With winter coming and the storm back east, I have been thinking of a portable generator to run my refrigerators (3) and run the fan on our gas furnace.
We have an allergy to gasoline fumes (as in you got some on your hands) in the family, so I was thinking of propane.
Anyone have any thoughts/recommendations? I have heard Honda makes good ones, but not in propane anymore. What would be a good wattage?
How about a propane camp stove to cook with? (Our stove/range is electric.)
1) read this list daily
2) see what works for others
3) Wait six months, till the demand comes back down, you'll get better prices.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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With winter coming and the storm back east, I have been thinking of a portable generator to run my refrigerators (3) and run the fan on our gas furnace.
We have an allergy to gasoline fumes (as in you got some on your hands) in the family, so I was thinking of propane.
Anyone have any thoughts/recommendations? I have heard Honda makes good ones, but not in propane anymore. What would be a good wattage?
How about a propane camp stove to cook with? (Our stove/range is electric.)
On 11/09/2012 07:30 PM, Stormin Mormon wrote:> 1) read this list daily > 2) see what works for others > 3) Wait six months, till the demand comes back down, you'll get better > prices. >
Good advice. Do you have any opinion(s)? I stand on the shoulders of giants (Issac Newton).
Propane generators are less common and tend to cost more. Probably more of a marketing driven thing, as there isn't any inherent increase in complexity.
There are conversion kits available for many of the commonly used generator engines/carbs that will allow you to use propane. Some allow switching back and forth between propane/nat gas and gasoline. Be aware that any of those kits will reduce the output power capability by 20% or so when running on nat gas or propane, so factor that in.
Is your furnace propane? If it is, then propane makes sense. If it's nat gas, then that would be a better choice so you don't have to deal with storing, refilling tanks in emergency, etc.
As to which brands are good, I don't have enough experience with one versus the other. One thing is for sure. You can pay $500 or you can pay $4000 for a 4500 watt generator. There must be some difference in what you get. The lowest cost units use brushes, higher priced tend to be brushless, highest cost ones tend to use inverter technology.
Refrigerators/freezers that are maybe 10 years old or so use remarkably little electric. I have experience with
3 of them that use just 80 or 90watts. They will use a lot more when first starting. I ran a gas furnace during Sandy and it pulled maybe 250 watts, but again it takes more to start. With a 4500 watt unit, I ran a fridge, freezer, gas furnace and a few CFL lights. Had an extension to a neighbor and he was also running a gas furnace, 3 fridges, some lights, etc. So, I'd say 4500W it's a good size for your application.
Advice is good. Following storm you probably would not be able to find a generator for sale. Someone told me that after a hurricane a few years ago people that bought generators were returning them and he got one as used for half price.
If you have natural gas, maybe get a generator that runs on it.
Mine is gasoline with 5500 running watts and plugged into a transfer box which handles well, oil furnace, 2 freezers and a refrigerator as well as some lights, TV and computer.
Our stove is electric too and I have a single burner propane camp stove which I just put on stove top and use.
Don;t know if you mean right now or after a future storm, but if it's Sandy there are a variety of generators available here in NJ right now at many of the usual stores.
=A0Someone told me that after a hurricane a few
That's an interesting possibility. I know people return them. Would seem logical that some stores might discount them to move them.
My recommendation is to first smell a motor burning propane. Like diesel, some folk say it stinks while others say it just smells different.
After that - I suggest you consider a large propane tank since propane doesn't ever spoil like gasoline would. Figure fewer than 50 gallons a day depending on the load so 50 is a pretty safe number to base your time on.
How long do you plan on going without power?
4 days? Install a 200 gallon propane tank. A month? Install a 1,000 gallon propane tank.
Remember to have a pro install the transfer switch and to mount the tank on a concrete base.
Don't forget that propane provides less energy; so a 10kw gasoline generator will only provide about 8.5kw when converted to propane; so you need to size accordingly.
u got some >> on your hands) in the family, so I was thinking of propane Do= n't forget that propane provides less energy; so a 10kw gasoline generator = will only provide about 8.5kw when converted to propane; so you need to siz= e accordingly.
I was thinking of getting a diesel-powered generator and running it off the= fuel oil tank.
got some >> on your hands) in the family, so I was thinking of propane Don't forget that propane provides less energy; so a 10kw gasoline generator will only provide about 8.5kw when converted to propane; so you need to size accordingly.
fuel oil tank.
No fuel oil to be found in these parts. We are all Natural Gas
NG is great energy source. As long as the pipes aren't sheared by an earth quake, and as long as someone keeps pumping NG into the other end of the pipe.
Fuel oil, you can have a bunch on site.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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No fuel oil to be found in these parts. We are all Natural Gas
In getting ready for possible winter outages, I'm finally hooking up my solar stuff, along with checking generators.
Yesterday I measured the current draw on 120 vac furnace. Variable fan, dual stage max 70kbtu . Slowly ramped up to just under 3 amps. Not bad. Should be able to use part time battery inverter. I got a sine wave inverter and battery this week. I was thinking furnace might draw more, but looks great right now.
If I had money, I have a natural gas generator installed.
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