Re: Experience with "cheap" portable diesel gensets?

In article <1143390086.036366.254050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
grtartiste@xxxxxxx (GrtArtiste) says...
Just out of curiosity, what reasons do you have for not wanting to
"store a lot of gasoline on site"? Is it safety, cost, the
neighbors...or something else? Reason I ask is there is a recent
thread on Garden Web
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tools/msg032102231798.html?30

and the author seems to think his plan is a great one to store 80
gallons of gas for the expressed purpose (other than a few lights and
the fridge) of running several window A/C units so he can be
comfortable after the next hurricane goes through. The response to his
plan seems mostly favorable. I dunno if it's a good plan or not.

As long as he keeps rotating his supply, gasoline storage will work OK.
He needs to pour it into a vehicle every six months or so and buy fresh
gas. Storing large quantities of gasoline is a problem because it's not
stable over time. Stabilizing the gasoline and then pressurizing it
with butane or propane sounds like a pretty good idea. On a hot day,
gasoline can generate some pretty good vapor pressure, so keeping the
sealed drums in a cool place would be a good idea.

The advantage of a diesel generator is that it can run off of the same
tank that fuels the furnace. An efficient fuel filter is a good idea,
but other than intercepting the occasional crud, a diesel engine will
run fine off of fuel oil.

For long term storage, propane is the best choice. It can sit there for
years, and be ready for use during an emergency. The generator itself
needs to be exercised monthly, but you can use a portable tank for that
purpose and leave the main tank topped off. Engines running off of
propane are also very reliable. The fuel is sulfur-free and burns very
clean, so motor oil contamination is almost completely eliminated, and
propane has less energy content than gasoline, so you have to derate the
engine about 10%. Gasoline engines burning propane achieve diesel
engine reliability.

--
http://home.teleport.com/~larryc
.

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