# Kohler generator ????



## Elephante (Nov 16, 2011)

Does the battery trickle charger have to go the panel that the generator is feeding..Service guys say it wont charge when the generator is running..


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Elephante said:


> Does the battery trickle charger have to go the panel that the generator is feeding..Service guys say it wont charge when the generator is running..


Doesn't the generator have an alternator to keep the battery charged while it's running?


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## Elephante (Nov 16, 2011)

thats what i thought...do all generators have alternators?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

The battery charger is fed off the utility connections for air cooled Generac.. not sure about Kohler.. 

Things change when you get into water cooled and larger sizes..


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

erics37 said:


> Doesn't the generator have an alternator to keep the battery charged while it's running?


Some of the ones I install don't have an engine driven alternator. The battery charger is fed from an emergency circuit, and runs the controls while the gen is running plus keeps the battery charged.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

micromind said:


> Some of the ones I install don't have an engine driven alternator. The battery charger is fed from an emergency circuit, and runs the controls while the gen is running plus keeps the battery charged.


Especally this is true with direct air start generators units I have see it on larger one some of them will not have a charging alternator in there so as Micromind mention on emergency circuits that is one common methold for charging plus control power for Generator head.

Few large one I did ran into some have Aux source on the generator head so that is used for control power.( more common used on Diesel Electric locomovite units ) 

Merci,
Marc


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Elephante said:


> thats what i thought...do all generators have alternators?


I havent seen any on air cooled units but my exposure is limited to only about 100 or so Generac, Brigs, and Kohler. They usually have a battery charger in the ATS.


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

Kohler residential models have a trickle charger in the generator. You feed it from a circuit backed up by the generator. The instructions tell you this.


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## National Electrical (Jan 7, 2012)

Most generators I have installed either have a circuit from the generator panel being backed up or we install in-line fuses off of the load side in the ATS then go to the charger inside the ATS or on the generator. Never knew a generator not to have continuous battery charging regardless of whether the utility or the generator is running.

Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


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## Elephante (Nov 16, 2011)

Bulldog1 said:


> Kohler residential models have a trickle charger in the generator. You feed it from a circuit backed up by the generator. The instructions tell you this.


 I fed it from a different panel thats on a different generator.That panel is closer to my new generator.I guess I'll extend the circuit to the panel that corresponds with my new generator. I can leave it but if that old generator doesnt start it wont charge the battery.


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

Elephante said:


> I fed it from a different panel thats on a different generator.That panel is closer to my new generator.I guess I'll extend the circuit to the panel that corresponds with my new generator. I can leave it but if that old generator doesnt start it wont charge the battery.





I'm a Kohler dealer if you ever need any assistance. Kohler's installation instructions are really pretty good. All the information you need to install one is in them.


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## Kohlertech (Jan 25, 2012)

some of these home standby's will have a extra winding they rectify and use as dc charging. Not Kohlers.


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