# Generator



## Philbee (Jul 5, 2004)

I am wondering about what would be a good generator to use as backup power for a house that has a forced air propane furnace, ordinary electric refrigerator, a well, electric freezer and an electric stove. We have a propane water heater. I am thinking that eventualy I will be using solor energy and that it might be a good Idea to purchase a generator that I can use later to top up batteries. A neighbor of mine has an older comercial diesel generator. I asked him why he didn't make his own diesel rather than purcasing it and he said that you need a new engine to do that. Any comments would be appreciated. What about a large Honda Generator?


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

most small gas generators are not made for the long haul and are inefficient when you figure fuel usage, but if your jsut looking for a "back up generator", that would not be needed for long term then a Big Box store, unit would be a reasonable choice,
the Honda would be better unit, 
the diesel would be a better choice if your looking for a off grid situation, some have made generators using a "lister" type diesel which is normally a India Import, as they are not made in US any more to my knowledge, they are a large big low RPM, very fuel efficient units that will run on all most any type of diesel bio diesel type fuel, similar to the old hit and miss units of the turn of the century, (they are in no way portable)
Url on using one for a generator,
http://www.f1-rocketboy.com/lister series 2 page 2.html
http://www.f1-rocketboy.com/lister.html
http://www.otherpower.com/fuking.html
soem sites on the lister diesel,
http://www.listerdiesels.com/
http://www.listeroid.com/
http://www.psychicworldusa.com/Lister_Gen/Lister1.html
[ame]http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_en&q=lister+diesel[/ame]


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## Philbee (Jul 5, 2004)

Thank you very much for the information farminghandyman. I will be looking at the web addresses that you gave.

Thank you, ------ Philbee


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## Oregonsparkie (Sep 3, 2003)

I recommend that you use a propane generator since you have natural gas at your house. just do a search for propane generators.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

1.A lot of older diesels/gas motor don't have seals compatible with bio or for that matter syn oil...I think anything after 90 does...
2.As far as diesel versus propane-ck out per hr useage-I have a propane tank for h/w-stove but have diesel gen as my gen uses .75gph of diesel versus 3gph with propane-exact same gens....Have you even gone out and got a gal of propane in a bucket?


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

propane generator is a gas motor that has a diffrnet or additional carburetor on it, to allow the use of propane or natural gas,

one beauty of the propane is they start very easly in the cold, as the fuel is all ready a vapor, 

if the gas engine is not efficient it will not be any more efficient on propain, actually less, as it has less BTUs per gallon, and some times one will need to down rate the generator if it is a set, as the motor may not have the power it had under gasoline, 

propane is a great choice if you all ready have "gas" generators and want a fuel that you can store for nearly forever and not worry about it deteriating, (but I would guess if one stored gasoline in a propane tank the same would result with out it evaporating or having access to oxygen, and it sealed tight with expansion room (filled to 90%), 

I have converted my generators to propane, and like it, but IF I was starting over I would probably consider a Lister and diesel or wast oil as the fuel, especially If I was to use for any long term usage, 

IN 1977 we had a ice storm that took out power at the farm for over 30 days, my dad got a generac 3750 watt generator with a Briggs engine, he changed the oil ever 20 hr or what ever the manual said, and only ran it for the day light hrs, so about 10 hr a day for 30 days, he used over 300 gallons of gasoline and the generator engine was wore out by the time it was over, a very expensive way of making electricity,
the cost of the replacement motor, about $200 and the fuel of 300+ gallons, for thirty days of power, but they had water and could use a burner or two on the electric range and run the furnace and some TV, but it was a lot of trips up and over the snow drifts to the fule tanks and back again two or three times a day with a 5 gallon can.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

If you insist on using that (shudder) hog stove then the price of a decent generator goes way up.

Your neighbor would be> way wrong< in saying that you need a "different motor" to use a alternative diesel fuel.

I have been blending my own veggie oil fuel for some time with NO modifications what so ever to a chev 6.5, a Mercedes Benz, and a tractor.

You can power a "good" generator ($$$) with natural gas . . . .I very good way to go.

A very good place for an electric stove is in a land fill.



(other than that, I have rather solid feelings about electric stoves)


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

we got rid of of the electric stove and bought a premier propane stove, it needs no electricity to run, even tho it does have electric igniters, but can be match lite on all burners including the oven and if one wants they have a pilot light only version,


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

I use a propane generator, 12KW. It burns about 3/4 GPH.

During our last 8-day outage, the propane generator worked flawlessly. My neighbors with gasoline and diesel generators ran out of fuel and couldn't buy more. None of the service stations nearby had 3-phase generators to run their pumps. They had to drive long distances and wait in line for hours to get a ration of fuel.

My propane tank is sized to provide me with a week of generator plus normal household use. I make sure not to let it get too low, but even if I did, the propane company automatically comes to fill it before a hurricane or big storm is forecast. Of course, the propane company has 3-phase generators to fill their delivery trucks.

If it was available, I'd use natural gas instead. The supply is pressurized a long way from my house. It probably wouldn't be affected by my weather conditions. It would probably be a near endless supply.

Genebo


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