lpg gas generator vs diesel generator

But what is are the KWhr loads that go with those costs?

It costs about 5.00 per hour to run my Generac propane generator. No complaints other than that.

$5.00 an hour! OMG. My diesel costs $1.50 an hour.

My propane Gen will run for about 8 hours on a 20lb tank and at $22-26 a refill, this is the most expensive way to run it @ 6kw output.

I could get a 500lb tank and buy in bulk for cheaper, but it still won't be as efficient as diesel.

I do like that the exhaust is not noticeable at all and it runs "not too loud" as I like to keep it near the house so it doesn't wonder away on me.

Yes propane doesn't have near as much energy per gallon as diesel. To live on the power its not worth it, as a standby generator they are dependable, don't cost a fortune and work great. Right now I run mine to heat water, Wash and dry clothes.
Use a small gasoline one for everything else.

Mine is a 16kw generac with a 200amp transfer switch. 16kw-22kw use the same 999 cc twin cyl engine. They are really strong machines.
At 5.00 per hour I run the electric water heater, split unit any and everything.

The 16kW Generac will certainly use a lot of fuel at full load, $5/hr no surprise and if it's like my 15kW, will use minimum half of that at no load. So you really don't want to oversize your generator once you get over 5kW.

Another nice thing about propane, more time between oil changes, your used oil will come out looking almost like new. Plugs don't foul either compared to gasoline.

Another nice thing about propane, more time between oil changes, your used oil will come out looking almost like new. Plugs don't foul either compared to gasoline.

My generator must have a defective plug, I've had to pull it twice to clean it up and now it wont start... and finding a generator spark plug on island isn't super easy...

I think I'm going to buy a 5kw inverter generator that runs based on load (it will idle down if you use less) costs a bit more but I think it will be more along the lines of what I need (which is probably far less than 5k normally).

plus it runs considerably quieter.

Another nice thing about propane, more time between oil changes, your used oil will come out looking almost like new. Plugs don't foul either compared to gasoline.

My generator must have a defective plug, I've had to pull it twice to clean it up and now it wont start... and finding a generator spark plug on island isn't super easy...

I think I'm going to buy a 5kw inverter generator that runs based on load (it will idle down if you use less) costs a bit more but I think it will be more along the lines of what I need (which is probably far less than 5k normally).

plus it runs considerably quieter.

Usually if you have a plug issue with a propane generator it is because the gas regulator is the wrong size or defective.

Yeah those inverters are nice, my brother has a royobi 2300 for work and says it is better than the Honda 2000i he has used both and the Royobi is half price,

The 16kW Generac will certainly use a lot of fuel at full load, $5/hr no surprise and if it's like my 15kW, will use minimum half of that at no load. So you really don't want to oversize your generator once you get over 5kW.

Another nice thing about propane, more time between oil changes, your used oil will come out looking almost like new. Plugs don't foul either compared to gasoline.

They are great machines on our normal Wapa circumstances

Usually if you have a plug issue with a propane generator it is because the gas regulator is the wrong size or defective.

So maybe make sure the vacuum line from the manifold to the regulator is clear and connected.

My Generac came new with an extra set of plugs. Always good to have a spare set. I love my little sand blaster spark plug cleaner, makes plugs like new too. Some say they are not to be trusted due to risk of getting grit in engine. I just blow the plugs out like crazy, no remaining grit whatsoever. The plug gap on propane is usually a little smaller than would be with gasoline for same engine.

I'll try cleaning up the plug and making sure the gap is smaller than I'm used to, but at this point I'm going to use it as a backup generator or sell it.

the inverter 5k gen (Briggs and Stratton) runs for 14 hours on a 5 gal tank supposedly... 14 hours for ~$15 and it's pretty compact so I can put it in my truck etc.. I like those numbers.

https://www.briggsandstratton.com/na/en_us/product-catalog/generators/portable-generators/q6500-quietpower-series-inverter-generator.html

Also, consider the fact that you will not be able to get a propane delivery during or for some time after a disaster like a hurricane. At least with diesel or gas, you can go to the filling station and fill up some gas cans.

There is nothing worse than a propane generator when it comes to power generation. As a fuel source, propane contains a lot less energy. To produce power, you have to use a lot more of it. Power from propane will cost you double the cost of power from diesel fuel. There's absolutely no cost savings when it comes to using propane as a fuel source.

Normal generator engines operate 1800 RPM. This is the same speed car engines run at on the highway. The lack of power from propane engines would necessitate using a larger engine. Instead, manufacturers produce smaller engines and run them at double the speed. 3600 RPM. If the engine in your car did this for hours, it would likely blow up! There is an incredible amount of heat, wear and tear happening at in those engines and at high speed. Many of those propane / natural gas engines don’t even use a radiator like your car does to keep them cool. Cheap aluminum blocks is what they have.

The air cooled 3600 RPM propane / natural gas engines seldom last more than 2000 hours and have much higher maintenance requirements. They are not designed to be used for anything but emergencies.

Excessive wear in those engines means you have to change the oil every 100 hours. The Perkins diesel engines used in Aurora home generators needs to be changed every 500 hours. During a power outage do you want to worry about an oil change every 4 running days or every 20 running days?

Excessive wear in those engines means you have to change the oil every 100 hours. The Perkins diesel engines used in Aurora home generators needs to be changed every 500 hours. During a power outage do you want to worry about an oil change every 4 running days or every 20 running days?

Thats o.k., have heard (AS USUAL when generators go into heavy use mode) all sorts of stories about brand new one failing and more often than not is because owner couldnt be bothered to change the oil..... I moved 2 smaller generators over with me to STX that served me well. The Yamaha I bought used from a friend and he got it after Marilyn in '95 it still runs like a chanp. Start of every storm season I put brand new GOOD quality oil in it and always keep 4-5 quarts in reserve, look at the plugs ( have backups of those brand new in the box ), check the air filter, wash the carb bowl etc. I go a bit nuts but then again that is also why I have a 23 yr old generator that fires every time I need it......

Lesson : Simple stuff that ANYONE can do which costs small helps ensure that generator works when needed most

There are many benefits to propane generators. Propane puts out much less CO then diesel and doesn't stink as much which may be important if you have a restricted area for ventilation.

THE TOP BENEFITS OF PROPANE GENERATORS

We have a Duromax and it works great. But we intended on getting the champion, but they were sold out..

Looking at replacing my 20+ year old diesel generator with a new unit for my 3,400 SF home + cottage with full AC.  Current generator needs a new custom radiator, full exhaust system and some other maintenance and as I've learned it was a unit sort of pieced together, so would like to start with a new quality unit and also one much quieter and current one is super loud.  Don;t want to throw good money after bad at this point.  

Current unit is 30KW, but running the online calculator it's coming up with around 18KW needed, so considering a 20KW Generac diesel unit as we have the tank and about 350 gallons of fuel already.  

Can someone comment on the Generac diesel models and who in STT can install new unit and remove old unit? Checked Home Depot website, but they say not available in STT. 

We had Central Georgia Generators build a 16.5 KW diesel generator to our specs 3 years ago including the tank and transfer switch for $7300. We put it in our own container - and shipping and handling to FL was in the price.