written by on 05/10/2013
I have maintained remote communication tower generators for years. These are typically an Owen 45kw LP powered backup with an exercise/load transfer panel. I couldn't afford the quality of an Owen so I purchased a 13 kw NG Generac home backup sized to accommodate only the essential power like well, boiler, frig, lights, etc. The only improvement I added to this package was an hour meter to track use for oil changes.
For the first few months it worked fine, starting up and exercising for 10 minutes once a week. One day it wouldn’t start; the armature of the generator blew apart during the last exercise into hundreds of little pieces of copper wiring. Many calls to customer service eventually got one of their service reps out to inspect it, who was more there to find reasons not to honor the warranty and stating he never saw this happen before.
Long story short… I researched the failed armature and discovered this happened a lot… in fact the factory was aware of the defects and made several revision improvements. I ordered the newest, improved armature from an honest and informitve dealer and repaired the unit myself. It’s been running fine now for about 3 years, even during prolonged power outages. I would not encourage anyone to buy a product from a company who is dishonest and does not honor their warranty.