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What's the best kind of generator, fuel-wise; propane, gas or diesel, for my home?

Posted on 02/26/2006 5:43:56 PM PST by Sun

We are on the market for a generator, and are wondering which brand to get, and what kind of fuel is safest, easier to obtain, or better all around.

Also, which brands of generators are best?


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KEYWORDS: generators; poweroutage
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1 posted on 02/26/2006 5:43:59 PM PST by Sun
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To: Sun

Sun, you should go solar.


2 posted on 02/26/2006 5:44:58 PM PST by Cool Guy
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To: Sun

propane doesn't get "stale" like gas or diesel


3 posted on 02/26/2006 5:45:00 PM PST by Ouderkirk (Funny how death and destruction seems to happen wherever Muslims gather...)
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To: Sun

We did a thread on this about 8 months ago. Lots of good info.


4 posted on 02/26/2006 5:45:15 PM PST by JoeSixPack1
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To: Sun

Natural gas, if you got it.


5 posted on 02/26/2006 5:45:17 PM PST by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
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To: Sun

Lol...Stand by...This will be good.


6 posted on 02/26/2006 5:45:37 PM PST by Wingy
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To: Sun
Google: fuel cell generator
7 posted on 02/26/2006 5:47:31 PM PST by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
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To: Sun

Convert it to run on alcohol, then build a still.


8 posted on 02/26/2006 5:47:40 PM PST by Lancer_N3502A
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To: Sun

I've got a gasoline powered generator with a propane conversion. So far I haven't used propane with it, besides propane costs almost as much as gas lately.


9 posted on 02/26/2006 5:48:05 PM PST by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: Paladin2

Hydrogen, otherwise.


10 posted on 02/26/2006 5:48:28 PM PST by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
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To: Sun

Honda. Very quiet.


11 posted on 02/26/2006 5:48:43 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
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To: Paladin2
Or:

Cold Fusion

12 posted on 02/26/2006 5:51:07 PM PST by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
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To: Sun
Is this for seldom-happens, short duration outages?

Or anticipated, frequently happens long duration outages?

Do you want to run the house? Or just a few critical appliances and lights?

Will you want a portable generator so it can be used for jobs as well as household backup? ( I have a large portable that can power our vacation home as well as provide power for lotsa tools on a construction site)

Do you care about how quiet it is?

Are you planning to go "off grid", co-gen, or sell power back onto the grid?

Tell us more about how you plan to use the generator.

If it's just to run the fridge and a few lights when an ice storm knocks out power, then run down to Home Depot/ Lowes and buy an 8500W Honda powered gasoline 'portable'. That's my recommendation. 8500 watts can run our 3 bedroom vacation home if we are judicious about consumption. Ran that sucker for nearly three days straight once. AND it has helped build many a structure. No maintenance worries at all.
13 posted on 02/26/2006 5:52:19 PM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitor)
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To: Sun
For practicality gasoline.

Should be easy to start if it is cold where you are and fuel can be purchased conveniently.

Whatever you get don`t put in your basement and try to pipe the exhaust outside.

14 posted on 02/26/2006 5:52:34 PM PST by carlr
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To: Sun

Well, it depends on what you are going to use it for. Long term generation of your own power, then diesel is the answer. If it is for emergency use, then you need the one that you will have fuel for. Like if you have a propane tank at your house, and some emergency happens where you electricity will be out for several days, then use propane. Just about any gasoline generator can be converted. If there is any experts out there, you may correct me.

You can buy stabilizer for gasoline and it will last for more than a year. They may even make a fuel stabilizer for diesel.

I live where Rita hit, SW LA. We were out of electricity for 2 weeks. I used a gasoline generator that I have mounted on our RV. I am thinking about buying a larger one that has 220 so I can run my water well pump. I have my own deep well here. Since I have my own propane tank, I will get one that can run on propane.


15 posted on 02/26/2006 5:56:18 PM PST by Ramtek57
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To: carlr
For practicality gasoline.
GREAT idea if you don't use or service the thing for a year; 'gasoline', a light hyrdocarbon, will evaporate most of the lighter maerial leaving behind the HEAVIER componenets in a gooey, thick, carburetor clogging mess.

For a reliable, standby source, with autostart go with propane.

16 posted on 02/26/2006 5:59:32 PM PST by _Jim
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To: Sun

Get a Tri-fuel generator.


17 posted on 02/26/2006 6:01:25 PM PST by Kirkwood ("When the s*** hits the fan, there is enough for everyone.")
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To: Sun
I have a BIG diesel, 55hp izusu (45KW 3-phase, 27KW single). Bought new in 1998, katolite tranfer switch, automatic weekly exerciser, runs 27 hours on a 24 gal red/bio diesel tank (B35 max).

The unit used to be sold on the multiquip whisperwatt MQ45 label, and a favorite with the film industry because they are so quiet. I fully power a 300 ac farm when the lines go down.

(not on trailer, pad mounted)

automatic run-up on brown-out, 8 second response to full power on power outage.

18 posted on 02/26/2006 6:11:02 PM PST by xcamel (One should hope Global Dumbing is reversible.)
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To: Cool Guy

"Sun, you should go solar."

We're not rich. :)


19 posted on 02/26/2006 6:12:55 PM PST by Sun (Hillary Clinton is pro-ILLEGAL immigration. Don't let her fool you. She has a D- /F immigr. rating.)
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To: Ouderkirk

How does gas or diesel get stale, and can't you use cooking oil as diesel in a pinch?


20 posted on 02/26/2006 6:13:42 PM PST by Sun (Hillary Clinton is pro-ILLEGAL immigration. Don't let her fool you. She has a D- /F immigr. rating.)
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