Installing Remote Natural Gas Outlet?

I have a small (2kw) suitcase generator that runs on gas, but doesn't supply quite enough watts for some uses.

One option is to buy another just like it, except made to run parallel with the first one, giving 4,000 watts peak and 3,200 watts continuous power.

But 3,200 is probably more than I need and I'm thinking I could live with the reduced power output when running on natural gas (which is piped in to our house) and reap the benefit of not having to store gasoline.

The Question: Is it realistic to consider a remote gas outlet somewhere in the yard with a flexible hose that could be connected to the two gennies?

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)
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To answer your question: No, to the flex hose.

Your best bet it to simply limit your usage during the periods where a generator is required.

If you use two generators you will either have to synchronize them which will require complicated and expensive hardware...or completely separate the circuits.

If you really need more power a 4000 watt generator does not cost much more than a 2000 watt unit, just get a new one and sell your old one.

Reply to
philo 

I'd check the manual about gas hookups. Gasoline and natural gas are different systems.

As to two gennies, some can be put in parallel, but again to check the manual.

Philo had a couple good idea. During power cuts I go into energy saver mode, and wait it out. What extra power is so badly needed that it can't wait a few hours?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I think it's the perfect solution for using a portable natural gas generator. No different than using a gas grill and people have outdoor gas quick-connect type settups for those. As long as the installation is done correctly, there isn't anything wrong with having a gas connection available outside. You could plug a gas grill in there using it's flex hose and it's A OK.

On the generator side, taking a gas generator and converting it to nat gas or propane, will result in a generator/appliance, that is not listed by the appropriate agencies, etc. But certainly a lot of companies are selling the conversion kits and a lot of people are doing it. I see tri-fuel conversion kits, that allow you to switch back and forth or permanent ones. Given that it's going to be outside, in an open area, I don't see a lot of risk in it, but you'll probably hear opinions to the contrary. In which case, you could buy a portable nat gas generator, but the one's I've seen cost a lot more than converting one.

Reply to
trader4

Forgot to add, you can't parallel those generators. There is no way to keep them synchronized. I think what you really mean is to use one for some loads, the other for other loads. As long as your doing that via extension cords, that's cool. But if you really mean to parallel them and use them to feed the main panel, that's out.

Reply to
trader4

Certain Honda models can be and are designed to be run parallel operated.

Reply to
EXT

Interesting. I didn't know or expect that. I just looked at it though and you're right. The Honda EU series allows it. They are inverter based, which makes sense, since then it's easy to synchronize because it's independent of the RPMs. Looks like all you need is a special cable to link them up.

Reply to
trader4

I'm planning on an outlet on the deck,like for my BarBQ but bigger, to connect my 7000watt generator. The (one) little guy would run just fine offf the grill connection.

Reply to
clare

Only theier higher end inverter units - and in some cases only to be "bridged" for 240 volts operation.

Reply to
clare

Sure, but check your local codes. In some places the gas device must be secured in place and flex lines may not be permitted. You can also ru n a gas grill to make the piping worth while too.

Some generators cannot be run in parallel either so you may have to split the load.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I'd extend that to almost all typical portable generators used for backup power. The typical generators you'd buy at HD, Lowes, etc can't be run in parallel. There is no way to keep the engines synchronized. So far, the only ones I've seen that can are the Honda ones EXT was referring to. And those are *inverter* type, the most expensive ones and not the typical ones most of us here have. They do it via a special cable that you need between the generators to keep the inverters in synch. The inverters decouple the engine speed entirely, so it's trivial to keep them in synch. If you have a generator without an inverter, ie the less expensive ones, forget about it.

The thing I was worried about was the open ended concept of paralleling generators. The origial post didn't make any qualifications, which might leave some with the impression you can do that with any generator.

Reply to
trader4

Per snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net:

The gennie that I have now, a Honda EU2000, is designed to be paralleled with another like it. It's quite a popular option among campers because it offers the ultimate in fuel economy but allows for higher use when that use is needed. One of those things, pushing 800-1,200 watts goes 6-7 hours on a gallon of gas for me.

800-1,200 is what our house cruises on. The high figure for when the furnace and an old refrigerator are running.

From what I have read so far, two EU2000's pushing the same load, will go maybe 5 hours on a gallon instead of 6.... but I'm still searching for actual use data.

The attractions of running them on nat gas would be:

- Not getting up at 0200 to fill tanks - although that's probably a red herring given the availability of six-gallon external tanks.

- Not having to store gasoline against a power failure

- Not having to worry about hunting down more gas if/when the reserve supply runs out.

- Not paying highway tax on the fuel.

The EU2000 served us well during the recent 5-day outage. Our little gasoline hoard in the garden shed took us through it with plenty to spare while our neighbor with one of those loud Home Depot monsters found himself driving an hour and waiting in line to get enough gas to feed it.

For cooking, we used 16-ounce propane cylinders driving a miniature grill and a screw-on stove burner.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

Do they come with key locks? I'd be nervous about a gas line that was accessible by juvenile delinqents from the outside. While I expect it's too technical for most of them, a few special rugrats do learn how to hotwire cars and perform other "technical" criminal tasks. (-:

Reply to
Robert Green

Quick disconnects shut off when disconnected. Backed up by a ball valve a foot from the disconnect, and a lockable ball valve back at the meter - uses a padlock.

That's the way my grille connector is set up.

Reply to
clare

Thanks. Good to know it's a secure setup or at least can be designed that way.

Reply to
Robert Green

Wouldn't that imply that something isn't being done on the conversion which is done with equipment designed to use natural gas? Possibly something involving safety?

Reply to
dgk

I'd suspect a "volume of sale" issue. Cheaper to crank out a gazillion consumer models of units.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I don't think so. It's just that last time I looked, couple years ago, there were very few companies that offered nat gas portables. There were a lot more manufacturers that sold propane powered ones and those were half the price. With either fuel they are very similar, so I think their thinking is with propane it's portable so you can use it with a cylinder anywhere. More manufacturers, more choices, lower price. I guess you could buy one of the propane ones and probably run it off nat gas too, but then you're still converting something into something else.

But as I said before, if you have nat gas available, using that with one of the portable generators, like the OP plans on doing IMO, is a real good backup power solution. I'd also consider one of the tri-fuel types that can run on gas, propane or nat gas. You could get set up with that for less than half what one of the whole house nat gas generators would cost.

Reply to
trader4

Generally, no. Just that there is a lower demand for factory converted units - low production translates to higher cost.

Reply to
clare

And places like US carb crank out conversion kits at a rate that makes THEIR costs reasonable - using components - like the regulators, made in huge numbers for other applications as well by other LARGE manufacturers.

Reply to
clare

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