price of propane

[Ralph Mowery]

Before making a decision check how much fuel the larger units use. They use almost as much just running as they do under load unless you get one of the inverter ones.

If I had any other use for Diesel fuel I would look into the Diesel powered generators if wanting a larger one.

As my power seldom goes out I have had a gasoline 5 kw for a number of years, but a few years ago I bought a 4 kw dual fuel to run on propane. That way if the power is out for only a few hours I use the propane and do not have to worry about draining the fuel out or it going bad in the generator. At the time I bought the dual fuel it was only about $

350 shipped to my house and that included a battery to start it with.

[invalid unparseable]

The whole house would kick in without you needing to do anything. As it is I have to pull out the generator into the driveway, pull start it, connect to transfer box. Not a big deal but normally happens when weather is bad and at night. These are becoming more of a concern as we get older. I am more concerned about these generator not working when you need them and I have heard a few stories about this happening.

BTW, on propane, friend just got filled with 20 lb at BJ's for $15. Of course you have to be a member there.

[Ralph Mowery]

I have had the generators not working when needed.

First one I bought sat around for about 2 years in the box as no need for it. Power went out and I hooked it to the house and filled it with gas and oil. It would not start. Next day the son came by and he looked at it for me as he knows alot about small engines. We found it had an on/off switch I did not see and the owners manual did not have in it. Started on the 2nd pull. Put it in a 'dog house' I made for it. A year later needed it and again would not start. Gas was left in it and gummed up the works. Cleaned it out a few days later and it started on

2nd pull. Left old gas in it for the 2nd time and same thing hapened again. Started draining the gas and using the ethanol free gas and the next two times I needed it, started right up on one to 3 pulls after putting in the new gas.

Bought a dual fuel generator and use it on propane. When I first got it, I decided to make sure I knew how to work it by hooking up the propane and starting it. Started fine the first time and the first time the power went out about 6 months later it started up and worked fine.

[hubops]

My experience with my 20 + year old Honda 5000 is that if I test run it every ~ 4 months for about 10-15 minutes with some electrical load < 2 small portable heaters >

it starts & works fine. The one time that I went ~ 6 months it started but hunted up & down < idle > for 5 minutes or so until the gas flow "cleaned it out" .. ? I always use stabilizer ; sometimes I turn off the fuel valve and run it dry sometimes I don't bother ; I've only drained the tank once or twice in 20 years - when I feared the gas was getting real old. John T.

[invalid unparseable]

That is good to hear as even adding stabilizer to gas I was dumping it in the car every two years and buying fresh. I have not done that in the last year.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I had a (new 20 pound) tank filled and weighing it showed 20 pounds had been added. There was no problem getting the propane out.

The other tank (I got two refilled) just got 19 pounds. Maybe the OPD valve was a little different.

[Mark Lloyd]

Then could you explain how I did once?

[Ed Pawlowski]

How often do you need it? In all my life I was out two days once, about

4 hours another time, and a few minutes here and there. I bought a portable to use for my wife's oxygen but it has never been used.

I put stabilizer in ethanol free gas. I'll get fresh gas again if a hurricane pops up with potential to hit us.

[hubops]

Personally, I wouldn't put any old/drained gas in my car. I use it up in the riding mower and push mower. For winter - I try to time it so I fill the 2 gas cans late Nov. or early Dec. with stabilizer added - I'm comfortable that it will be fine in May - June for the mowers. John T.

[Ralph Mowery]

From my limiated research the 20 pound tanks should hold 20 pounds or

4.7 gallons of propane and the tank has about 20% more capacity to allow for expansion. It the temperature is very cold or very hot the amount of propane could be a pound or two more or less when the tank is full.

[rbowman]

Helps if was one within 2000 miles too.

[micky]

That's a good idea and I thought about it years ago when I was doing more house repairs and other mechanical stuff and not that time-consuming unsatisfying computer stuff.

But even then I didn't use much propane.

So I got more propane yesterday and used it today.

I have a simple propane torch and when I turn it sideways or pointing down the nice blue flame turns into an 8" yellow flame.

Somewhere I have a self-igniting torch. Will that work any better when sideways?

Trader wisely suggested what I should have thought of, heeating the nut on the lawnmower to get it off. So far, that hasn't worked, but I have to keep the nut facing up because I need to surround it with wet rags to keep the plastic insulater from melting.

[hubops]

Didn't you say that you had a nut-splitter tool ?

... borrow one ?

John T.

[invalid unparseable]

What prompted me to buy a generator was two days without power in the winter. We were preparing to sleep in sleeping bags in front of the fire place.

Also, on a well, no electricity, no water.

Lot of trees near power lines in valley coming to us an a few in the neighborhood.

It is not as bad today and last time we lost power was for a couple of hours around 2 am and I would not even have noticed it I did not have to go to the bathroom.

We have not had a power failure for much more than a half day since I bought the generator but before I bought it I remember one year with 11 outages with one lasting nearly a week. I was in the hospital during a big one and wife had problems with power coming back on and could not restart the well pump or get the garage door open so an automatic system would be great if I were not there and she was.

[Tekkie©]

On Fri, 18 Jun 2021 18:52:20 -0400, Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us to digest...

Thank you for the humor, it's a gas. (Yes I may be grown up but I never intend to grow up)

[Clare Snyder]

Mine is tri-fuel - gasoline for short term - maximum power. Propane doesn't go bad so the 2 20lb tanks keep me ruinning if I don't have /can';t get gasoline and need close to full power - Natural gas for long term outage and ration the power.

[Tekkie©]

On Sat, 19 Jun 2021 14:52:05 -0400, [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

I like the manufacturer: Power Fist man 'o man a wrenching story.

[Clare Snyder]

Sea Foam cleans the jets really well and helps as a stabilizer - I ALWAYS run the carb empty on the genny if I run it an gasoline.

[Clare Snyder]

20 lbs is 80% of total capacity and is maximum legal fill. You WILL get 20 lb fill with a properly functioning OPD

[Clare Snyder]

I have a hose that connects to my 20 pounder that I screw the torch to. Using the mini tanks you get liquid when you tilt the torch. Never ger liquid with the hose.