Dual fuel portable generators question

[Aukai]

I've heard the Yamaha is in the quiet generator market too now. It seems the invertor type are the new hot ticket.

 

[Flyinfool]

I currently have a Baldor 3300W gas generator. It has a Baldor generator with a Subaru engine, The muffler looks like one from a small car and even at full load it is fairly quiet. Not Honda or Yamaha quiet but not a screamer either. I have been looking to sell this one to get either a dual fuel gas/propane, or a diesel generator, (I have never yet seen a dual fuel diesel/propane). Propane and diesel fuel last almost forever without storage issues. Propane uses a lot more fuel than gas or diesel. You will have to take a close look at how much fuel you can store, and/or availability to acquire more more in a prolonged power outage.

Inverters are nice for quieter operation since the engine only has to run as fast as needed for the load. But look at the type of output of the inverter and what your loads require. The good old fashion "generators" that always run at 3600 rpm give a nice clean sine wave output for powering modern electronics. Some inverters, especially low cost ones will output a modified sine wave that is fine for purely restive loads like heaters or incandescent lighting, or motors that are inductive loads, but some electronic stuff might not like the modified sine wave power. Some inverter generators do give nice clean sine wave power. Just another thing to check out on your choice and needs.

 

[NortonDommi]

I used to convert vehicles to CNG and LPG and any 'dual fuel' engine if carburettored will drop power on the gas due to intake restriction and the different ignition curves required. An engine dedicated to gas will outperform a petrol engine in all respects except amount of fuel used for maximum power. This is usually offset by the cost of fuel. Compression ignition,Diesel,can be made the only true 'dual fuel' engine and the ratios can be varied in use. Four-stroke engines benefit from an aftermarket uppercylinder lubricant which improves valve sealing and makes a noticeable improvement in performance. Noise will be exactly the same as the sound comes from intake , exhaust noise and mechanical vibrations. A dedicated gas engine, Gaseous fuel for Americans not petrol, will outlast a liquid fuel engine simply because unless it is Methane it will burn cleaner.

 

[Tozguy]

Thanks everybody for your thoughts. It helps a lot.
The is the generator at the top of my short list.

Review: Honda EU7000iS (EU7000ISNAN): Is It Worth Buying in 2024?

In 2024 the DuroMax XP9000iH is superior to the Honda EU7000iS. It's half the price & a dual-fuel, making it the biggest inverter generator.

www.chainsawjournal.com

The only drawback is having to manage the fuel reserves. We do not have many or prolonged outages so my 5 gal. gerry can gas supply needs to managed to keep it from getting stale. After 2 years in storage I empty a gerry can of old gas into the car or truck and refresh my supply for the generator. I keep three gerry cans full for the generator. The generator itself is empty. Each can has gas stabilizer and keeps for two years before getting dumped into the car. But I find it a hassle.
So i got to dreaming about using propane. Something like this

Sportsman 8,750/7,000-Watt Dual Fuel Digital Inverter Generator with 50 Amp RV Outlet, USB Port and 4 GFCI 120-Volt Outlets GEN85KIDF - The Home Depot

This 8,750/7,000-Watt Dual Fuel Digital Inverter Generator offers power and convenience. Sine waves help this generator emit clean and reliable power for your needs. The compact design promotes easy transport,

www.homedepot.com

But I don't think it is as quiet as the Honda.
If I opt for dual fuel I would likely run mostly from a 100 lb propane tank until it needs filling then switch to gas until that happens.

 

[Nutfarmer]

Please keep the generator set away from living areas! You could not believe how many calls we have had with the fire department for carbon monoxide because of miss placed generators. The last one was a professionally installed 10 kw under a second story deck. The deck caught the exhaust and spread it to the interior of the home. Luckily one detector out of four still worked or there could have been serious illness. Just remember you can't smell carbon monoxide and if it starts making you sick it could be too late.

 

[MrWhoopee]

The only drawback is having to manage the fuel reserves. We do not have many or prolonged outages so my 5 gal. gerry can gas supply needs to managed to keep it from getting stale. After 2 years in storage I empty a gerry can of old gas into the car or truck and refresh my supply for the generator. I keep three gerry cans full for the generator. The generator itself is empty. Each can has gas stabilizer and keeps for two years before getting dumped into the car.

In addition to my Honda EU3000is, I have a Ridgid 8000 watt with a Subaru motor, which gets fired up when I need to pump or heat water. I keep a gallon or two in each generator which allows me to exercise them 3 or 4 times per year to be sure they will start when needed. In addition to the common winter outages, we are now having power shutoffs during periods of high wind fire danger in late summer/fall. We had a prolonged (4 day IIRC) outage 2 years ago from a heavy winter storm. With only 6 gallons of storage, I had to drive 45 miles to find gasoline. I've since expanded my storage to nearly 30 gallons. I don't use stabilizer, but rely on rotating my inventory. The cans have a label on which I write the fill date. If my car needs gas, I fill it with the oldest can and throw the can in the car, filling it when I go to town. I would like to have a propane powered generator (and stove and water heater), but you play the cards you're dealt.

 

[Tozguy]

Regulations here require that a generator be at least 7 meters from buildings.

The idea of using two generators is also appealing. Apparently two inverter generators can be connected together to double power supply. Having one running constantly for fridges, freezers, computers, and lighting plus a second generator fired up only when extra power is temporarily required. Am wondering if it is really as simple as it looks to pair up identical inverter generators.

Although our street does not have a history of frequent/extended power outages it seems like we can expect more severe weather in the future. In the last year we have had two major wind storms that caused some neighbourhoods to be out of power for a week. Several residents have since installed standby generators. I have had a portable 5000 watt generator since 1998. That year a freak ice storm crippled the regional power grid for many weeks. I blindly bought one of the last generators in town at the beginning of the storm. But getting old and lazy I now want to upgrade our equipment to be easier to start up and run.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Regulations here require that a generator be at least 7 meters from buildings.

The idea of using two generators is also appealing. Apparently two inverter generators can be connected together to double power supply. Having one running constantly for fridges, freezers, computers, and lighting plus a second generator fired up only when extra power is temporarily required. Am wondering if it is really as simple as it looks to pair up identical inverter generators.

Although our street does not have a history of frequent/extended power outages it seems like we can expect more severe weather in the future. In the last year we have had two major wind storms that caused some neighbourhoods to be out of power for a week. Several residents have since installed standby generators. I have had a portable 5000 watt generator since 1998. That year a freak ice storm crippled the regional power grid for a many weeks. I blindly bought one of the last generators in town at the beginning of the storm. But getting old and lazy I now want to upgrade our equipment to be easier to start up and run.

I'm not up on the details, but it would appear that the generators need to be designed to run in tandem. Others may have more info. I actually have to manually switch from one generator to the other, starting one, switching the connection at the inlet port and shutting off the other. The Honda is much quieter and uses 1/4 the fuel of the Ridgid, so it's worth the inconvenience. Like you, I used to have an old 5000 watt Generac that had a pull-start B&S 10 hp motor. It was impossible to start without ether and a bear to start with it. Realizing that my wife could never start it and I was getting old, I bought the Ridgid with more wattage and electric start.

My wife actually complains that she misses the 'old days' when the house was quiet during an outage and we used candles and kerosene lamps for light. She forgets about the food in the freezer and jugs of water for flushing.

 

[matthewsx]

John here, ex. Briggs & Stratton automatic standby dealer, factory trained. Also Honda and Subaru equipment dealer....

I'll make it easy for you. Get the Honda.

If you want to save a few bucks the Harbor Freight knockoffs seem to have a decent reputation but if you can afford the Honda....

Yes, ganged units is a good way to go for a couple of reasons. First, you have two generators so if one fails you have a backup. Second, smaller units are easier to move, and third if you need to loan one to a friend you still have one for your home.

Now, if you have natural gas and want an "easy" solution look into automatic standby units that hook to your home electrical and monitor the utility power so they'll kick in whenever needed. You don't need the biggest unit to run everything in your home but don't cheap out either and buy less than you need. These guys have the advantage of working if you're not there, my sales pitch was always to the wife because often they didn't have the confidence or strength to drag a portable out of the garage, hook it up, start it and keep adding fuel. They will "exercise" automatically every week and really take the worry out of outages for the most part since natural gas is rarely disrupted, can also run off a big propane "pig" for plenty of reserve fuel. One thing though, if you have a multi-day outage you really need to shut it down every day or so and check the oil unless you buy a big water cooled unit.

Back to portables, if you live in an area with boating you can often get "rec" fuel that doesn't have ethanol added. It will keep much longer and shouldn't mess up your carb.

Now me, I just have a couple of old Coleman units with big Tecumseh motors. I like them because although they are noisy I'm confident I can easily rebuild the carbs and get them running in an "end of the world" scenario. Also, they are left over from a big buy after that massive ice storm....


John

 

[Tozguy]

The gas I buy for the generator is the high octane with no alcohol. Plus I add stabilizer so it lasts a while.

My Homelite generator has an 11 hp B&S motor with manual start. It starts well enough but my next one will be electric/manual. The old Homelite will become a 'lender' cause I ain't lending my new generator(s).