Most “best standby generator” roundups, including our own, are built from manufacturer spec sheets and dealer marketing pages. That is useful for narrowing down a model, but it does not tell you what actually happens when the power goes out, what the true installed cost looks like once every line item is added up, or what living with one of these units day to day is really like.
We installed a Honeywell 22kW standby generator, sized for whole-home coverage, in August 2024. This page is the real ownership data from that Honeywell 22kW standby generator: what we paid, how it has performed across four actual power outages, and what maintaining it looks like two years in.
At a Glance
| Detail | What We Found |
| Model | Honeywell G00723510, 22kW |
| Installed | August 2024 |
| Total Installed Cost | $12,016 (see the itemized breakdown below) |
| Fuel | Propane, 250-gallon tank |
| Estimated Runtime on a Full Tank | ~5 days at full load, per our 250-gallon propane tank |
| Startup Time During an Outage | Online within about 5 seconds; whole-house AC follows roughly 30-45 seconds later |
| Real Outages Weathered So Far | 4, starting and carrying full house load every time |
The Itemized Installed Cost, Line by Line
A reader asked us to double check our math on the installed cost, so we went back through our actual invoices and receipts and pulled the real, itemized numbers rather than relying on our rounded estimate. Here is exactly where the $12,016 went:
- Generator unit, includes the transfer switch: $5,500
- Electrical installation and labor: $3,750
- Concrete pad: $750
- Propane line hookup, labor: $750
- Utility company temporary service disconnect, required to safely tie in the transfer switch: $500
- Standby battery, purchased separately: $329
- Permit: $250
- Propane regulator: $170
- Propane tubing from the home line to the generator: $17
Total: $12,016
How Fast It Actually Kicks In
The number that matters most in an outage is how long you are actually without power, and this is where the generator has been consistent every time: it comes online within about 5 seconds of utility power dropping. The whole-house transfer switch does not restore everything at once, though. After the generator itself is running, the air conditioning specifically kicks back in roughly 30 to 45 seconds later. That is a deliberate load-management delay, not a malfunction, and it is worth knowing about going in so it does not seem like something is wrong the first time you experience it.
Real Outages, Real Data
In the time we’ve owned this system, it has been tested by four real utility outages, not just its scheduled self-test cycles. In every case, it started within seconds and carried the entire house load, including the air conditioning, for the full duration of the outage until utility power returned. That is the track record that actually matters: not the spec sheet, but whether it fires up and keeps the house running every single time, with no manual intervention on our part.
Monitoring It Remotely: The MobileLink App
The generator also runs a brief self-test automatically every week to exercise the engine, independent of whether an actual outage has happened. We monitor all of this through Generac’s MobileLink app, connected over our home wifi. Beyond the weekly test status, the app shows outdoor temperature at the unit, wifi signal strength, total accumulated run hours, the installation date, and warranty information. It is a small thing, but being able to check from a phone that the unit is ready and healthy, rather than finding out only when the power actually goes out, is one of the more reassuring parts of owning one of these.
Maintenance: What Oil Changes Actually Look Like
Maintenance has been simple so far. The first oil change came due after the initial 25 hours of run time, which is standard for a new engine, and it moves to a regular run-hour interval after that rather than a calendar schedule. Because the MobileLink app tracks total run hours automatically, we don’t have to keep a paper log or guess when service is due, which is one less thing to think about.
Noise: What It’s Really Like
A Honeywell 22kW standby generator this size is not silent, and if noise level is a dealbreaker for you, it is worth knowing that going in. It does not bother us personally; we got used to the sound within the first outage or two. What we honestly cannot tell you is whether it bothers the neighbors, since we have not asked them directly. If you are installing one, it is worth thinking about placement relative to neighboring windows and outdoor living spaces, not just your own.
Why We Chose Honeywell Over Generac
The standby generator market is smaller than the number of brand names suggests. Our research led us to Honeywell specifically because Generac manufactures the entire unit and licenses Honeywell the name on the case, rather than the other way around. It is functionally the same machine as the comparable Generac-branded model, just a different color and, in some cases, a shorter warranty, but at a noticeably lower unit price: the Honeywell unit itself ran us about $5,500, versus roughly $9,600 for the comparable Generac-branded unit at the time we were shopping. Installation costs like the pad, propane line, transfer switch, and labor were roughly the same either way, so that price gap is specific to the unit itself, not our full $12,016 installed total. Paying nearly double for the Generac name on effectively the same hardware did not make sense for us, so we went with this Honeywell 22kW standby generator instead.
Is This Honeywell 22kW Standby Generator Worth It?
After two years of ownership and four real outages, our answer is yes, for our situation. The $12,016 installed cost is significant, and it will not make sense for every home or every budget. But for us, automatic whole-house coverage, a roughly 5-second failover, and a system that has now proven itself four times rather than just on paper, has been worth it. If you are still deciding what size generator you actually need, our generator wattage calculator can help you work out real numbers before you shop, and our guide to whole-home standby generators compares more models and price points if a 22kW Honeywell is not the right fit for your home.