New to this forum

[e.cartman]

i've been lurking around this forum for a while,
just by reading the threads i've learned alot from you pros.
a little about myself,i'm a heavy commercial/industrial heating,a/c & refrigeration mechanic,not much generator experience but very interested in them.
i have a fairly strong electrical/mechanical background.
i am considering going to the 11 day generac university class.
have any of you guys attended this?just looking for feedback on your thoughts about it.

thanks

[yucan2]

i've been lurking around this forum for a while,
just by reading the threads i've learned alot from you pros.
a little about myself,i'm a heavy commercial/industrial heating,a/c & refrigeration mechanic,not much generator experience but very interested in them.
i have a fairly strong electrical/mechanical background.
i am considering going to the 11 day generac university class.
have any of you guys attended this?just looking for feedback on your thoughts about it.

thanks

I'll be happy to clue you in shortly. I begin the 11 day Generac University training this coming Monday the 16th.

[e.cartman]

lookin forward to hearing about it.
how much is the class?
do you know of any other manufacture training?

[yucan2]

lookin forward to hearing about it.
how much is the class?
do you know of any other manufacture training?

$500.00 for the class.

Not certain how other manufacturer's ensure technicians are properly trained but I suspect they do.

Kohler suggests you get with one of their distributors for info. on becoming a dealer/service technician. Seems odd but that's their route.

[bronco]

Onan you got to work for them or have a realy good relationship with them. Cat still working on that angle they don't seem to have any schools. Katolight or now called MTU have two classes I and II. Kolher is easy to get home standby training if you know them just ask your local dealer. If you want training just start asking the dealers around you. good luck.

[e.cartman]

thanks. bronco

[Grady22]

I intend to go next year. I think it might just be the best $500.00 I ever spent, not including transportation of course!

[bronco]

You will enjoy and meet lots of good people. Don't forget buisness cards.

[yucan2]

FYI. Update.

Began class today. Very comprehensive and in depth. Was leery as to how they could cram so much into just 11 days. I now know. Instructors working in tandem, slide shows, tons of homework, study groups encouraged, 9 hour days and was told to expect 10, 11 or longer days possibly next week during the troubleshooting segment of class.

Well worth the price of admission.

$500.00 fee includes hotel accommodations, study materials, books, service manuals, cd's, etc., breakfast, lunch and transport to Generac facilities.

[e.cartman]

thanks,
let me know how the rest goes.

[Gman1]

I just completed the commercial class. I had taken it a few years ago and I could have snoozed through it. The new class is much better. I learned more in the first 1/2 day than I did in the entire first class. It was very heavy into electrical theory on the first day, it made my head hurt. I found out later that I had walking pneumonia that week and that didn't help my concentration. It was well worth the time and money my company spent on me/it. I told all the guys in the class about this forum, so maybe we'll have some more tech help in here.

[Gman1]

Oh yeah, the homework sucked. After being in class all day and having twice the capacity of my brain filled, I got to do homework until 9:30 that first night. That is when I knew it wasn't going to be a picnic. If you get your homework assignment at the start of the class, read it over each night before the next days class. It will trigger your memory when that particular subject is being discussed and that will make it much easier to complete later that night.

One more thing...TAKE A HIGHLIGHTER.

[NYS SitePower Corp.]

FYI. Update.

Began class today. Very comprehensive and in depth. Was leery as to how they could cram so much into just 11 days. I now know. Instructors working in tandem, slide shows, tons of homework, study groups encouraged, 9 hour days and was told to expect 10, 11 or longer days possibly next week during the troubleshooting segment of class.

Well worth the price of admission.

$500.00 fee includes hotel accommodations, study materials, books, service manuals, cd's, etc., breakfast, lunch and transport to Generac facilities.


I'd be interested in who the instructors are. There are a handful of the guys in the service department that are excellent instructors. I think we would all be interested in your feedback on this class once completed. I know that I for one always enjoyed training in Wisconsin more than the local training that comes around a couple times every year. Good luck with the class!

[yucan2]

I'd be interested in who the instructors are. There are a handful of the guys in the service department that are excellent instructors. I think we would all be interested in your feedback on this class once completed. I know that I for one always enjoyed training in Wisconsin more than the local training that comes around a couple times every year. Good luck with the class!

Thanks for the good wishes.

Finished Air Cool yesterday. Started RV today. Comprehensive exam scheduled for Friday.

The gist of the training appears to be to ensure that when you leave here you have a thorough understanding of not just how to properly install and/or size a unit (which quite honestly you don't need to take a class for that), but more so, how to competently troubleshoot one.

You are first bombarded with tons of information, technical information on what the animal is and how to keep it happy. Then how to fix it when it breaks.

Understanding and remembering the function of all components. What they do, when they do it and what to do when they don't perform.

During the air-cooled segment we were turned loose to repair units that had various problems. Fixing the problem is not the main focus. How one approaches the problem is.

They have a very comprehensive diagnostics manual for every type of unit 150kw and below that they make and that the technician is likely to encounter.

What was driven home and continues to be, is regimentation and constructive coordination of the troubleshooting process.

As we all know that time is money, obviously having a technician begin troubleshooting on the proper course, armed with the necessary information benefits everyone.

Also prevalent in the training is committing to memory or at least becoming intimately familiar with wire numbers. Obviously Generac has widely implemented uniformity in their assignment of wire numbers, though there have been some changes, add-ons and deletions over the years. For the most part though one can go from one unit to the next and immediately feel some familiarity to the wiring scheme. Therefore becoming intimately familiar and if at all possible committing to memory what one designated wire number does, aids tremendously in the troubleshooting process.

We have had (2) instructors thus far. One a former tech support and research and development participant, is extremely knowledgeable and equally important is his ability to convey the necessary information in an easily digestible fashion, though his apparent enjoyment at assigning homework borders on insanity :(

The other talks about air-cooled units as if he attended grade school with them or something. He instinctively has text book answers that guide you in the right direction. Also quite competent. Not certain what his background is but rumor has it that he smiled "once", lonnnnng ago. I personally don't believe it. :D

As for names? I doubt they have any, but I will inquire :)