Why I Built This

It was Father's Day 2021, and the house I'd moved into about twelve months earlier with my wife and two daughters lost power for the third time.

June heat in the South — my kids are complaining, I'm sweating, and somewhere in that misery I had a moment of clarity: I'm an adult, I can solve my problems, and if my budget allowed, I was fixing this one.

A couple of weeks later, I had a Kohler 20kW whole-home standby generator purchased and ready to install. About $12,000 all said and done — unit, transfer switch, concrete pad, gas line, permits, labor. Everything.

My Kohler 20RCAL — installed and running.

I didn't do a ton of research — and honestly, there wasn't much to research. There were basically two options: Generac and Kohler. And the way the system works, if you go through a manufacturer's website to get quotes, the dealers in your area who are certified installers for that brand can't install the other one — even if they're capable of doing both.

The manufacturer websites limit who can quote you and what they can install. The whole system is set up to keep you inside one brand's funnel, and you don't find out until you're already in it.

Here's the part nobody tells you: who installs your generator matters just as much as what you buy.

Mine was installed incorrectly. It took three callbacks over two months to get it working to the point where it would actually turn on when the power went out. That's the entire reason I spent the money — I don't want to walk outside in a storm or a blizzard to flip on the generator. I want to be in my bed with my CPAP on, with zero disruption. I don't even want to know the power went out.

And now? Most of the time, I have no clue it happened.

It is the best money I've ever spent on a home upgrade.

When storm season, winter or summer, approaches, there's always less anxiety and worry with the forecasts. We don't have to worry about throwing away spoiled food, washing clothes, having AC, or keeping the kids entertained. If power is out for multiple days, neighbors who don't have power and don't have a place to go can come get some relief.

There is no feeling quite like when it kicks on for the first time. It's magical.

— Randy