Dual Fuel Generator: need both?

3 points by cranky908canuck 353 days ago | 5 comments

Please let me know if there is a better place to post this, looking for broad knowledge!

I am considering buying a generator for 'glamping' and and emergency preparedness (in a seismic zone). I already have a lithium PSU (since the glamping use case means I can't use the motor genset when I need the power). Absent the emergency prep, I'd live with the lithium unit (1.5kW/1.2kWh).

I would really like to avoid gasoline appliances, but generators seem to be either gas or dual (gas/propane). Agreed that for EP, handling both is a plus.

Looking for experience with this (and advice about "should I run it with gasoline every so often...?").

jeromie 353 days ago |

Gasoline degrades more quickly than propane.

When I looked at options for keeping a couple days worth of fuel around (with no gas-powered yard tools to necessitate fuel turnover), propane seemed like the more attractive option.

I was also storing said fuel in an outbuilding with venting and pretty far back on my property.

If you're regularly buying and storing gas, your math might math differently.

GianFabien 353 days ago |

Refrigerators use compressors which often require 5x or greater power to start. You will need to check your generator's peak output to confirm that it can start the refrigerator's compressor. In my experience only relatively small refrigerators can be powered from 1.5kW / 2kW units.

dnemmers 353 days ago |

Depends on your power needs and how often you plan on running it. Gasoline fuel doesn’t last as long as propane, but makes more power (you’ll often see different wattage for each in a dual-fuel setting).

If the generator is mostly going to be sitting around with infrequent usage, either go propane or research gas fuel stability and storage treatments.

Maintenance will depend on the model, but it’s going to need spark plugs and oil changes at a minimum.

toomuchtodo 353 days ago |

Do you have any size or transportation constraints?

cranky908canuck 353 days ago | |

Yes, I think... I'd like to be in a place of "I can pick it up" .. ok, so "I can manage to lift it"!, so no more than about 25kg/60lb. This keeps the output to about 2kW, which I think is ok (I have no experience dealing with generators anyway, so the thought process is "that's 2kW more than I've ever had in the past"). It's for a split glamping and minimal emergency use, so I (think I) can get away with "enough to refrigerate the essentials".