Cummins RS17A
Air-cooled · Natural Gas / LP Vapor
Connect Series Air-Cooled
Cummins RS17AE — 17kW Standby Generator
17kW air-cooled standby generator, Natural Gas / LP Vapor. The typical three-bedroom DFW home with a single AC system.
Representative manufacturer image of the range. Enclosure finish, color and dimensions vary by model and configuration — see the specifications below for this unit.
17 kW Natural Gas / LP Vapor Air-cooled Extreme cold −40°F Aluminum
The RS17AE is an air-cooled unit in an aluminum enclosure, which is the right build for a residential yard: no radiator loop to service, a smaller pad, and a footprint of 34.1 x 36 x 27.3 inches at 531 lb.
The E suffix is the extreme cold weather package, rated to -40F. In North Texas that is not about surviving a normal winter; it is about the unit actually starting during an event like February 2021, when the outages and the cold arrived together.
It runs on natural gas or LP vapor. On natural gas there is no tank to fill and no runtime limit as long as the utility main holds pressure, which is why it is the default choice on almost every DFW home that already has gas service.
Equipment price
$5,576.63
Equipment only — installation quoted separately
The RS17AE is sold by UTS ElectricPros, an authorized Cummins dealer in Dallas–Fort Worth. Buying through an authorized dealer is what keeps the manufacturer warranty valid — equipment bought from an unauthorized reseller frequently is not covered, and owners tend to find that out at the worst possible moment.
A separate service
Want us to install it?
Installation is not included in the price above and is not sold at checkout. It is quoted on its own, in writing, after a free on-site survey. You are welcome to buy the equipment here and use your own electrician.
Typical all-in installed cost in DFW
$12,500 - $15,500
$12,500 - $15,500
Equipment plus professional installation: electrical by our licensed electricians, gas line by a licensed plumber. We quote after a survey because gas line runs, panel location and permits differ at every address. We don’t guess, and we don’t pad.
- ✓ Concrete or composite pad
- ✓ Gas line and pressure test by a licensed plumber
- ✓ Transfer switch and electrical tie-in
- ✓ Permit and city inspection
- ✓ Startup, load test and walkthrough
Prefer to talk it through? Have us call you.
Got it. We will call you. If you would rather not wait, ring (214) 957-4307 and ask for whoever is on generators.
Specifications
| Model | Cummins RS17AE |
|---|---|
| Rated output | 17 kW |
| Fuel | Natural Gas / LP Vapor |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Enclosure | Aluminum |
| Weight | 531 lb |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 34.1 x 36 x 27.3 in |
| Voltage configurations | 120/240 1Ph |
| Extreme cold package | Included, rated to -40°F |
| Transfer switch | Sold separately, sized to your service |
| Application | residential |
| Output — natural gas | 17 kW (70.8 A at 240 V) |
| Output — LP vapor | 17 kW (70.8 A at 240 V) |
| Sound level | 65 dB(A) 65 dB(A) at 23 ft (7 m) at normal load |
| Cummins model | C17N6H |
| Engine | QSJ999G — Naturally aspirated, V-twin, air-cooled |
| Displacement | 60.96 in³ (999 cc) |
| Cylinder block | Aluminum |
| Rated speed | 3600 rpm |
| Motor starting | 34 kVA at 30% voltage dip — starts a 5-ton A/C under full pre-load |
| Voltage regulation | ±1.25% no load to full load |
| Frequency regulation | Isochronous, ±1.25% steady state (±1.5% at no load) |
| Harmonic distortion | Less than 5% total harmonic distortion |
| Main breaker | Single 100 A circuit breaker, UL certified |
| Battery required | Group 51R, 450 CCA at 32°F (0°C) — part A052Y816, bought locally |
| Clearance to structure | 18 inches from a building (meets NFPA 37) |
| Gas supply pressure | NG 3.5 – 12.0 in H₂O (0.87 – 3.0 kPa) · LP 6.0 – 12.0 in H₂O (1.49 – 3.0 kPa) |
| Fuel use at full load | 258 ft³/hr natural gas · 102 ft³/hr LP |
| Operating temperature | -40°F to 122°F (-40°C to 50°C) |
| Wind rating | Evaluated to withstand 180 MPH wind loads per ASCE 7-10 |
| Derating | Full rated power to 77°F (25°C) and 1,000 ft (300 m). Derate 3.5% per 1,000 ft and 1% per 10°F above that. |
| Certifications | UL 2200, CSA 22.2 and B149.1, EPA emissions, NFPA 37 |
| Warranty | 5 year / 2,000 hour limited warranty. RA automatic transfer switches carry a separate 2 year warranty. |
| Extended warranty | Cummins factory coverage for 5, 7 or 10 years, from $272.22. See every price |
Available configurations
This model ships in a single factory configuration.
| Part number | Voltage | Phase | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A071Z401 | 120/240 | 1Ph | $5,576.63 |
All prices are for the equipment only.
Built in
What the RS17AE does that the spec table does not show
Intelligent Load Management
The generator can control up to 4 loads and continuously monitors how much power each one needs, then restores only the loads it has capacity to run. This is what makes a 20kW unit cover a house with two air conditioners.
Patented Crank-Only exercise mode
The weekly exercise cycle can crank the engine and run diagnostics without actually starting it, which reduces wear, fuel use and the noise of the exercise run.
Remote monitoring, built in
Remote monitoring is standard on every unit. From a computer, tablet or phone you can check status, change the exercise schedule and start the generator manually.
5-ton air conditioner start
Rated to start and run a 5-ton A/C under full pre-load — the load that decides generator sizing in Texas.
Accessories and maintenance parts for this unit →
Specifications on this page are taken from the Cummins published specification sheet for
the air-cooled Connect range.
Download it from Cummins →
Pairs with
Transfer switches for a 17kW set
The switch is sized to your electrical service, not to the generator. These are the families that typically apply at this output — we confirm the exact one at the survey.
Questions about the RS17AE
How much does a Cummins RS17AE cost installed in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The RS17AE equipment price is $5,576.63. Installed in DFW, a typical 17kW job runs $12,500 - $15,500 all in. The spread comes from four things: how far the pad sits from your gas meter, whether the gas line carries the added load or has to be upsized, the run from the generator to your electrical panel, and what your city charges and requires for permits and inspection. We put the installation number in writing after a free site survey.
What will the RS17AE actually run?
Most of a 2,000-2,500 sq ft home with load management on the larger AC. Final confirmation comes from a load calculation against your actual panel, which we do at the survey.
Do I need a transfer switch with the RS17AE?
Yes. A standby generator cannot be code-compliantly connected without an automatic transfer switch - it is what keeps your generator from backfeeding the utility line and endangering line crews. The switch is sized to your electrical service, not to the generator, so we confirm your service size at the survey before specifying it.
Is the RS17AE in stock?
Availability changes weekly. A refundable deposit reserves a specific unit and locks the equipment price for 90 days, which is the practical way to hold one while the survey and permit work happen. If we cannot source it in a reasonable window, you get the deposit back.
Same size, different build
Other 17kW configurations
Same 17kW output. What changes is the enclosure, the transfer switch and whether a cold-weather package is fitted — not the power.
Step up or down
Is 17kW the right size?
The next capacity either side in the air-cooled range. If you are not sure which way to go, the sizing calculator works it out against your own house rather than its square footage alone.
Down to 13kW — less headroom, lower install cost.
Cummins RS13A
Air-cooled · Natural Gas / LP Vapor
Up to 20kW — room for a second AC or a well pump.
Cummins RS20A
Air-cooled · Natural Gas / LP Vapor
Want the RS17AE priced for your address?
Equipment is $5,576.63. The installation number depends on your property, and the only honest way to get it is to come look. That visit is free.
What it is for
Whole-house backup power, started automatically
The grid goes down and the house stops with it. In Texas that is not an inconvenience for long: in February it is heat and frozen pipes, in August it is air conditioning, and a house without either becomes uninhabitable within hours rather than days.
Why it becomes urgent
Winter storms and the spring severe-weather season take down distribution lines across the Metroplex every year, and summer peak demand on the ERCOT grid has repeatedly produced conservation appeals.
Who buys it
Homeowners who cannot simply leave — small children, someone on medical equipment, a well pump, a home office, or livestock on the property.
The RS17AE is installed across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex by our own licensed crews — the cities we serve, what installation involves, and a free on-site survey before any number is put in writing.
Before you buy the RS17AE
The questions that decide whether this is the right machine, answered properly rather than in a sentence on a product page.
- Will 17kW actually cover my house?Work it out against your own square footage, air conditioning and well pump before you buy.
- Is 17kW the right one of the three?The air-cooled range is 13kW, 17kW and 20kW. What separates them, and what each step costs.
- Does 17kW really mean 17kW in August?Nameplate power is quoted at a reference temperature. What this model actually delivers at 100°F.
- Will it start in a freeze?The rating is not the problem. The battery, the propane tank and the cold weather package are.
- How loud is it, really?Published dB by model, and what that sounds like from a neighbor’s window.
All the generator guides we have written
Every Cummins air-cooled standby, 13kW to 20kW · Or a portable, if you only need a few circuits
Installed across Dallas–Fort Worth
The RS17AE ships anywhere in the country. Installation is Dallas–Fort Worth only, carried out by our own licensed crews under TECL #40628 operating from Grand Prairie — because a generator is quoted against your gas meter, your panel and your city, which nobody can do from a warehouse. What installation actually involves.
- Generator installation in Fort WorthOncor Electric Delivery for most addresses, with CoServ Electric, Tri-County Electric Cooperative and United Cooperative Services in parts of the city
- Generator installation in DallasOncor Electric Delivery
- Generator installation in ArlingtonOncor Electric Delivery
- Generator installation in McKinneyOncor, CoServ Electric or Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative, depending on the address
All 27 cities we install in → · every install includes the permit, the inspection and meeting the inspector on site, and the number comes from a free on-site survey rather than a price list.
After the RS17AE is in
A generator is a fifteen-year relationship, not a transaction. What that looks like from here.
Maintenance and service plans
Skipped maintenance is the top cause of an outage-night no-start. What a visit covers and how often it is due.
The battery, specifically
The component that fails most often when maintenance is skipped, and why the weekly exercise does not prove it is healthy.
Cummins warranty, and ours
What the manufacturer covers, what the installer covers, and which one you call when something fails.
Financing it
Monthly payments through Affirm, or fold it into a home loan at purchase or refinance.
Parts and accessories
Cold-weather kits, maintenance parts and the part numbers that fit this unit.