Dual fuel generators

[No_Regerts]

What other stuff do you have running off of your tank? We have a heat pump for HVAC, and an all electric kitchen with an induction cook top. I can't find much else to run on propane except the BBQ. I suppose I could hard plumb that in.

Tankless water heater (we use A LOT of hot water), kitchen cook top, fireplace in the great room, generator

 

[slimmer13]

I have a gas fireplace that I keep some extra propane on hand for when the power goes out. It will keep the house around 60 degrees in the winter. I have a 50lb propane tank that I mainly use. I also have about 10 20lb tanks. My BIL runs a company that has the contract with the city of Spokane to demo all the tweaker RVs they tow, so I have an unlimited supply of small propane tanks.

Ive heard bad things from people that rent the big ones, but If I use enough to make it worth it, and they don't jack up the price once they have you, it might be an option. Costco has the 22k whole house generators with the switch for $3300.

 

[CountryGent]

Regarding the tanks, we went with renting, rather than buying after analysis because:

• Back then it was $70 a year. There was price increase and now it is around a c-note per year. Even at that rate, it would be over a couple decades before we bought our own and, frankly, we don't plan on staying that long. (If this was our "forever house", maybe different perspective, but it is not.)
• I don't recall if we are required to only buy their fuel, though it wouldn't surprise me. However, it is a moot point because they are the only ones that deliver where we are that I am aware of.
• There is no requirements, minimums, etc. to buy fuel and we can do so whenever we wish. I, generally, just topped it off before cold season. I schedule it online, they deliver, I get a bill emailed, paid, done. Easy-peasy.
• If something goes wrong with the tank and related (it hasn't) it is on them to deal with. If it is our own, it would be our problem.

In the grand scheme of things it is less than a nothing. YMMV.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

I got a closed frame 3500 watt dual fuel generator that is quieter than the open frame models.

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I only have enough propane to run it for a week, after that we can run off of gasoline.

 

[Member 34319]

I got a dual fuel right at the beginning of Covid. Used it as an excuse to panic but some emergency gear. Have yet to run it on gas. It's only ran on propane. Got two large 40 pound tanks and the ones I keep for the grill and heaters to run it. Starts up easily. I haven't tried using it on anything larger than some power tools. It's for emergency only. It will run the freezer and or fridge. If we ever get a trailer, it could be used with that too.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I've always been interested in generators. My thinking, if one was off grid and relying on one for fairly big power on a continuous basis, diesel would be the way to go.. you could ferry back 20-50 gallons every trip from town, easily keeping up with demand.

 

[USMC1911]

We have been without power for a week to ten days twice in the last 5 years. We keep two freezers full of meat in addition to our normal refrigerator. Running extension cords and doing electrical work with a flashlight held in my mouth is not my idea of fun at 2 am in December when it is raining ice or snowing sideways. Going without lights for 10 days can get tiresome too.

As far as generating capacity, it's kinda like gun safes or shop buildings. Nobody ever said, "Gee, I wish I had a smaller one."

When it comes to fuel, I hope everyone has learned by now to run nothing but Clear premium gas in their small engines. It can sit in the carb over the winter without any problem, and it will keep in storage for a year or more.

As far as safety, I'm a former power plant electrician. If I'm a utility employee working on a primary circuit the last thing I want is a homeowner backfeeding the line with his portable generator. A good transfer switch that isolates the generator and energized circuits positively from the utility lines is necessary to be safe.

As a Journeyman Lineman that works on power outages frequently I have no problem with people that backfeed. You want to stay alive do your job and make sure its dead. Takes no time at all to check if its actually dead and if your dumb enough to not check well your going to find out quickly when you put on your first ground. For most people a simple extension cord into the socket is a quick, effective and easy option to power part of your house.

 

[Alexx1401]

Tankless water heater (we use A LOT of hot water), kitchen cook top, fireplace in the great room, generator

In that case I would certainly rent one then.
When I was a kid house we lived in had LP for the kitchen and heat, so one of those rental tanks that they came on a scheduled delivery to top off. We had a good shake when we lived there while I was on the way to school. I hear my Mom was just sure that LP tank was blowing up so she ran out the house and half way up the drive till she realized the thing had not blown up

 

[No_Regerts]

In that case I would certainly rent one then.
When I was a kid house we lived in had LP for the kitchen and heat, so one of those rental tanks that they came on a scheduled delivery to top off. We had a good shake when we lived there while I was on the way to school. I hear my Mom was just sure that LP tank was blowing up so she ran out the house and half way up the drive till she realized the thing had not blown up

Our tank is 50 feet from the house. Just enough room to reach full velocity before impact.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

As a Journeyman Lineman that works on power outages frequently I have no problem with people that backfeed. You want to stay alive do your job and make sure its dead. Takes no time at all to check if its actually dead and if your dumb enough to not check well your going to find out quickly when you put on your first ground. For most people a simple extension cord into the socket is a quick, effective and easy option to power part of your house.

I would hope that your safety procedures require testing before applying grounds and that you always work between grounds. I have seen the results several times of people not testing before applying grounds. It's not pretty.

 

[Alexx1401]

Our tank is 50 feet from the house. Just enough room to reach full velocity before impact.

When my Dad told me the story the best part was how she decided to exit the house. We all used the mud room door that went from there to the kitchen. Front door, than no one used, had swelled and was hard to open. Mom was in the kitchen, felt the shake, ran past the door we all used to the front, madly pulling on the door that was hard to open and got it open. So when Dad got home he got an earful on why had he not fixed that damn door? When she told him where she was and he asked why she ran past the door we all used to the one no one used she just got even more angry about the one door not being fixed. Female logic I guess.

 

[USMC1911]

I would hope that your safety procedures require testing before applying grounds and that you always work between grounds. I have seen the results several times of people not testing before applying grounds. It's not pretty.

Very rarely work between grounds and even if you do ya got your own epz. While I prefer to work a dead circuit we often work stuff hot.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Very rarely work between grounds and even if you do ya got your own epz. While I prefer to work a dead circuit we often work stuff hot.

Bare handing is loved by the corporate poobahs, but I grew up in a different era where safety took precedence over profits.

 

[USMC1911]

Bare handing is loved by the corporate poobahs, but I grew up in a different era where safety took precedence over profits.

Nobody bare hands. Gloves and sleeves or a hotstick. Depending on who you are working for and the company policy you do both when grounding even if in an insulated bucket or on a grounded mat. I get it you were a narrowback. I am a union hand and saftey is the first priority in everything I/we do.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Nobody bare hands. Gloves and sleeves or a hotstick. Depending on who you are working for and the company policy you do both when grounding even if in an insulated bucket or on a grounded mat. I get it you were a narrowback. I am a union hand and saftey is the first priority in everything I/we do.

Narrowback? I was a union shop steward for 15 years. I fought to keep our safety standards enforced. I worked for 20 years with 12.8kV switchgear and 4160V motors. You want to sling insults we can do that in person!!!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Kilovolts, smilovolts, go big, dog!