Generac
Generac Guardian 24kW
Generac's current volume flagship: 24kW on propane and 21kW on natural gas from the G-Force 1000 platform, bundled here with a 200-amp service-entrance transfer switch with PWRview energy monitoring. It's pitched as the 22kW's replacement, squeezing 2.6x the power of the baseline air-cooled units from the same-size enclosure, and owners like that it fits the same pad footprint. Real-world reports are strong — seamless transfers, two-AC homes handled with smart load modules — with noise at 67 dB under load and a much quieter 57 dB Quiet-Test. The complaints are familiar: owners report Wi-Fi Mobile Link dropouts, controller boards replaced under warranty, and dealer-network variability that makes your installer choice as important as the machine. Ships as a complete package, which simplifies quotes compared to the à-la-carte SKUs.
Specifications
Highlights
Pros
- ✓200A SE-rated transfer switch with PWRview monitoring included
- ✓Highest output-per-footprint in Generac's air-cooled line
- ✓Starts large AC loads with strong 230 LRA surge capacity
- ✓Quiet-Test weekly cycle drops to 57 dB
- ✓Complete-package pricing simplifies installer quotes
- ✓Mobile Link app gives real status, run history, and alerts
Cons
- ✗21kW on natural gas — plan around the derate
- ✗67 dB under load is loud near patios and bedroom windows
- ✗Same Evolution 2 controller failure reports as the rest of the line
- ✗Owners report Mobile Link Wi-Fi connectivity dropouts
- ✗Premium price over the functionally similar 22kW
Related units
More from Generac →
Generac
Generac Guardian 26kW
The biggest air-cooled generator Generac makes, and the one owners of large homes buy to avoid stepping up to liquid-cooled money. 26kW on propane (22.5kW on natural gas) with a redesigned alternator delivering 230 LRA of starting grunt means dual 5-ton AC setups are realistic with load management. It's 'smart grid ready' and runs the same Evolution 2 controller and Mobile Link stack as the rest of the line — which cuts both ways, since the controller is also the line's most-reported failure point. Owners praise the density (Generac claims 68% less space than comparable output) and the familiar service ecosystem; the grumbles are the usual dealer-dependent warranty service, the meaningful NG derate, and 67 dB of noise that a big home's yard absorbs better than a small lot does.
Generac
Generac Guardian 22kW
For years the best-selling home standby generator in America, and the sheer volume of owner reviews shows why: the 22kW carries most whole homes — two AC units with load management — and every electrician and gas fitter in the country has installed one. The G-Force 1000 engine and 67 dB noise level are unremarkable but proven; owners report units sailing through week-long outages after hurricanes. The flip side of ubiquity is that the complaint threads are equally deep: Evolution controller replacements, dealers backlogged after storms, and Generac support that owners describe as polite but powerless. The newer 24kW (7209/7210) has largely replaced it at similar money, but the 7042 remains widely stocked, slightly cheaper, and the known quantity — a big deal when your installer has done fifty of them.
Generac
Generac Guardian 18kW
The 18kW is the value pick in the Guardian range on a dollars-per-kilowatt basis — same 816cc G-Force 800 twin as the 14kW, tuned for 18kW on propane and 17kW on natural gas, at only a few hundred dollars more. Owners in hurricane and ice-storm country consistently report it carrying a whole modest home including a 3-ton AC without drama, and the G-Flex variable-speed exercise keeps the weekly test tolerable at 65 dB. The ownership caveats are pure Generac: the Evolution 2 controller is the component that fails, dealers are the only sanctioned path for warranty work, and owners recommend buying the battery and cold-weather kit up front rather than discovering they're extras on install day. If you're between the 14 and this, most owner advice says spend up.