Re: Propane vs diesel generator

beef@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> pretty much anything you are going to use "once in a while" and want
> to get going right away when it is nasty out, I would go with LP.
> Simple engines, simple carbs that will not get all gunked up if it
> sits a year. The started battery is goingto be the weak point, not
> the fule system. Diesel and gas do not sit well long term.

That's why I always run my generators empty and mothball them for
storage. The new little 1000 watt jobby runs the same gas/oil mix as
my chainsaw, and I don't let that go stale. I have about 10 gallons of
year old stabilzed gas around, and it's time to dump that into my
pickup and buy fresh.

I'm going to build a shop this fall. I have been thinking about
installing a propane shop heater and plumbing a generator to the same
tank. Or I may just install a wood stove and stick with my old
gasoline generators. Having the little one really eases the fuel
storage problem.

If your generator is electric start, you can keep a trickle charger on
the battery and it will last maybe 10 years. All you have to do is
keep the plates from sulfating. You might even put the charger on a
timer, and only charge the battery an hour a day. Eventually, though,
any system will need maintenance. My big gasoline powered generator
lives in the barn, and I don't even haul it out until the second day of
a power outage. I used it for some construction work this summer, and
haven't mothballed it yet, so I will verify that it is in good working
condition, change the oil, etc. before storing it. Then it will
probably sit for another 5 years before I need it. The little 1000
watt jobby will live with the travel trailer, and is going goose
hunting with me in November. I camp in unimproved campgrounds, and the
furnace blower runs the battery down. I don't know how long it will
last, but it only cost $179, so I can buy another when it wears out.

One of the disadvantages of propane is that it is normally hard
plumbed, and propane generators are not portable. On a farm, portable
power is more useful than emergency power. If I need to run power
tools where there is no electricity, I can put the gasoline generator
in the tractor bucket and take it where it needs to be.

.

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