I just had a semi shtf. Just had to go through the Butte Fire in CA. I am still a bit stressed from it but I thank
God I still have my home. Electric was down for a week but I do have an old generator that I connected to my refrigerator with a extension cord. The generator is not connected to the house so my well was not working. I was not allowed to leave the area and come back so I could not buy gas for my generator or buy more water jugs. I thank God also for our firefighters.
I am seriously thinking about getting a new generator that does not cost an arm and a leg and have it connected to the house. I am not sure if I should get a gasoline, diesel or propane one yet. I wonder if any Freepers have any opinions on this.
I don't have a specific recommendation for a generator. However, some things to consider about fuel choice...
Gasoline is perishable. You can extend the shelf life with a conditioner to about a year. Propane does not degrade and is easier to store large amounts and use for other purposes (cooking and heating). Another freeper posted some time ago about filtering used motor oil and using that to run a diesel generator. I don't know about the shelf life storing diesel.
You can buy a new gasoline generator and leave it in the crate until you need it. When you uncrate it, check the oil and fill it with gasoline it will likely start and run. But the next time that it is needed the carburetor will be fouled from the gasoline residue and will have to be taken apart.
Diesel fuel is safer to transport and store but it gets thick at low temperature and gets jellied from a fungus that grows in the tank. Most Diesel fuel has a fungicide added.
Propane does not foul the carburetor but requires a 500 gallon tank to run a 20 KW generator (which will run a whole )house. The tank can be filled only by your contracted LPG supplier.
Natural gas is similar to propane but requires no tank. An earthquake may interrupt your supply but nat. gas is the least hassle most of the time.
Engines are made that will run on 2 or more fuels.