, reliable and powerful home generator.   With 14,000 watts of power, you can run a 4 ton AC without working up a sweat.   When power quality (accurate voltage and frequency) is important to you, it’s hard to beat a Kohler.

About two years ago GenSpring Power was called on to help a home owner design a generator solution for his weekend cabin in the North Georgia Mountains.   It was not practical to have utility power brought in, and so the owner began to search for alternatives.   We met with the owner to recommend solutions and we settled on the Kohler 14 RESA.   The logic in recommending the Kohler 14 RESA was the same as the title of this post – quiet, reliable and powerful.   Another feature that appealed to the home owner was how fast Kohler responds – less than 10 seconds to have power.   Since the application was primary power, there was no need for a transfer switch.   We therefore tied directly into the 100 AMP panel for the cabin.   The generator was located about 150 feet from the cabin near the propane tank, and so for convenience we wired remote-starting capability into the cabin.   The electrical requirements for the small cabin included a well, water heater, cooking, heating & air-conditioning system, and lighting.   The cabin also had a propane gas refrigerator.   Our plan was to keep the generator in the auto mode all the time so that it could exercise weekly and the owner could turn it on and off as needed from inside the cabin.

One of the challenges we faced was how to keep the battery charged without the benefit of the utility power trickle charge.   For that, we incorporated a solar battery charger system.   The battery charging worked fine initially, but infrequent use, a very cold winter, clouds and shadows required that we revisit the best way to keep the battery fully charged.   Finally, after taking down a tree that was casting shadows, installing larger solar panels, and increasing the generator exercise frequency, we were able to solve the battery charging issue.

We have installed the Kohler 14 RESA in many traditional homes with excellent results.   If you are considering a home generator system, Kohler should be on your list.   To see the specification sheet on the Kohler 14 RESA, please see the Kohler tab under Brands Carried on this website.

At GenSpring Power, Power You Can Depend On is not just a slogan, it’s a commitment!

Copyright GenSpring Power 2015. GenSpring Power is a registered trademark of GenSpring Power Inc.

Clayton Preble

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