Natural gas conversion kit for generator?

[Keith Stelter]

I've got a 10 HP Kohler generator, and I'd like to install one of the Natural gas conversion kits on it so that I can run it for long periods of time if needed. I was wondering if anyone had any experience/advice on doing this? We just had a tornado in our town and our power was out for 4 days. The generator worked fine, but it was a pain in the a** having to put gas in it every 5 or 6 hours, and having to wait in line at the gas station with all the other guys wanting to fill their gas cans. The makers of the kits claim no drop in performance, but when you buy a "dual fuel" generator they list a lower wattage output when running on Natural gas than on gasoline. Thanks in advance for any replies!

[lp13-30]

Try alt. energy homepower. There are some real knowledgeable generator folks there who can help you. Larry

[ransley]

On Ng it runs cleaner, oil lasts longer. one conversion co might be propane-generators.com You may loose a bit of power.

[Uncle Monster]

I converted a gasoline generator to natural gas for a customer some years ago. I purchased the kit at a local small engine supply company. It was a fairly simple job because the kit had de- tailed instructions and every part was included. Most important are the regulators. The NG gensets that I have installed (Generac for instance) need a 2lb gas supply going to a regulator that drops the pressure down to 11 inches water column and this feeds the demand regulator which only feeds gas to the generator as it needs it. You may have to get the gas company to install a 2lb meter at your home. I would recommend getting someone certified for gas work to install the pipe and setup your primary regulator. If you're mechanically inclined you can do the conversion to the generator yourself but don't mess with the natural gas unless you are very sure what you are doing. The kit you get may not require a 2lb feed but the recommendation for a certified gas tech still stands. By the way, the normal gas pressure for a home is 5 to 8 inches water column, usually it's 6 inches that's about a half pound pressure.

[8~{} Uncle Monster

[Warren]

Two web sites for you to visit...

I've got a 10 HP Kohler generator, and I'd like to install one of the

[sylvan butler]

NO! One pound/sq-in (PSI) is almost 28inches!

6in would be around 0.2psi not 0.5 (1/2) psi.

sdb