If you have a Jackery or the equivalent, you can make your propane last even longer. It doesn't have to be one of those enormous ones that cost a fortune, just size it to run your fridge, internet, etc. for 6-8 hours. Run the generator a couple hours, recharge the Jackery, then shut the generator off and run on batteries for a while. It is a particularly good strategy for overnight, so you can bring the generator back into the garage while you are asleep. In an extended outage, portable generators running all night tend to grow legs and run away.
I totally agree with you! I recently bought a Bluetti ac200l ( I did a review of it on my channel hooked up to the house transfer switch - check it out). My plan is to use the battery power during the night for the fridge and a few essentials and then use the generator during the day to recharge the batteries and power larger loads. Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Charging the batteries with the generator isn't 100% efficient, but your generator is going to be most efficient in terms of watt hours per gallon of propane burned when it is running at roughly 80-100% of its rated load (not surge load). The eco mode helps reduce the waste at periods of low demand but it can only do so much. That means adding battery charging onto a 50% load and then turning the genset off for several hours is probably just about as efficient as you can ever be in the real world.
I have an Anker F2000 and extra battery pack. It will run my fridge and freezer for about 25 hours and takes less than 2 hours to charge back up on a generator. That seems like it should extend my fuel savings a lot. Haven't been through a long outage yet but have verified the charging and discharge rates.
Build a metal roofed mesh cage for the generator in advance so you can use it ion a long run emergency. All welded 4 inch grid-square concrete reinforcing mesh panels allow airflow/exhaust flow but make a cage that is hard to break into. Insulating the roof/cage from ground and using a remote-control electric stock fence unit attached to it should give thieves a thrill....
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Does your cage also prevent vandalism? A would-be thief close enough to be deterred by a cage is also mean-spirited enough to wreck it if they can't steal it. "Gonna be that way about it? I'll show YOU!"
Thanks for the demonstration. A quick tip that I picked up in the hardware and propane business, remove the plastic from the tank. That condensation will collect under the plastic and cause the tank to rust. Thanks again for the show!
I think exchange tank companies do that on purpose. They know that most places that actually fill the tank, also need to inspect the tank. And if there is too much rust, they're not allowed to fill it. This forces you to go back to the exchange business.
Is a space heater the only thing you could demonstrate with, what about running a cord from your refrigerator, a lamp and the small Air Conditioner unit you were talking about.
My 3500 watt propane generator, when I was powering the furnace, one of the two air handlers (forced air heat, so I need one to heat the house) Fridge and the chest freezer, the FIOS (internet, cable, and phone) wifi router, cordless phone base station, the charger for the stairlift (elderly parent), and some LED lights and recharging phones and laptop. This was in the wintertime, so furnace was running. 20 lb BBQ tank lasted about 12 hours. So two tanks per day. Propane doesn't go stale like gasoline, so I can store a few days worth of fuel with no issues. Basically I would buy another tank during the end of summer sales. I now have seven tanks on hand, so three days worth. My town regulates propane storage, so I store the tanks outside, got a ten foot chain and a padlock and chain them to a tree. When I am running the generator, I move it out to the tree and chain it down to discourage theft. Refilling tanks at a real propane dealer is a good thing. You get a full tank like you said. When your tanks go out of pressure test (ten years here in the US) they can't be refilled. Don't throw them away, take it to the propane swap dealer and trade it in for a partially filled one and just refill it at a real dealer. I had a house fire, and was using the generator to power work lights in the hpuse for several months while we rebuilt. Ran it for several hours a day seven days a week until we got the power turned back on. Oil was still nice and clean. propane burns a lot cleaner than gasoline.
I keep two 30 pound tanks stored outdoors outside the back of the garage. Obviously there are a few 20 pound tanks attached to the smoker, grill, space heater, etc that are for emergency backup.
@@jamesstuder5045 When I got the propane generator, I had a pair of 50 lb tanks off of a junked camping trailer I used. But they had expired when I went to refill them, so they needed to be pressure tested and inspected. The local propane dealers did not do that, and the cost of recertification was about the same a buying new tanks. So I went and researched the cost of tanks. Small tanks, 100 lb or less, cost per pound of propane stored, the lowest cost was the 100 lb tanks, but a full 100 lb tank is something like 160 lbs when filled, and was too big to fit into the back seat of the small car I was driving at the time, and I really didn't want to be wrestling that tank around each time I went to refill it. The next lowest was buying many 20lb tanks, which were much easier to handle. Also a consideration is that a motor vehicle with more than 50 lbs of propane aboard is considered a hazardous material with all the legalities that entails. (drivers license, placards, restricted highway zones) Going to larger tanks, thats into propane truck delivery dealer zone. For various reasons, that wasn't an option for me. you can own the tank and have it installed, or lease the tank and have it installed. Either one, as a practical matter, locks you into a particular local dealer for service and refills. If you use propane for heating, gas stove, generator, etc, then that is a viable option. If you are renting, or only want the propane for emergency use, the costs get uneconomical. So everyone has to find the solution that works best for them.
@@dalesql2969 if you OWN the tank you are NOT locked into a particular supplier. Also, owning the large tank will save you major money on the cost of the gas....as an example, to refill a 20lb cylinder it currently costs around $3.50 per gallon around here and we just got our 250 gal tank topped off for $1.90 per gal.
@@TheWingnut58 The problem is that many propane dealers will require the customer owned tank to the recertified before they will fill them. That cost varies, but it isn't cheap.
A couple or three points: -Load was constant/consistent. Eco Mode was available, yet not used. This translates to wasted overhead as the generator inverter circuitry would continuously adjust the RPM of the engine based on the load requirements. - Second point that many reviewers overlook/omit is that many of the small to medium generators have the ability to use a parallel kit with a second same brand/model generator. I can use my two A-iPower SUA2300i paralleled which will carry the start up surge of a portable air conditioner-- actually two as long as the startup of both is non- concurrent. -Buying two smaller generators allows for several things: -Easy on the budget...Don't have to buy both at once...additional generator can be purchased as needed. -Can be paralleled. A-iPower gives you a *FREE* parallel kit!!! -Eco Mode, even when paralleled absolutely sips the gas considering that each engine displacement is only 79cc. -Redundancy. If one generator fails, you've still got a second for powering only the most critical items. Remember the saying, "Two is One!...One is NONE!!!" -Weight: I can more easily lift and move a 50 Lb. generator (or two) than one single 75-100 Lb. generator. -Maintenance: I can easily lift the generator onto a table, tip it up, drain out the oil and replace it, probably in about 5 minutes or so!!! PS--don't forget to replace the cheapo plastic OEM oil plug with a nicely machined aluminum oil plug with a neodymium in it!!!--captures all those nasty iron particles created during the "break-in" period!!!
You left out that some small generators use a permanent magnet alternator. Much of this predator's engine power is going to generate the the alternator's Field and not electricity output.
I have my generator connected to my 500 gallon propane tank that is used to heat my hot water tank and furnace. After seeing this I now see I can go for weeks if needed. Thanks for the demonstration.
You just solved a huge worry for me. We live in our RV trailer here in Maine, where it gets cold. Now I know I can run my generator for days with my 100lb tank for our typical, inevitable outages. Thank you for sharing this.
Ambient temp has a huge impact on propane. The colder, the less vaporization. Propane doesn't provide the same performance output as gasoline so you are at a big disadvantage in very cold environment with propane generator.
I have been interested in home backup power since 1983 so, thought I would add comments that haven't been mentioned. The Inverter Generator type is the best all-round portable choice for clean power, lightest weight, noise, and fuel consumption. The typical US kitchen refrigerator (18 - 20 cubit feet) consumes about 120 watts when it is running, startup power is 1,200 to 2,500 watts for 2 - 5 seconds. At room temperature, the compressor runs about 50% of the time and a defrost cycle occurs 1 to 3 times per day using a 600 to 720 watt heater that runs 5 to 20 minutes. For more of a worst-case figure, assume the frig will comsume 1.8 kWh per day. All portable generator power output ratings are based upon resistive loads being connected, such as a heating element or incandescent light bulb. Resistive loads have a Power Factor of 1.0, which the generator likes best. Induction motors and electronic equipment can have a poor Power Factor, like 0.25 to 0.65. Poor Power Factor, consumes more of the generator's capacity. To determine the wattage the generator needs to deliver, divide the published wattage for the device by its measured power factor. For instance, using a 10 watt LED bulb that is not rated to be used with dimmers, these typically have a 0.5 Power Factor (10W ÷ 0.5 = 20 watts of generator power consumed). (The Power Factor can be measures using a KILL-A-WATT meter). Obviously this is not a big deal if you are just concerned about a few LED bulbs but, if you are trying to run a large motor (power tool, air compressor, or air conditioner), you may run into problems. My experience with generators was in Florida and the Midwest. When experiencing a long term power outage where the power grid is down for miles around, you generally have to depend upon the fuel stash you have set aside until the power grid in your area starts to come back online. During these times, Gasoline will generally be easier to find than Propane.. Running a generator 24/7 consumes a lot of fuel so, any way to minimize daily consumption is very useful. Here are a few suggestions: have a small secondary generator that sips fuel for those times when power usage is light, a Solar Generator with at least 800 watts of solar panels (which is especially useful at night), and use secondary light sources at night (such as an LED camping lantern), with the generator turned off. Fire the generator back up every few hours to recharge batteries and cool off the frig. Obviously, your level of system refinement will have to do with your spending budget. And finally, trial your backup power preps over a weekend, which will quickly reveal problem areas.
Those are some excellent points and great feedback! I actually purchased a Bluetti ac200l solar generator and did a review of it hooked up to my transfer switch. Check it out on my channel. The plan would be to run the fridge and a few essentials during the night on battery power and then fire up the generator during the day to recharge the batteries and power larger items. Thanks again for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Thanks for your response, hopefully many will be benefitted by everyone's comments. Also, at the rate the country seems to be heading, we may use these backup measures a lot more than we planned. The Bluetti was my first choice a few years ago but, there are so many "new players" now, only time will tell as to each manufacturer's reliability. But yes, although pricey (depending upon your budget), a gas generator and solar generator are a nice basic backup power system.
I have this same generator and I'm very pleased. The auto throttle drops the RPM when the load drops to save fuel and wear. I only run on propane because you can store it practically forever.
Excellent test. Just purchased this unit. They don’t come with oil filters so I also purchase magnetic dip stick and drain plug for all predators. Thanks for the vid.
Nice video! I have a 8,500 watt generator, i have a 6 hour run time on propane and 7 hour run time on 3-gallon gas tank. I had to use it for a week couple of years back running 2 refrigerators, freezer, 3 computers, 2 tv, central air and the house has all led lights. I got the combo generator because when the electric goes out so do the gas stations, I keep 2 propane tanks and 6 10-gallon gas cans. One investment that I also did was get a fuel transfer pump, no more pouring from gas cans and the transfer pump has an auto shut off, so you don't over fill the tank. one other thing I got was a manual oil extractor pump think it is 6.5 Liter, changing the oil is a real pain in my rear end and I also use it on my riding mower, worst place to have the drain plug right above a support beam. I like that idea of taking the tank to get fill vs gas station or home depo, Thank you for that Idea!
You ran a Central Air conditioner on an 8500 generator? What Make and Model was the Central Air conditioner? This I want for my house in Arizona! Thanks Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya OK it really is a Champion 9375 watt dual fuel , 9375 starting watts/7500 running watts (gas) 8400 starting Watts/6750 running watts (lpg) Electric Start Model # 100165 I can Not run it with microwave and electric dryer, have to shut off A/C to run either or one of them. Furnace is new, a/c is a slightly older carrier. The electrical that put the connection on the side of the house showed me how to start it and explained what I could and could not run with a walk threw of the house. I purchased it from Amazon on the Amazon Prime day discount and back then it was about $850.00, price has gone up from way back then. ......................................................................................................... ......................................................
@@Gyroxg3 Still running a home AC Central Air system on 9,300 is incredibly good. Most have a LRA Lock Rotor Amperage of around 12-18K Watts which would trip the circuit breaker on that Generator. That's why as asked what make and model of the Central Air Unit, cause I want ONE of them! We loose power a lot in AZ where the house is and we'll have to run a generator to cool the house when power goes off. Some AC units if they have a soft start module can drop some of the LRA down so that a manageable 15KW generator can run them if nothing else is on. To figure out what size generator you need to start an ac unit, find the LRA and multiply it by the voltage going into the unit. In example my old AC unit had a LRA of 110 amps so, 220vAC X 110amps = 24.2 KW generator to start it. A soft start system can bring that down to around 18KW. After that is has RLA Running Load Amperage of 20 amps so 220vac x 20 amps = 4.4 KW would run it once started. Thanks for the reply. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya Getting an easystart soft AC starter installed on your AC unit makes a hefty difference as well. The startup amps are very demanding for an AC unit otherwise. Having that installed make my solar/battery setup useful with AC whereas it wouldn't be able to handle the draw without it. It can maintain once going just fine though.
We use our vehicles (with full tank of gas and plenty of oil) as our portable generators by connecting a 2500 or 3500 watt inverter to it. The inverters are a few hundred bucks at Harbor Freight, the cars run way quieter than noisy, fume- belching generators (better stealth) and we don't have to worry and fuss over the oil and fuel every 90 minutes. A set of long, heavy duty extension cords prevents any exposure to CO as long as the car is parked outside!
An idling vehicle isn't going to keep the battery charged if you are drawing 1,500 watts as in this video. 1.500 watts of AC would be over 125 amp draw from the battery. Most alternators can only put out about 100 amps (with engine running way above idle speed.). Your setup isn't going to last long. Try your setup pulling 1500 watts for a couple hours and see what happens.
Some larger vehicles come with 1450amp alternators however you're right. A solar back up will prove its worth in spades. I'm set up so I only need a gen set every 3 or 4 days.
You can use a vehicle. While moving it’s a great way to utilize the engine. While parked, it becomes the most expensive generator I would not want to break
A long term idling vehicle at normal idling speed probably isn't a great idea. I've heard many mechanics discuss how the engine likely wouldn't be running at a normal operating temperature during long idol times and wouldn't have proper piston ring expansion, creating oiling and wear issues for the vehicle. I've seen them install high idol switches so the engine runs at a higher RPM that allows for proper heating and long term running. Something to think about and consider when not in a life or death situation.
W3 used our propane generator for the first time last week during a power outage. Similar size, half load 8 hours straight. When I got it refilled, the guy said it still had 1/4 tank left! Our neighbors were happy as we all have wells and I was giving out water!
Only problem with diesel is the fuel doesn’t last very long in storage, whereas propane doesn’t degrade. Also crankcase oil in a diesel has a fairly short lifespan vs zero oil contamination with propane. Not knocking diesel, just saying that propane is a nearly perfect solution for prepping. But something is better than nothing.
@ we live within city limits so we can’t get anything larger than a 100 lb propane tank. Propane is great. Diesel still lasts two years with treatment and the generator has to be exercised (run) for about twenty minutes per week so it does use the diesel. Plus, we get many power outages each year. I keep about 5 days worth of fuel.
Another one side benefit of running propane is that your oil will look new after that 12 hours if you check it since propane is a gas already. There is no carbon blow by that goes into the oil. In other words there’s nothing to stick to the cylinders to be deposited in the oil so the oil will last much longer because it stays clean.
I have this same generator. I ran propane just for the break in. We camped for 6 days in the woods, it used almost all of its 4 gallons of gasoline in that time. Nice generator for camping, and it's VERY quiet!
The chilling and frosting is the result of the rate of the conversion of the propane in its liquid form to its gaseous form. A "full" tank of propane is really only 75% full. The remaining 25% allows the gas/vapor to form. A larger tank allows the liquid to vapor conversion to occur at a much slower rate, significantly reducing the frosting.
I have a 5.7 Kw gas generator that I converted to propane for emergency use. I have a 350 gallon propane tank at my cabin for the backup furnace, so it makes sense just to tap into that for the emergency generator fuel. Now that these two reactors are built and I'm finally moving my motorcoach back to the cabin (finally retired), I'll just back feed the 50 amp 240 volt circuit I installed to be able to power the motorcoach off of the house while it's parked. It's a 36 ft Class A diesel with a 7.5Kw Onan Quiet Diesel generator. The motorcoach has a 90 gallon diesel tank for the Cummings 5.9 propulsion diesel, that's where the generator taps for fuel. I dont know how long it'll run off 90 gallons, but a while 😊. I installed a bypass switch at the coach's automatic transfer switch so that I can backfeed through the inlet line, basically bypassing the coach's automatic transfer switch so that the generator output goes into the inlet port for the power cord connected to the house. I open the house panel main breaker and I'm back feeding my whole panel on both phases (the 50 amp 240 volt RV plug is utilized by an RV to provide two 50 amp 120 volt feeds) so I can put about 30A on both sides of the panel. I've never run into bad enough weather up there where my four-wheel drive suburban can't get out. I have a 55 gallon drum I can put on a cargo basket on the receiver hitch, and go to the station to get more diesel if I burn the 90 gallons up. I have a 15 gpm fuel transfer pump that I got to polish the fuel (run the diesel through a 30 micron filter, then a 10 micron filter) before cranking the coach (the diesel was 3 years old and I was afraid of the HUM bugs [Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microbes] residue that now grow in low sulphur diesel and whose residue plugs filters, injectors, etc.). I can just drop the suction line into the barrel and pump it all into the RV pretty quick. That seemed a lot easier than what I was going to do, which was to use my Prius as an emergency generator by tapping the traction battery to power a 480v VFD programmed for 120v 60Hz. There's lots of ways to supply emergency power if you need it, you just have to be a little inventive. Have a Good Day 👋 👽
nice patio ( im jealous ) back in the day ( when i last update our backup system ) they didnt have propane yet... so i love this more then i can emphasize. the price is quite reasonable as well. having to set up the house well that is another issue but after the back to back storms we recently had here in FL ( helene,milton ) this would have been awesome to have. thanks for the video ! and the commenters for their additional ideas you guy RULE man !!!
some key numbers to remember: ~4.5 gallons propane in a 20 lb tank. Each gallon supplies ~91,500 BTU per gallon. 1 KW =3412 BTU, so ~1500 watts = ~5000 BTU. So a full 20lb tank can supply ~412,000 BTUs. Therefore A full 20lb tank can supply about 120 KW. But those numbers are at 100% efficiency to convert propane BTUs to watts! The efficiency depends converting fuel energy BTUs into mechanical energy to turn the generator and then to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy. A lot of factors go into this. These are energy losses due to friction. Heat losses in the generator windings, etc. The design of the generator itself, load changes, etc To make things a bit more confusing, Generators are rated in KW, so that rating has efficiencies built into the rating. So you are probably thinking, "that's all great, but how do I estimate my fuel usage?" A couple more interesting points before I get to that. Turns out that a propane generator of around 5KW is actually surprisingly efficient. I have created some "fudge factor" numbers that will get you pretty close for a propane generator in this size range. But you can run your own experiments to refine this. Take the tank capacity of 120,000 BTUs and divide by 5000 watts. (that's the hourly rate you are using at a 1500 watt load) That will give you 24 hours with no losses. So here's where the fudge factor comes into play. For this size generator and that approximate loading, a "fudge factor" of 50-60% will apply for an estimate. 24 hours times 0.5 will give you 12 hours. And 24 hours times 0.6 gives you 14.4 hours. In my experiments, this has been pretty accurate for a relatively steady load of 1500 watts, BTW, your estimate of around 1500 watts as a good average conservative load, is a pretty realistic number. Obviously, on emergency power you want to use power conservatively! It's not rocket science, just common sense! As you point out, a refrigerator doesn't really use much power, which is why these "super duper" "Solar generator" ads are very deceptive!! Modern refrigerators are very efficient at keeping food cold. A closed freezer with no power at all, will not warm up very much at all. That frozen mass can usually go a full day or more without thawing. But as a marketing tool, scaring people into thinking all their food will spoil quickly, sells pretty low output devices for big bucks! Even in the old fashioned, "ice boxes", a 50lb block of ice could last 2 or 3 days and these had next to no insulation! Nice thing about these small propane generators is not having to mess with gasoline storage! Propane doesn't go stale. It burns very clean in a propane engine. Almost no maintenance needed as carbs don't gum up. Turn the propane on and these start very quickly and run smoothly. These things are just very reliable. Stay away from dual fuel as they don't buy you much and have the gasoline issues. You can get a 30lb tank that will give you even more run time. You can find good deals on these because they don't seem to move as fast as gasoline generators. I bought a couple of these, new in the box for $199 ea, from a "big lots" type store that deals in close outs and over stocks. Came with a nice rolling cart with a shelf for a 20 or 30lb tank, electric start and nice heavy duty cords. I found the same units listing for as much as $799! So shop around! They're well built and work flawlessly. One last thing, if you buy a "Kill-a-Watt" plug in meter, it can be very useful for experimenting to determine fuel usage. I have bigger gasoline generators too, living out in the boonies, but these are so quick and easy to set up it's hard to beat them!
I have this same generator. It runs on both gasoline and propane. It's incredibly quiet. I bought it to replace a junkerac GP5500 that has been a total disappointment. I also have a Westinghouse portable generator 3500 Watt. It's been really good. I have decided to use the Predator 5000 at my off-grid property because I hate making a lot of noise up there. I really don't care about the noise at home. I will say that this Predator was so quiet I couldn't hear it running from inside the house over the sound of my neighbor's generator over 100 feet and a privacy fence away. Very happy so far.
@@paule4696 Mine is a different manufacturer, but it's propane only. The dual fuel sounds nice but gasoline can gum up the carb. Stick with propane and you'll be fine.
Thanks for watching - this tank was filled to max capacity ( agree 80% where the OPD kicks off). The “exchange tanks” are filled even less unfortunately
I used to get refills by swapping out at Walmart (Blue Rhino) untill I discovered they were only filled to 75%. The standard propane tank used on a grill is a 20 lb tank. Blue rhino fails to 75% or 15 lbs. After discovering this I started going to tractor supply for refills. They feel it right in front of you on a scale and they fill it to the top you get 20 lb propane. I've actually measured the difference between the two places
I have a Win 4500 dual fuel and ran for 5 days off 4 fillips and one propane tank. Have almost full tank left. I ran it in eco mode powering refrigerator, room air conditioning unit, TV and cable. Only time I cut it off was to do an oil change. Just like the Honda, predictor an inverter generator with the really low noise is a great way to go. My neighbors have who house systems that cost them about a 100 a day in fuel.
That’s a great setup you have! Small inverter generator are definitely the way to go as they are quiet, fuel efficient, and lower the essentials! Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper when I got it I thought it had 220 but it turned out to be a trailer connection. So I have to run cords. I had planned on back feeding a cut off panel with every major appliance off like hot water, air conditioning and stove. Live and learn. Someone told me I could use a male to make 110 but wouldn't that just power one side of the panel? ( I would always cut the main breaker)
Gensets perform best at high use. If you have a 5kw unit, it's best to runa load close to 5kw. Also you should never let the genset shut down with a load! You must monitor your fuel And shut down the load before you run out of fuel. So when fuel is getting low, you reduce/eliminate the load before you shut down the engine . Let the engine run with. NO load for at least 5 minutes before shut down. Then you can reconnect to another lp tank. Lp is much safer than gasoline!! Exhaust from lp is not dangerous, but gasoline exhaust will/does kill hundreds yearly. A gasoline gen set must be positioned 30 feet from your residence to keep dangerous gas fumes from ENTERING your home/office/building. Inthis guys show, if you don't plan on using half load capacity then downsize to a 3.5 kw gen set. Relative toil change follow manufactures recommended hrs to change oil Oil will not need to be changed as frequently. I hope my comments will be helpful! Captain/Master Glenn Butler (ret.)
I’ve been wanting to do this test with my generator. Only difference is just shut power off, hook up the generator and run my house as normal minus the AC and electric dryer and see how long it goes. Great video.
It sure would be cool if you had had the propane bottle on a scale while your test was running. Nice video, and you answered a huge question for us. It would also have been interesting to hook up to your transfer switch and run the generator under a real, and variable, load.
I own a propane filling station in Tennessee I crack the screw open on valve till it spills out which is 4.5 gallons at 80% full .u only get 3-3.5 gallons from the cage bottles which is 15lbs
My 3500 ran for 16 Hours during a ham radio field day test.i was more than pleased and while a house would pull more,, then I could live with it. ,literally!!!!
I did a 24 hour test with my Honda eu2200i generator converted to run on propane while on a camping trip... no real load, just eco idle time, just basically a battery charger for the camper. Started at noon and then shut off at noon the next day. Used 3 gallons... so 8 hours run time per gallon at idle. Sure, it can handle the spikes of the coffee pot, the wife's hair dryer, etc.. but, for weekend camping trips where crockpot cooking is involved, bring a full bbq propane tank from home and enjoy plenty of power and run times for the weekend with a propane converted Honda. Cheers! Pete in Arizona - KI7LIL
my 10 cubic foot fridge uses between 60-70 watts while it's running according to my wattage meter. It's an energy star model, so thats why I bought that one. My 240 volt split phase inverter/ mppt charge controller which powers my house agrees when I log in to check my solar yield, battery SOC, and current usage. Even The fridge at my old house was a regular average sized whirlpool fridge, it used about 100 watts, Idk where people get the estimate of 700 watts. It may spike to that with the inrush current of the compressor starting, but that's only momentary, after that I can't see the wattage being much more than 100 for a modern fridge, unless your using a 1950's vintage fridge that is invincible. I may consider adding a generator like that to my setup If my solar panels can't keep up with power usage this winter if it's cloudy for a month straight, We'll see. I just got another 4000 watts of panels that im going to set up to total with my existing ones to be just over 8000 watts for the short and cloudy days, so I'm pretty sure it'll be enough, might be overkill. in the summer 4000 watts is plenty for me, even on an overcast day i get 1/5 - 1/2 of the power depending on how thick the clouds are. plus I have a battery bank that stores 28 KWH of power, I struggle to make a dent in the SOC overnight and its full again by mid morning. Feels good to be totally off grid in a remote home.
Nice! I need to test my Firman 7500 on LP also. I started a test, but after about 2 hrs the 20 lb tank froze up (even though ambient was about 60 degrees) no more gas would flow. Remember this if you buy more tanks....go 30 lb or larger, they will not freeze up. Using the exhaust to warm the tank doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
No problems with exhaust gases wafting past the tank...or even the heated "cooling" air off the motor.. The tank just needs some heat to soak up to prevent freezing. I have played a gas torch directly on the cylinder to combat the 1/4 inch of ice that built up on a damp spring day....instant increase in gas produced. You can also sit the whole tank in a bath of hot water...same deal...
I have a smaller 2200 watt dual fuel generator I’ve been running on propane. I haven’t used it for prolonged times to get a feel for how long it will last on one propane tank but this video gives me a better idea. I should be able to extend my run time beyond your findings.
After having experienced running generators on propane I don't think I'll ever run them on gasoline again. It is more expensive to run on the little tanks but it's so nice to never have to worry about a clogged carburetor gasoline going bad gasoline smell leaks etc.
The you tube channel, the solar lab, just did a real world refrigerator test for solar generators, and averaged about 1300 watts a day from an average fridge, if that helps. Obviously it always depends on how much is in it, how big it is, and how often you open the door. They made it as real world as possible and didn’t do conservation of power with it. So I’m guess 700w is very doable if you are being intentional about conservation. Good test. Thank you
ALWAYS fill your propane tanks at a dealer. The ONLY time I do a tank swap is when one of my tank's build dates has expired and they wont refill it at Uhaul.
For those who are curious about tank size from pounds to gallons on LP. I have personally filled these tanks from completely empty many time and yes temperature makes a slight difference. I personally like 40# tanks because of the price per gallon is cheaper and they are almost 10 gallons and they sre still movable by yourself or with a dolly very easily and you can find them on sale the easiest since most rvs use 20 and 30# tank so these 40# dont sell well especially at rv dealerships. 20# 4.3 gallons 30# 7.5 gallons 40# 9.6 gallons 100# 24.5 gallons These are actual fill from 0%-80% when OPD valve locks out besides the 100# tank. Thats when LP comes out of the valve.
That’s great info to know!! Thank you and thanks for watching!
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My solar setup at home has a large battery bank and the inverter has a generator input.. This allows me to charge the batteries while running the generator so during low use times while the generator is running it will pass all that unused power to the batteries.. I can then run off the batteries and use solar to give the generator a rest..
Good demo. If you used a digital scale under the tank, you could see how much it goes down hour by hour. If you know what an empty tank weigh as your base line you could get a more accurate estimate of when you would run out of gas based on you draw.
I'd like to add a different perspective. Propane has lots of advantages, but gasoline is cheaper, more readily available, and running a generator on gasoline produces more power. A few weeks ago, we had 5 tornadoes come through our area. Power was out through a wide area for one to 7 days depending on specific location. We were out for 53 hours. I have a Predator 3500 inverter generator. The specs say it will run 11 hours at 25% load on a tank of gas, 2.6 gallons. We got through 51 hours on about 7.5 gallons or around 3 tank fulls. So we did better than the specs. We were running a fridge, sump pump, occasionally a microwave, a computer, some LED lights, and charging for mobile devices and portable LED lights. I would point out the generator is about 6 years old. The gas in the tank and the other gas stored in plastic cans was also 5 to 6 years old, all mixed with Stabyl. It started on the first pull and ran nearly flawlessly. The battery died years ago and I didn't replace it because the generator starts so easily with the pull starter. I know what people here on YT say about storing gas, but that has not been my experience.
This is very interesting, and helpful. My 79 y/o Dad has a gasoline inverter generator, and has only used it a few times through the years during emergencies. I've been thinking about changing it out. I may do a thorough check on it now and go back with the same if I swap it out. Thank you.
@@berettaguy7445 It was standard pump gas. I'm sure it had some ethanol, but they use less in the winter and more in the summer so I don't know the percentage. In addition to the Stabyl, I buy the premium Shell gas. The gas was stored in 5-gallon plastic cans in a regular garage. The generator was in the same garage. I do try to get it out and run it 15 - 20 minutes every 3 to 4 months, The manufacturer requires that to maintain the warranty, but that has long since expired.
@@BryanTorok Thanks for the response. I store about 20 gals of non-ethanol (with Sta-bil) for generator use during emergencies. I always get fresh gas every 6 months, but it sounds like I could do it yearly without any problems.
Probley because he's not a drug dealer with scales😂 20 pounds of propane minus weight of tank as propane guy says. 😂 Who does that anyway OCD anyone. These are the top answers for you😂
I just got a similar size generator and decided on the 40 Pound tanks. I get them filled locally and they fit upright just behind that seat to transport home. I just ordered a 2nd 40 pound tank so I will be prepared for two days non stop or four days 12 hours a day.
I like dual fuel so for short term needs, propane can be used without concern about draining it and purging all the gasoline for long term storage each time. For extended outages or use, then switch to gas for economy and full output. But after that's done, all the gas should be fully drained and cleared out unless it's anticipated to be needed again within a couple weeks.
I ended up gong with an $1850.00 13kw PTO generator that I mounted on a small trailer which then attaches to my Massey 1835m. It's enough to run our entire property including a 5hp deep well pump. Our Honda 3300w Super Quiet worked fine when we lived in town and everything ran off NG, but everything out here on the ranch is electric now.
I had a commercial site with a propane fueled generator. Once in the winter the power went off and generator started . Temperature was 5 below degrees C after a few hours the generator started coughing and spitting . I checked the system and the regulator was a large ball of ice. I dug around in the barn and found a box of 12” flexible ac duct. So I duct taped it to the grill so the radiator heat could blow on the regulator. In about 15 minutes the ice melted off and the generator settled down for the rest of the power outage.
after watching this video, i am also curious to know how long my generator would last using similair loads using 1 gallon of fuel or a "full" 4.6 gallons of propane or maybe have the propane place just fill my tank to just 1 gallon of propane to make the test faster.
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam those are good questions. The manual always gives rough estimates but really nothing beats just trying out to see so you have more accurate results. Thanks for watching!
Great video, I was wondering how long the predator would run on propane. I bought a Firman wh03242 from Costco that has 3,750 start up Watts on propane add 3,000 running Watts on propane. On gasoline it has 4000 starting watts and 3200 running Watts. Per your video you got 6 hours per 10 lb of propane , running my generator on propane not on eco mode running the air conditioning and charging the batteries on the rv using a 30 lb propane tank , it ran for 22 hours . I bought it on sale for $599 . I did not look to see what it was drawing for wattage more amps. It only has one rooftop air conditioner on it. Thought I'd share that just for comparison in case anyone was interested thank you for sharing your video.
Running it at constant load/ speed should give the best economy. How much, I'm not sure but for most engines, gas and diesel it will add up. Great test and better results then I expected.
I have a backup for emergency only and have a 3000 watt diesel generator It will run 5 days on 5 gallons of fuel roughly and sized for emergency use only not comfort. I use it for well pump, refrigerator and cut off hot water heater and all large hvac units and run a small ac unit and close off house to utilize smaller spaces for comfort. We have gas heat and fans will work and use gas cook top. The power if out for months or year if disasters hit I have vegetable oil mix that could take care of home for years and parts to repair generator if needed. I would convert lithium battery's and solor form shed if it got to this point to charge battery by generator and sun if it becomes a crisis so not to kill generator running for so many months or years if it come down to this point.
I have a 1970's 3000 watt 120 volt Onan air cooled diesel gen set built on a 20 gallon fuel skid. Next to it is an Onan RV7500 diesel gen 120/240 volt set on a 40 gallon fuel tank base. Both are bolted to the shop floor on Chevy transmission rubber mounts so they stay put in an earthquake. I run them at part load for 20-30 minutes once a month. They are noisy, the stink of diesel exhaust finds its way into the house if the wind changes. 2 years ago I installed a large battery power console with solar input. 3600 amp hours 46,000 watt hours. Either gen set can recharge the battery bank. That is the way to go....rig for silent running. The battery bank/inverter charger runs 2 house fridges and 3 chest freezers 24/7. Solar input is questionable in Winter with short days and low sun angle, stormy days for a week plus. I run the 7500 diesel for a few hours every 5 days to charge batteries if needed. Here's that Onan 7500 getting prepared as a Bomb Cyclone was headed to NorCal a few years ago. We lost power for 18 hours but went on batteries.... th-cam.com/video/T6B_bFc4rkA/w-d-xo.html I like that HFT propane dual fuel gen set. I also have a Power Horse 7500 watt inverter gen set that is very quiet but it is gasoline only.
Regular octane fuel is cheaper that propane but when the temps are over 90 degrees my Predator 3500 inverter generator needs the high octane fuel to run right. We went camping in the summer and ran my AC on my camper all day and the generator was very thirsty. I think propane is the way to go.
would have been neat to see the tank sitting on a scale to see consumption in real time / time laps. considering converting my whole house generator to propane. storing gasoline is a pain.
Thanks for the info. My Honda EU2000 can run this wattage on 1 gallon of gas for 10 hours. This makes sense due to your generator having a bigger engine. The EU2000 is still more efficient with 1 gallon of gas costing about 4 bucks. The 20lb propane tank costs more.
One thing I want to point out if folks don't know, it makes a big difference WHERE you get your propane. If you go to a hardware or other place with those exchange tank deals be aware that for safety they ONLY fill the tanks 75%. I started going to a farm supply place and they fill it full and my BBQ lasts way longer between refilling.
@@Gh0stDrag0n1 Well I may be off on my % quote but the trading tank places fill them way less than a place that fills your tank for you. And way cheaper too.
Just a suggestion for your next test with this system...get a bathroom scale and set the full tank on it for initial weight. After a time, the scale will show loss of weight as propane is used up. This will work very well for timing at a glance, based on tank weight. Good video, thanks for sharing.
@@Outdoor_Prepper look on your tank for the "Tare weight" (stamped on the collar, usually) which is the weight of the tank when empty. Subtract tare weight from the actual weight of the tank and what you are left with is the amount of propane (in lbs) that you have in the tank.
That's a pretty honest test for a small generator on propane. You lose about 25 percent power, and the upside is cleaner burning and longer engine life. The downside is more fuel consumption and excess ability in certain areas.
If the generator does not have an oil filter you have to change the oil every 24 hours. The last price of a a 20lb tank of propane at one of these propane dealers on a refill is about $34. If you have to run the generator for 24 hours you are looking at $76 dollars per day. About 3 months ago we had several tornados knocked out power here in Houston, Texas to 2.3 million people. Our power was out for 6 days. We have a Generac natural gas whole house generator. It came on and run for 6 days straight. I did shut it down every other day to check the oil and started it back up. After the 6 days I went out and changed the oil filter and 2 quarts of 5W-30W pure synthetic oil. About a month later we had a hurricane and the generator ran for another 3 days 24/7. When we got our natural gas bill we subtracted our normal usage and it cost us $24.00 per day for natural gas. I do own a 7kw Onan gasoline generator but I got tired of having to store gasoline not knowing if I was ever going to use it. This is why I had a Generac 20kw whole house generator installed. I talked to the company that installed our generator. It is not the first of September 2024 and they told me they are backed up on installing generators to January 2025. We had over 45 people die of heat related events during this time.
@@dhansel4835 Thanks for Watching! Where I live a propane refill is $20. It’s actually cheaper for me to have it refilled then one of the 75% capacity exchange tanks at the big box stores
@@Outdoor_Prepper @dehansel4835 is saying that if the natural gas utility is operational, the fuel is about 33% the price of propane and presents no fuel storage complications.
I believe regulations state 85% full is the max for safety reasons. The manufacturer and model of the gas to proane adapter can make a difference in the efficiency of conversion.
I use Yamaha inverter generators. The EF4500iSE's fuel tank, boasting 4.5 gallons, allows it to operate for up to 15.2 hours with a full tank (with an estimated fuel consumption of 0.3 GPH).
Curiosity is getting me. If you are running the space heater outside in the summer time, what is the outside temp? Is the heater actually running non stop or does it have a thermostat and it is cycling?
Twice last year had no power for 5 days each two weeks apart. Have a 5000w Gas generator. Powered my well and various refrig/freezer, tv etc. There is if you don’t know a conversion kit that allows you to run gas and turning fuel off at tank also run on propane. Haven’t used the propane much but it works well. Don’t know if that conversion kit is still made - I got it 25 years ago. My gen is 25 years old Campbell Hausfeld. Use non alcohol gas for easy start and about a year or more no problem running. I store the gen inside heated garage - no rust.
@@Thoreau-e4l He's not wrong. Kinda silly to do the test this way, really. Constant load, just run it for an hour, maybe 2. Weigh the tank before you start, weigh the tank when finished. Easy enough to figure out the pounds of fuel per hour without having to actually burn a whole tank of expensive propane.
A 20 pound tank holds 20 pounds of propane. We ran one on our garage freezer after Helene. Ran for nearly 2 days. The pole is fixed, and I don't have to drain the gas tank. :)
@@flynt1977 I think 80% is considered full and the exchange tanks are filled to 70-75%. Better to get a tank filled than exchanged. Thanks for watching!
Remember that a generator is totally inefficient if run at zero load! Use the generator at no less than 50% load. When running a generator charge everything! -phones, tablets, powerbanks, torches, laptops, walkie-talkies -EVERYTHING. Propane and butane cylinders should be filled by weight, use bathroom scales to determine the gas content. If your cylinder will be refilled then write the empty weight on the cylinder, otherwise you will have to read the small markings on the metal label every time.
a normal generator runs at 3600rpm for the sine wave, but an inverter genny can run at 1800 rpm and ramp up for more power. So save more GAS. Load is the question.
We just had a hurricane and lost power for 4 days. My 7500 watt generator, using about 3500Watts average, cost about $40 a day to run, two 6.5 gallon tank fulls. My neighbors propane, using about the same wattage cost him about $60 a day usage. Talking to other neighbors, this was about the norm. My neighbors daughter, having a full house generator on natural gas, was costing her about $125 a day.
Generally I will pull about 1500watts but I might be powering the furnace in the winter or a window ac in the summer and if they were to kick on at the same time the surge watts would be closer to 5000. Having a 5000 watt surge capacity is important to me. It’s also better to go slightly higher and use less of its rated power than to be operating closer to the upper limits in terms of longevity. Thanks for watching!
He stated that he bought it for running an air conditioner or a furnace and other appliances early in the video, he's only testing 1500 watts not on eco mode to see how long it will run on 20lbs of propane.
@@Outdoor_Prepper I was in Fiji Islands during Winston Cyclone Cate 5. Lost power for a month. Luckily was able to get a 2.2K Gen at HW store because my good friend was a higher up there. Believe me there were 20 people trying to buy that last unit. I powered Frig, some lights, phone charger etc.. but at night I maxed it out running a small mini split AC in one room because it was so hot/humid. I had to go back to US and my wife stayed and continued to use it. Buy the end of the month right before the government restored the power the unit seized up and fried. My guess is in the AM the unit ran out of gas and would stop after running nonstop at full load. It got too hot doing that over and over and fried. They gave me another one out of warranty. I would have got a more powerful one but was lucky to get what I got. CAT 5 winston cyclone was crazy. I'm considering this 5K predator with the propane setup for back up. I should pick one up because if the shit hits the fans good luck picking one up after a major event hits the power grid.
One small thing, propane tanks from the exchange places only have 15 pounds in them ( it says on the label). Take your tank to a fill station and they put 20 pounds in it.
I don't know what the hell google did to youtube. On some videos including this one. It keeps giving a error that say's if playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device, and then it just buffers and never plays. It only happens with some videos, and for some reason it happens a lot with this persons stuff. A person should not have to restart their laptop or PC to watch a youtube video.
Thanks for doing this video. It's a question I've often wondered about. I also have been a person who has propane tanks refilled rather than swapping them. One problem with this is the rubber seal in the tank connection. Over time those rubber seals deteriorate, and they are not customer replaceable. When I asked the my propane refill vendor about this he said the only solution was to swap the tank. In theory the swapped tank rubber seals get some attention. I don't know if this is true but I seem to have no other option when they start to leak.
Remember that if you want to run electronics you'll want an inverter generator to produce clean power. Standard generators are not designed to run sensitive electronic devices or appliances.
Great video. So much info for so many in such a simple video. I like these tests and everyone else should perform these tests for themselves on thier own situations so they have a great idea on how its really gonna go for them in the real emergencies.
I love how you assume that, in an emergency your cell phone and internet service will be functioning and you'll be sitting around the house with all the lights on. After hurricane Camille we had no electrical service or phone service for 9 months. Fortunately, we had an artesian well. Keep some quality tape around to place around the doors on the fridge and freezer. Candles never seem to fail like batteries. The nice thing about this new generation of inexpensive generators is they feature an easy way to daisy chain them.
@@wesstubbs3472 I make no assumptions that anything will work but do want to have the ability to keep the phone charged should I be able to get service. Those are some good points as well about the fridge and freezer! Thanks for watching!
I always start mine in eco mode and let it run for a few minutes to let the system warm up some before I put a load on it.I do think that will extend the life of the unit.
Sorry. No trained and responsible person that fills propane cylinders will fill to 100%. Any slight increase in pressure will cause the relief valve to vent. If it’s inside your car when that happens you have a big problem. If the humidity is very low the propane can ignite from the static charge - no additional ignition source is required.
@@arlenbell4376 by full, I mean opd trip off full, but that still leaves some extra space. The exchangeable tanks are significantly underfilled and not a good value. Thanks for watching!
A champion 2500 Watt inverter generator is supposed to run about 35 hours on propane at half power. Generators do put out a little less power on propane than they do on gasoline.
12 hours seems right in line with the fuel consumption rating of the generator with how you ran it. You could probably stretch out to nearly a week of run time if you did the following: 1. Go for bigger tanks like a couple of full 30 lb tanks. 30 lb is a more practical size for a portable generator as it is still easy enough to carry and load into your vehicle for refueling, and Flame King makes one with a float based fuel gauge. Also, a little more surface area so the tank doesn't cool down as much as propane is a natural refrigerant and you are doing a one way refrigeration cycle by boiling propane to burn in your generator. Granted, your tank is probably far from getting cold enough for there to be any real issues. Maybe in the dead of winter, you want to keep the tank from frosting up. Tank pressure when there is liquid propane in the tank is based on temperature and it takes really cold temperatures to push the temps below what the regulator is designed for, like arctic cold, keeping in mind you are using a refrigerant that will make things colder as you boil and depressurize it as it makes its way to the generator for consumption. There is moisture in the fuel, it is inevitable, so probably want to keep things above freezing in order to avoid ice buildup in the fueling system. And unlike a Boeing 777, which still had problems with ice buildup in the fueling systems on high altitude flights over the poles until Boeing found and corrected it, that propane system has no system for melting ice in the fueling system. So say putting the tank behind the generator makes sense for winter time. It does not make sense in warmer environments and especially if say you are in Phoenix in the summer time, you are trying to keep the tanks from getting too hot and venting to keep the pressure from getting too high in the tank. After the tank exceeds 140 F (say it is 115 F outside and the tank is in direct sunlight, making it hotter), it will start venting. 2. Pick up an off grid all-in-one inverter and associated LFP battery. Here is the thing if you do it right. These all-in-on units can run off of batteries. They can take power from a generator and limit the pull so as to not overload the generator. They can quickly charge the battery off of the generator. And you can also hook up solar panels and it will buffer the solar power in the batteries. And all of this doesn't cost that much. There are other pre-packaged solutions, but they cost a lot more. You can put together a 3,000W inverter and a 2.5 kWh LFP battery for under $1,000. Once you put this together and hook up things like your fridge to it, your generator can be off most of the time. You could also break this up into a discrete inverter and a discrete charger and run the charger when the generator is going. If your main load is your fridge, a fridge will pull anywhere from 1.8 kWh / day to 4 kWh / day depending on how old it is, possibly more if it is really old and on the edge of failure. A fairly cheap and portable LFP battery will hold 2.5 kWh, so plenty for overnight usage on just about any home fridge and a full day for a newer fridge. I suppose if you go for a big all-in-one off grid inverter unit and it won't accept 120V generator power, you could use a separate 120V charger to charge the batteries off of the generator. Or maybe use a transformer to boost 120V to 240V, granted most of the transformers you find for this look kind of sketchy and it is hard to find something that would be a good idea for the job. 3. When you start thinking about it, your average home load is probably less than what this generator can put out. The main problem really is you don't have a storage mechanism with the generator by default, so the generator has to be able to handle the peek load for the stuff you intend to run in an emergency. Sizing for peak load, especially with a home transfer switch, you could end up with a rather large generator and use gobs of fuel that is largely wasted turning that big generator. Once you have a system of buffering power and delivering peak power away from the generator, the generator can be more focused on continuous load charging batteries and such and then be shut off so you can coast on batteries for a while. It is an extra expenditure for sure, but it really cuts down on generator size and fuel consumption. And if you are looking to keep everything cheap and portable, breaking up the tasks can get things into small, portable modules. A small, portable generator. Small enough propane tanks to carry around and load into your vehicle. Small enough battery to carry or load onto a dolly. A small enough inverter to carry around. Maybe for peek power you disconnect the battery charger and have both the battery - inverter setup and the inverter generator delivering power to your stuff at the same time or you are using a small enough charger to where you have loads on the generator in addition to the charger going. You are not going to run everything around the clock, so maybe some stuff just takes the generator power and other things like your fridge would be running off of the battery - inverter setup for more round the clock power. As long as the loads are small, say not much more than 6,000W peak output, then things can stay cheap and portable. Only if you have big intermittent loads, then maybe you spend more on the battery - inverter setup and start thinking about making the battery - inverter part of your setup more stationary and maybe more of a focus on hooking solar panels to it with the generator there to keep the batteries from running out of juice if the solar panels can't keep up. And if you want something pre-packaged that does all of this and is portable, it does exist, just for an extra cost to get it in the format you want. Granted, if you live in California, a lot of generators in general are not CARB certified, so you may come up short on the generator component designed to go with some of these systems. ---- All in all, when you look around, just having an emergency backup generator, while generators are relatively cheap, it is not a very efficient option for extended outages and fuel storage starts becoming a problem. Plus, you may be in a situation where you have to wait a while for say a storm to pass, before you can go outside and setup a portable generator. When you get into buffering power with batteries and additional inverters, there is a whole sea of options to fit pretty much any need and any budget.
Real world for us is having a refrigerator/freezer, a separate freezer, a couple of iPhones, and a couple of LED ights running. Keeping the food from spoiling and phones charged are the most important items during a power outage.
I agree with you regarding getting your tanks refilled rather than exchanging the tanks. I have a Tri-fuel generator and I purchased a couple of 30 lb tanks specifically for use with my generator. I got them at my local Ace Hardware. That is where I get my tanks regfilled, if you are getting two or more tanks refilled they charge you by the gallon rather than what you pay with an exchange. I also bought a couple empty 20 lb tanks at my local CostCo for use on my griddle. These tanks have a guage on them which makes it easier to see when they are almost empty. Luckily electrical power is farly stable where I live so I haven't really been able to do a real test of the generator. I suppose I should test it out before I really have to use it for real.
@@Outdoor_Prepper Sorry I wasn't clear it was the 20 lb tanks from CostCo that has the gauges. But I suppose if I used a 20 lb tank with the gauge I could estimate how long the 30 lb tank would last. But just like with your test it would depend on the overal load on the generator.
My huge query would be how long can you run a single generator before having to service the unit with an oil change? Wouldn't two 3500 watt units with a parallel harness & staggering the service intervals be a better approach?
I had a similar generator during beryl , ran right under 8 hours , one 5000 btu a/c , 2 box fans , 2 lights , fridge was on 6 hours during the night and we didn’t open it during the day . I froze six 1 gallons jugs before the storm for dispersing in the fridge to keep it cold .
I don’t weigh the tank unfortunately but the propane refilled filled it to its full legal / safe capacity which I believe is 80% or 20lbs. Will weigh next time for sure. Thanks for watching!
Basically it just uses regular gasoline ( not premium). This unit can also run on propane as it’s dual fuel so that’s a great option! I prefer to use propane as it keep the carb clean and prevents it from getting gummed it - it also burns cleaner . Thanks for watching!
I do appreciate the effort but.... Single phase...1500 watt...Okay for light duty. I bought a 7kw Colman in '99 to power my all electric home, sump pump and well were main 'have to have' appliances. It is a 14 hp Vanguard and ran good on gasoline. Converted it 6 years ago to NG when it became available on my Rural Street (new furnace and AC) it definitely had less power but worked for my needs. Brought it to my new home after the gasoline system quit working (I will fix it eventually) and tuned it to run on your bottled propane. Propane is way better fuel than NG for power output but running the house takes more power than 1500 watts. I haven't needed to use the generator more than an hour but in this real life situation I would expect 6 hours at best. Again thanks...my home page has my set up for what it's worth.
If you have a Jackery or the equivalent, you can make your propane last even longer. It doesn't have to be one of those enormous ones that cost a fortune, just size it to run your fridge, internet, etc. for 6-8 hours. Run the generator a couple hours, recharge the Jackery, then shut the generator off and run on batteries for a while. It is a particularly good strategy for overnight, so you can bring the generator back into the garage while you are asleep. In an extended outage, portable generators running all night tend to grow legs and run away.
I totally agree with you! I recently bought a Bluetti ac200l ( I did a review of it on my channel hooked up to the house transfer switch - check it out). My plan is to use the battery power during the night for the fridge and a few essentials and then use the generator during the day to recharge the batteries and power larger loads.
Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Charging the batteries with the generator isn't 100% efficient, but your generator is going to be most efficient in terms of watt hours per gallon of propane burned when it is running at roughly 80-100% of its rated load (not surge load). The eco mode helps reduce the waste at periods of low demand but it can only do so much. That means adding battery charging onto a 50% load and then turning the genset off for several hours is probably just about as efficient as you can ever be in the real world.
I have an Anker F2000 and extra battery pack. It will run my fridge and freezer for about 25 hours and takes less than 2 hours to charge back up on a generator. That seems like it should extend my fuel savings a lot. Haven't been through a long outage yet but have verified the charging and discharge rates.
Build a metal roofed mesh cage for the generator in advance so you can use it ion a long run emergency.
All welded 4 inch grid-square concrete reinforcing mesh panels allow airflow/exhaust flow but make a cage that is hard to break into.
Insulating the roof/cage from ground and using a remote-control electric stock fence unit attached to it should give thieves a thrill....
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Does your cage also prevent vandalism? A would-be thief close enough to be deterred by a cage is also mean-spirited enough to wreck it if they can't steal it. "Gonna be that way about it? I'll show YOU!"
Thanks for the demonstration. A quick tip that I picked up in the hardware and propane business, remove the plastic from the tank. That condensation will collect under the plastic and cause the tank to rust. Thanks again for the show!
Thank you for the tip I appreciate it and thanks for watching!
I think exchange tank companies do that on purpose. They know that most places that actually fill the tank, also need to inspect the tank. And if there is too much rust, they're not allowed to fill it. This forces you to go back to the exchange business.
@@johnmiller7682agree. It’s best to fill instead of exchange if the tank is still with its date code. Thanks for watching!
Is a space heater the only thing you could demonstrate with, what about running a cord from your refrigerator, a lamp and the small Air Conditioner unit you were talking about.
My 3500 watt propane generator, when I was powering the furnace, one of the two air handlers (forced air heat, so I need one to heat the house) Fridge and the chest freezer, the FIOS (internet, cable, and phone) wifi router, cordless phone base station, the charger for the stairlift (elderly parent), and some LED lights and recharging phones and laptop. This was in the wintertime, so furnace was running. 20 lb BBQ tank lasted about 12 hours. So two tanks per day. Propane doesn't go stale like gasoline, so I can store a few days worth of fuel with no issues. Basically I would buy another tank during the end of summer sales. I now have seven tanks on hand, so three days worth.
My town regulates propane storage, so I store the tanks outside, got a ten foot chain and a padlock and chain them to a tree. When I am running the generator, I move it out to the tree and chain it down to discourage theft.
Refilling tanks at a real propane dealer is a good thing. You get a full tank like you said. When your tanks go out of pressure test (ten years here in the US) they can't be refilled. Don't throw them away, take it to the propane swap dealer and trade it in for a partially filled one and just refill it at a real dealer.
I had a house fire, and was using the generator to power work lights in the hpuse for several months while we rebuilt. Ran it for several hours a day seven days a week until we got the power turned back on. Oil was still nice and clean. propane burns a lot cleaner than gasoline.
@@dalesql2969 thanks for watching and pretty good info for comparison!
I keep two 30 pound tanks stored outdoors outside the back of the garage. Obviously there are a few 20 pound tanks attached to the smoker, grill, space heater, etc that are for emergency backup.
@@jamesstuder5045 When I got the propane generator, I had a pair of 50 lb tanks off of a junked camping trailer I used. But they had expired when I went to refill them, so they needed to be pressure tested and inspected. The local propane dealers did not do that, and the cost of recertification was about the same a buying new tanks.
So I went and researched the cost of tanks. Small tanks, 100 lb or less, cost per pound of propane stored, the lowest cost was the 100 lb tanks, but a full 100 lb tank is something like 160 lbs when filled, and was too big to fit into the back seat of the small car I was driving at the time, and I really didn't want to be wrestling that tank around each time I went to refill it. The next lowest was buying many 20lb tanks, which were much easier to handle. Also a consideration is that a motor vehicle with more than 50 lbs of propane aboard is considered a hazardous material with all the legalities that entails. (drivers license, placards, restricted highway zones)
Going to larger tanks, thats into propane truck delivery dealer zone. For various reasons, that wasn't an option for me. you can own the tank and have it installed, or lease the tank and have it installed. Either one, as a practical matter, locks you into a particular local dealer for service and refills. If you use propane for heating, gas stove, generator, etc, then that is a viable option. If you are renting, or only want the propane for emergency use, the costs get uneconomical. So everyone has to find the solution that works best for them.
@@dalesql2969 if you OWN the tank you are NOT locked into a particular supplier. Also, owning the large tank will save you major money on the cost of the gas....as an example, to refill a 20lb cylinder it currently costs around $3.50 per gallon around here and we just got our 250 gal tank topped off for $1.90 per gal.
@@TheWingnut58 The problem is that many propane dealers will require the customer owned tank to the recertified before they will fill them. That cost varies, but it isn't cheap.
A couple or three points:
-Load was constant/consistent. Eco Mode was available, yet not used. This translates to wasted overhead as the generator inverter circuitry would continuously adjust the RPM of the engine based on the load requirements.
- Second point that many reviewers overlook/omit is that many of the small to medium generators have the ability to use a parallel kit with a second same brand/model generator. I can use my two A-iPower SUA2300i paralleled which will carry the start up surge of a portable air conditioner-- actually two as long as the startup of both is non- concurrent.
-Buying two smaller generators allows for several things:
-Easy on the budget...Don't have to buy both at once...additional generator can be purchased as needed.
-Can be paralleled. A-iPower gives you a *FREE* parallel kit!!!
-Eco Mode, even when paralleled absolutely sips the gas considering that each engine displacement is only 79cc.
-Redundancy. If one generator fails, you've still got a second for powering only the most critical items. Remember the saying, "Two is One!...One is NONE!!!"
-Weight: I can more easily lift and move a 50 Lb. generator (or two) than one single 75-100 Lb. generator.
-Maintenance: I can easily lift the generator onto a table, tip it up, drain out the oil and replace it, probably in about 5 minutes or so!!!
PS--don't forget to replace the cheapo plastic OEM oil plug with a nicely machined aluminum oil plug with a neodymium in it!!!--captures all those nasty iron particles created during the "break-in" period!!!
Those are some good points! Thanks for watching!
You left out that some small generators use a permanent magnet alternator. Much of this predator's engine power is going to generate the the alternator's Field and not electricity output.
I have my generator connected to my 500 gallon propane tank that is used to heat my hot water tank and furnace. After seeing this I now see I can go for weeks if needed. Thanks for the demonstration.
A 500 gallon tank is a lifesaver! Thanks for watching!
😂 what about changing the oil ?
@@bernardobanderas2636 oil changes are definitely very important every 50 or so hours in my opinion
If you don’t wanna watch a 22 minute video to get a 12 hour answer then move along
Thanks for watching!
Thank you! You just gave me another 20 minutes of life!
I will often ask NoteGPT to summarize YT videos for me. It works well some of the time.
Grassy ass 👍🏻
There was more info for people, n the vid, than run-time. Especially for novices.
You just solved a huge worry for me. We live in our RV trailer here in Maine, where it gets cold. Now I know I can run my generator for days with my 100lb tank for our typical, inevitable outages. Thank you for sharing this.
@@busyend thanks for watching and I’m glad it was helpful!!
Yeah...days! Like two and a half days! 😂
If you're depending on the gens so much you should have two
@@kurtrussell5228 I agree
Ambient temp has a huge impact on propane. The colder, the less vaporization. Propane doesn't provide the same performance output as gasoline so you are at a big disadvantage in very cold environment with propane generator.
I have been interested in home backup power since 1983 so, thought I would add comments that haven't been mentioned. The Inverter Generator type is the best all-round portable choice for clean power, lightest weight, noise, and fuel consumption. The typical US kitchen refrigerator (18 - 20 cubit feet) consumes about 120 watts when it is running, startup power is 1,200 to 2,500 watts for 2 - 5 seconds. At room temperature, the compressor runs about 50% of the time and a defrost cycle occurs 1 to 3 times per day using a 600 to 720 watt heater that runs 5 to 20 minutes. For more of a worst-case figure, assume the frig will comsume 1.8 kWh per day.
All portable generator power output ratings are based upon resistive loads being connected, such as a heating element or incandescent light bulb. Resistive loads have a Power Factor of 1.0, which the generator likes best. Induction motors and electronic equipment can have a poor Power Factor, like 0.25 to 0.65. Poor Power Factor, consumes more of the generator's capacity. To determine the wattage the generator needs to deliver, divide the published wattage for the device by its measured power factor. For instance, using a 10 watt LED bulb that is not rated to be used with dimmers, these typically have a 0.5 Power Factor (10W ÷ 0.5 = 20 watts of generator power consumed). (The Power Factor can be measures using a KILL-A-WATT meter). Obviously this is not a big deal if you are just concerned about a few LED bulbs but, if you are trying to run a large motor (power tool, air compressor, or air conditioner), you may run into problems.
My experience with generators was in Florida and the Midwest. When experiencing a long term power outage where the power grid is down for miles around, you generally have to depend upon the fuel stash you have set aside until the power grid in your area starts to come back online. During these times, Gasoline will generally be easier to find than Propane..
Running a generator 24/7 consumes a lot of fuel so, any way to minimize daily consumption is very useful. Here are a few suggestions: have a small secondary generator that sips fuel for those times when power usage is light, a Solar Generator with at least 800 watts of solar panels (which is especially useful at night), and use secondary light sources at night (such as an LED camping lantern), with the generator turned off. Fire the generator back up every few hours to recharge batteries and cool off the frig. Obviously, your level of system refinement will have to do with your spending budget. And finally, trial your backup power preps over a weekend, which will quickly reveal problem areas.
Those are some excellent points and great feedback! I actually purchased a Bluetti ac200l solar generator and did a review of it hooked up to my transfer switch. Check it out on my channel. The plan would be to run the fridge and a few essentials during the night on battery power and then fire up the generator during the day to recharge the batteries and power larger items.
Thanks again for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Thanks for your response, hopefully many will be benefitted by everyone's comments. Also, at the rate the country seems to be heading, we may use these backup measures a lot more than we planned.
The Bluetti was my first choice a few years ago but, there are so many "new players" now, only time will tell as to each manufacturer's reliability. But yes, although pricey (depending upon your budget), a gas generator and solar generator are a nice basic backup power system.
I have this same generator and I'm very pleased. The auto throttle drops the RPM when the load drops to save fuel and wear. I only run on propane because you can store it practically forever.
Thanks for watching and I agree with all your points!
Excellent test. Just purchased this unit. They don’t come with oil filters so I also purchase magnetic dip stick and drain plug for all predators. Thanks for the vid.
I’m glad it was helpful! Thx for watching!
Nice video!
I have a 8,500 watt generator, i have a 6 hour run time on propane and 7 hour run time on 3-gallon gas tank. I had to use it for a week couple of years back running 2 refrigerators, freezer, 3 computers, 2 tv, central air and the house has all led lights. I got the combo generator because when the electric goes out so do the gas stations, I keep 2 propane tanks and 6 10-gallon gas cans. One investment that I also did was get a fuel transfer pump, no more pouring from gas cans and the transfer pump has an auto shut off, so you don't over fill the tank.
one other thing I got was a manual oil extractor pump think it is 6.5 Liter, changing the oil is a real pain in my rear end and I also use it on my riding mower, worst place to have the drain plug right above a support beam.
I like that idea of taking the tank to get fill vs gas station or home depo, Thank you for that Idea!
Thanks for watching! I just bought a harbor freight transfer pump that’s battery operated and helps a lot with gasoline.
You ran a Central Air conditioner on an 8500 generator? What Make and Model was the Central Air conditioner? This I want for my house in Arizona! Thanks Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya OK it really is a Champion 9375 watt dual fuel ,
9375 starting watts/7500 running watts (gas)
8400 starting Watts/6750 running watts (lpg)
Electric Start
Model # 100165
I can Not run it with microwave and electric dryer, have to shut off A/C to run either or one of them. Furnace is new, a/c is a slightly older carrier. The electrical that put the connection on the side of the house showed me how to start it and explained what I could and could not run with a walk threw of the house. I purchased it from Amazon on the Amazon Prime day discount and back then it was about $850.00, price has gone up from way back then.
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@@Gyroxg3 Still running a home AC Central Air system on 9,300 is incredibly good. Most have a LRA Lock Rotor Amperage of around 12-18K Watts which would trip the circuit breaker on that Generator. That's why as asked what make and model of the Central Air Unit, cause I want ONE of them! We loose power a lot in AZ where the house is and we'll have to run a generator to cool the house when power goes off. Some AC units if they have a soft start module can drop some of the LRA down so that a manageable 15KW generator can run them if nothing else is on. To figure out what size generator you need to start an ac unit, find the LRA and multiply it by the voltage going into the unit. In example my old AC unit had a LRA of 110 amps so, 220vAC X 110amps = 24.2 KW generator to start it. A soft start system can bring that down to around 18KW. After that is has RLA Running Load Amperage of 20 amps so 220vac x 20 amps = 4.4 KW would run it once started. Thanks for the reply. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
@@keithnoneya Getting an easystart soft AC starter installed on your AC unit makes a hefty difference as well. The startup amps are very demanding for an AC unit otherwise. Having that installed make my solar/battery setup useful with AC whereas it wouldn't be able to handle the draw without it. It can maintain once going just fine though.
We use our vehicles (with full tank of gas and plenty of oil) as our portable generators by connecting a 2500 or 3500 watt inverter to it. The inverters are a few hundred bucks at Harbor Freight, the cars run way quieter than noisy, fume- belching generators (better stealth) and we don't have to worry and fuss over the oil and fuel every 90 minutes. A set of long, heavy duty extension cords prevents any exposure to CO as long as the car is parked outside!
Thanks for watching!
An idling vehicle isn't going to keep the battery charged if you are drawing 1,500 watts as in this video. 1.500 watts of AC would be over 125 amp draw from the battery. Most alternators can only put out about 100 amps (with engine running way above idle speed.). Your setup isn't going to last long. Try your setup pulling 1500 watts for a couple hours and see what happens.
Some larger vehicles come with 1450amp alternators however you're right. A solar back up will prove its worth in spades. I'm set up so I only need a gen set every 3 or 4 days.
You can use a vehicle. While moving it’s a great way to utilize the engine. While parked, it becomes the most expensive generator I would not want to break
A long term idling vehicle at normal idling speed probably isn't a great idea. I've heard many mechanics discuss how the engine likely wouldn't be running at a normal operating temperature during long idol times and wouldn't have proper piston ring expansion, creating oiling and wear issues for the vehicle. I've seen them install high idol switches so the engine runs at a higher RPM that allows for proper heating and long term running. Something to think about and consider when not in a life or death situation.
W3 used our propane generator for the first time last week during a power outage. Similar size, half load 8 hours straight. When I got it refilled, the guy said it still had 1/4 tank left! Our neighbors were happy as we all have wells and I was giving out water!
That’s great! Thanks for watching!
About six years ago I installed a 7kw diesel backup generator. It runs my entire house. Washer, dryer, AC, fridge …….all of it. Love it.
That’s awesome! Diesel generators are great! Thanks for watching!
Only problem with diesel is the fuel doesn’t last very long in storage, whereas propane doesn’t degrade. Also crankcase oil in a diesel has a fairly short lifespan vs zero oil contamination with propane. Not knocking diesel, just saying that propane is a nearly perfect solution for prepping. But something is better than nothing.
@ we live within city limits so we can’t get anything larger than a 100 lb propane tank. Propane is great. Diesel still lasts two years with treatment and the generator has to be exercised (run) for about twenty minutes per week so it does use the diesel. Plus, we get many power outages each year. I keep about 5 days worth of fuel.
@@ajhubbell3754 Ah, yeah, that would make a huge difference.
A lot of us can not afford that.
18 kWh is amazing, thank you for your time in making this video, it has me thinking now.
Thanks for watching!
Another one side benefit of running propane is that your oil will look new after that 12 hours if you check it since propane is a gas already. There is no carbon blow by that goes into the oil. In other words there’s nothing to stick to the cylinders to be deposited in the oil so the oil will last much longer because it stays clean.
@@AmericanSurvival001 that’s a great point! Thanks for watching!
I have this same generator. I ran propane just for the break in. We camped for 6 days in the woods, it used almost all of its 4 gallons of gasoline in that time. Nice generator for camping, and it's VERY quiet!
That’s great runtime! Thanks for watching!
Most tractor supplies have a propane fill station. They’re also happen to be the cheapest.
@@TexasScout Thanks for Watching! Unfortunately there are no tractor supply stores near me :(
BJs Wholesale club has great pricing as well
The chilling and frosting is the result of the rate of the conversion of the propane in its liquid form to its gaseous form. A "full" tank of propane is really only 75% full. The remaining 25% allows the gas/vapor to form. A larger tank allows the liquid to vapor conversion to occur at a much slower rate, significantly reducing the frosting.
Good points and thanks for watching!
I have a 5.7 Kw gas generator that I converted to propane for emergency use.
I have a 350 gallon propane tank at my cabin for the backup furnace, so it makes sense just to tap into that for the emergency generator fuel.
Now that these two reactors are built and I'm finally moving my motorcoach back to the cabin (finally retired), I'll just back feed the 50 amp 240 volt circuit I installed to be able to power the motorcoach off of the house while it's parked.
It's a 36 ft Class A diesel with a 7.5Kw Onan Quiet Diesel generator.
The motorcoach has a 90 gallon diesel tank for the Cummings 5.9 propulsion diesel, that's where the generator taps for fuel.
I dont know how long it'll run off 90 gallons, but a while 😊.
I installed a bypass switch at the coach's automatic transfer switch so that I can backfeed through the inlet line, basically bypassing the coach's automatic transfer switch so that the generator output goes into the inlet port for the power cord connected to the house.
I open the house panel main breaker and I'm back feeding my whole panel on both phases (the 50 amp 240 volt RV plug is utilized by an RV to provide two 50 amp 120 volt feeds) so I can put about 30A on both sides of the panel.
I've never run into bad enough weather up there where my four-wheel drive suburban can't get out.
I have a 55 gallon drum I can put on a cargo basket on the receiver hitch, and go to the station to get more diesel if I burn the 90 gallons up.
I have a 15 gpm fuel transfer pump that I got to polish the fuel (run the diesel through a 30 micron filter, then a 10 micron filter) before cranking the coach (the diesel was 3 years old and I was afraid of the HUM bugs [Hydrocarbon Utilizing Microbes] residue that now grow in low sulphur diesel and whose residue plugs filters, injectors, etc.).
I can just drop the suction line into the barrel and pump it all into the RV pretty quick.
That seemed a lot easier than what I was going to do, which was to use my Prius as an emergency generator by tapping the traction battery to power a 480v VFD programmed for 120v 60Hz.
There's lots of ways to supply emergency power if you need it, you just have to be a little inventive.
Have a Good Day 👋
👽
That’s a pretty good setup! Thanks for watching!
Quite the DIY!
Brilliant backfeeding your class A just like using a tractor as a generator!
nice patio ( im jealous ) back in the day ( when i last update our backup system ) they didnt have propane yet... so i love this more then i can emphasize. the price is quite reasonable as well. having to set up the house well that is another issue but after the back to back storms we recently had here in FL ( helene,milton ) this would have been awesome to have. thanks for the video ! and the commenters for their additional ideas you guy RULE man !!!
Thank you! And thanks for watching!!
some key numbers to remember: ~4.5 gallons propane in a 20 lb tank. Each gallon supplies ~91,500 BTU per gallon. 1 KW =3412 BTU, so ~1500 watts = ~5000 BTU.
So a full 20lb tank can supply ~412,000 BTUs. Therefore A full 20lb tank can supply about 120 KW.
But those numbers are at 100% efficiency to convert propane BTUs to watts! The efficiency depends converting fuel energy BTUs into mechanical energy to turn the generator and then to convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
A lot of factors go into this. These are energy losses due to friction. Heat losses in the generator windings, etc. The design of the generator itself, load changes, etc
To make things a bit more confusing, Generators are rated in KW, so that rating has efficiencies built into the rating.
So you are probably thinking, "that's all great, but how do I estimate my fuel usage?"
A couple more interesting points before I get to that. Turns out that a propane generator of around 5KW is actually surprisingly efficient. I have created some "fudge factor" numbers that will get you pretty close for a propane generator in this size range. But you can run your own experiments to refine this.
Take the tank capacity of 120,000 BTUs and divide by 5000 watts. (that's the hourly rate you are using at a 1500 watt load) That will give you 24 hours with no losses. So here's where the fudge factor comes into play. For this size generator and that approximate loading, a "fudge factor" of 50-60% will apply for an estimate. 24 hours times 0.5 will give you 12 hours. And 24 hours times 0.6 gives you 14.4 hours. In my experiments, this has been pretty accurate for a relatively steady load of 1500 watts,
BTW, your estimate of around 1500 watts as a good average conservative load, is a pretty realistic number. Obviously, on emergency power you want to use power conservatively! It's not rocket science, just common sense!
As you point out, a refrigerator doesn't really use much power, which is why these "super duper" "Solar generator" ads are very deceptive!! Modern refrigerators are very efficient at keeping food cold. A closed freezer with no power at all, will not warm up very much at all. That frozen mass can usually go a full day or more without thawing. But as a marketing tool, scaring people into thinking all their food will spoil quickly, sells pretty low output devices for big bucks! Even in the old fashioned, "ice boxes", a 50lb block of ice could last 2 or 3 days and these had next to no insulation!
Nice thing about these small propane generators is not having to mess with gasoline storage! Propane doesn't go stale. It burns very clean in a propane engine. Almost no maintenance needed as carbs don't gum up. Turn the propane on and these start very quickly and run smoothly. These things are just very reliable. Stay away from dual fuel as they don't buy you much and have the gasoline issues. You can get a 30lb tank that will give you even more run time.
You can find good deals on these because they don't seem to move as fast as gasoline generators. I bought a couple of these, new in the box for $199 ea, from a "big lots" type store that deals in close outs and over stocks. Came with a nice rolling cart with a shelf for a 20 or 30lb tank, electric start and nice heavy duty cords. I found the same units listing for as much as $799! So shop around! They're well built and work flawlessly.
One last thing, if you buy a "Kill-a-Watt" plug in meter, it can be very useful for experimenting to determine fuel usage.
I have bigger gasoline generators too, living out in the boonies, but these are so quick and easy to set up it's hard to beat them!
You raised alot of excellent points! Thank for watching!
I have this same generator. It runs on both gasoline and propane. It's incredibly quiet. I bought it to replace a junkerac GP5500 that has been a total disappointment. I also have a Westinghouse portable generator 3500 Watt. It's been really good. I have decided to use the Predator 5000 at my off-grid property because I hate making a lot of noise up there. I really don't care about the noise at home. I will say that this Predator was so quiet I couldn't hear it running from inside the house over the sound of my neighbor's generator over 100 feet and a privacy fence away. Very happy so far.
@@paule4696thanks for watching!
@@paule4696 Mine is a different manufacturer, but it's propane only. The dual fuel sounds nice but gasoline can gum up the carb. Stick with propane and you'll be fine.
No they don't fill propane tanks to the top. Tanks can only be filled to 80%,, the other 20% is left for expansion, since propane expands in the heat.
Thanks for watching - this tank was filled to max capacity ( agree 80% where the OPD kicks off). The “exchange tanks” are filled even less unfortunately
If you fill tanks completely on a cool day, they will vent gas when the temps warm up. Keep tanks vented AND cool.
@@EdExTechurthanks for the tip!
I used to get refills by swapping out at Walmart (Blue Rhino) untill I discovered they were only filled to 75%. The standard propane tank used on a grill is a 20 lb tank. Blue rhino fails to 75% or 15 lbs. After discovering this I started going to tractor supply for refills. They feel it right in front of you on a scale and they fill it to the top you get 20 lb propane. I've actually measured the difference between the two places
@@machogrande6360I totally agree with you - it’s best to have them filled and not swapped out. Thanks for watching!
I have a Win 4500 dual fuel and ran for 5 days off 4 fillips and one propane tank. Have almost full tank left. I ran it in eco mode powering refrigerator, room air conditioning unit, TV and cable. Only time I cut it off was to do an oil change. Just like the Honda, predictor an inverter generator with the really low noise is a great way to go. My neighbors have who house systems that cost them about a 100 a day in fuel.
That’s a great setup you have! Small inverter generator are definitely the way to go as they are quiet, fuel efficient, and lower the essentials! Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper when I got it I thought it had 220 but it turned out to be a trailer connection. So I have to run cords. I had planned on back feeding a cut off panel with every major appliance off like hot water, air conditioning and stove. Live and learn. Someone told me I could use a male to make 110 but wouldn't that just power one side of the panel? ( I would always cut the main breaker)
Gensets perform best at high use. If you have a 5kw unit, it's best to runa load close to 5kw. Also you should never let the genset shut down with a load! You must monitor your fuel
And shut down the load before you run out of fuel. So when fuel is getting low, you reduce/eliminate the load before you shut down the engine . Let the engine run with. NO load for at least 5 minutes before shut down. Then you can reconnect to another lp tank. Lp is much safer than gasoline!! Exhaust from lp is not dangerous, but gasoline exhaust will/does kill hundreds yearly. A gasoline gen set must be positioned 30 feet from your residence to keep dangerous gas fumes from ENTERING your home/office/building. Inthis guys show, if you don't plan on using half load capacity then downsize to a 3.5 kw gen set. Relative toil change follow manufactures recommended hrs to change oil Oil will not need to be changed as frequently. I hope my comments will be helpful! Captain/Master Glenn Butler (ret.)
Thank you and those are great points for sure! Thanks for watching!
I’ve been wanting to do this test with my generator. Only difference is just shut power off, hook up the generator and run my house as normal minus the AC and electric dryer and see how long it goes. Great video.
Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful!
It sure would be cool if you had had the propane bottle on a scale while your test was running. Nice video, and you answered a huge question for us. It would also have been interesting to hook up to your transfer switch and run the generator under a real, and variable, load.
Thanks for watching and those are excellent points - if I redo the test on gasoline I’ll hook up to the transfer switch
incredible. Thanks! I bought a 3500 so no propane but was amazed how little it used fuel.
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
I own a propane filling station in Tennessee I crack the screw open on valve till it spills out which is 4.5 gallons at 80% full .u only get 3-3.5 gallons from the cage bottles which is 15lbs
I agree the swappable cage bottles are not the best option. Better to go to an independent propane fill station like yours. Thanks for watching!
You are correct sir, just had several filled here in SC. Cheapest place was $12.00 for 4.3 most expensive was $16.50
For 4.5
That was a great test. Impressive run time.
Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it.
My 3500 ran for 16 Hours during a ham radio field day test.i was more than pleased and while a house would pull more,, then I could live with it. ,literally!!!!
@@polishpicl that’s awesome and great to know! That’s for watching!
How was the RFI from your generator? Thanks.
@@crackerjack-01 it was zero......we had 4 hf radios running 24 hours for field day..no noise
I did a 24 hour test with my Honda eu2200i generator converted to run on propane while on a camping trip... no real load, just eco idle time, just basically a battery charger for the camper. Started at noon and then shut off at noon the next day. Used 3 gallons... so 8 hours run time per gallon at idle. Sure, it can handle the spikes of the coffee pot, the wife's hair dryer, etc.. but, for weekend camping trips where crockpot cooking is involved, bring a full bbq propane tank from home and enjoy plenty of power and run times for the weekend with a propane converted Honda. Cheers! Pete in Arizona - KI7LIL
@@peterkunka2694 those are amazing results! Honda makes a wonderful generator for sure! Thanks as for watching!
my 10 cubic foot fridge uses between 60-70 watts while it's running according to my wattage meter. It's an energy star model, so thats why I bought that one. My 240 volt split phase inverter/ mppt charge controller which powers my house agrees when I log in to check my solar yield, battery SOC, and current usage. Even The fridge at my old house was a regular average sized whirlpool fridge, it used about 100 watts, Idk where people get the estimate of 700 watts. It may spike to that with the inrush current of the compressor starting, but that's only momentary, after that I can't see the wattage being much more than 100 for a modern fridge, unless your using a 1950's vintage fridge that is invincible. I may consider adding a generator like that to my setup If my solar panels can't keep up with power usage this winter if it's cloudy for a month straight, We'll see. I just got another 4000 watts of panels that im going to set up to total with my existing ones to be just over 8000 watts for the short and cloudy days, so I'm pretty sure it'll be enough, might be overkill. in the summer 4000 watts is plenty for me, even on an overcast day i get 1/5 - 1/2 of the power depending on how thick the clouds are. plus I have a battery bank that stores 28 KWH of power, I struggle to make a dent in the SOC overnight and its full again by mid morning. Feels good to be totally off grid in a remote home.
Thanks for watching!
Nice! I need to test my Firman 7500 on LP also. I started a test, but after about 2 hrs the 20 lb tank froze up (even though ambient was about 60 degrees) no more gas would flow. Remember this if you buy more tanks....go 30 lb or larger, they will not freeze up.
Using the exhaust to warm the tank doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
@@Robnord1 thanks for watching!
No problems with exhaust gases wafting past the tank...or even the heated "cooling" air off the motor..
The tank just needs some heat to soak up to prevent freezing.
I have played a gas torch directly on the cylinder to combat the 1/4 inch of ice that built up on a damp spring day....instant increase in gas produced.
You can also sit the whole tank in a bath of hot water...same deal...
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!
I have a smaller 2200 watt dual fuel generator I’ve been running on propane. I haven’t used it for prolonged times to get a feel for how long it will last on one propane tank but this video gives me a better idea. I should be able to extend my run time beyond your findings.
I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
After having experienced running generators on propane I don't think I'll ever run them on gasoline again. It is more expensive to run on the little tanks but it's so nice to never have to worry about a clogged carburetor gasoline going bad gasoline smell leaks etc.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!!
The you tube channel, the solar lab, just did a real world refrigerator test for solar generators, and averaged about 1300 watts a day from an average fridge, if that helps. Obviously it always depends on how much is in it, how big it is, and how often you open the door. They made it as real world as possible and didn’t do conservation of power with it. So I’m guess 700w is very doable if you are being intentional about conservation. Good test. Thank you
@@shanecurphey1011 good Info! Thanks for watching!
I just found you and this is great stuff. I subscribed. Thank you for covering this!
Awesome, thank you!
I never knew that about how propane tanks are filled thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
ALWAYS fill your propane tanks at a dealer. The ONLY time I do a tank swap is when one of my tank's build dates has expired and they wont refill it at Uhaul.
Well said and totally agree! Thanks for watching!
For those who are curious about tank size from pounds to gallons on LP. I have personally filled these tanks from completely empty many time and yes temperature makes a slight difference. I personally like 40# tanks because of the price per gallon is cheaper and they are almost 10 gallons and they sre still movable by yourself or with a dolly very easily and you can find them on sale the easiest since most rvs use 20 and 30# tank so these 40# dont sell well especially at rv dealerships.
20# 4.3 gallons
30# 7.5 gallons
40# 9.6 gallons
100# 24.5 gallons
These are actual fill from 0%-80% when OPD valve locks out besides the 100# tank. Thats when LP comes out of the valve.
That’s great info to know!! Thank you and thanks for watching!
My solar setup at home has a large battery bank and the inverter has a generator input.. This allows me to charge the batteries while running the generator so during low use times while the generator is running it will pass all that unused power to the batteries.. I can then run off the batteries and use solar to give the generator a rest..
That’s a great setup! Thanks for watching!
Good demo. If you used a digital scale under the tank, you could see how much it goes down hour by hour. If you know what an empty tank weigh as your base line you could get a more accurate estimate of when you would run out of gas based on you draw.
Good idea for next time! Thanks for watching!
I'd like to add a different perspective. Propane has lots of advantages, but gasoline is cheaper, more readily available, and running a generator on gasoline produces more power.
A few weeks ago, we had 5 tornadoes come through our area. Power was out through a wide area for one to 7 days depending on specific location. We were out for 53 hours. I have a Predator 3500 inverter generator. The specs say it will run 11 hours at 25% load on a tank of gas, 2.6 gallons. We got through 51 hours on about 7.5 gallons or around 3 tank fulls. So we did better than the specs. We were running a fridge, sump pump, occasionally a microwave, a computer, some LED lights, and charging for mobile devices and portable LED lights.
I would point out the generator is about 6 years old. The gas in the tank and the other gas stored in plastic cans was also 5 to 6 years old, all mixed with Stabyl. It started on the first pull and ran nearly flawlessly. The battery died years ago and I didn't replace it because the generator starts so easily with the pull starter. I know what people here on YT say about storing gas, but that has not been my experience.
This is very interesting, and helpful.
My 79 y/o Dad has a gasoline inverter generator, and has only used it a few times through the years during emergencies. I've been thinking about changing it out.
I may do a thorough check on it now and go back with the same if I swap it out. Thank you.
Was your stored gasoline non-ethanol, or standard E10? And where did you have it, and your generator, stored? Just curious...thank you.
That’s some great info and I’m happy hear the predator worked flawlessly! Thanks for watching!
@@berettaguy7445 It was standard pump gas. I'm sure it had some ethanol, but they use less in the winter and more in the summer so I don't know the percentage. In addition to the Stabyl, I buy the premium Shell gas. The gas was stored in 5-gallon plastic cans in a regular garage. The generator was in the same garage. I do try to get it out and run it 15 - 20 minutes every 3 to 4 months, The manufacturer requires that to maintain the warranty, but that has long since expired.
@@BryanTorok Thanks for the response. I store about 20 gals of non-ethanol (with Sta-bil) for generator use during emergencies. I always get fresh gas every 6 months, but it sounds like I could do it yearly without any problems.
This is the size of generator i am thinking about buying. Thanks so much for the video.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
Curious why you didn’t put the tank on a scale during the test?
Thanks for Watching! I’m actually going to buy a tank with a fuel gauge to have a better idea of remaining capacity
@@Outdoor_Prepperyou can weigh propane and convert lb to gal if needed. Tank will show tare weight on ring.
Probley because he's not a drug dealer with scales😂 20 pounds of propane minus weight of tank as propane guy says. 😂 Who does that anyway OCD anyone. These are the top answers for you😂
@@HH-zg8zm A digital bathroom scale would work fine.
I just got a similar size generator and decided on the 40 Pound tanks. I get them filled locally and they fit upright just behind that seat to transport home. I just ordered a 2nd 40 pound tank so I will be prepared for two days non stop or four days 12 hours a day.
That’s a great tip! Thanks for watching!
Dual fuel would be nice, but I don't really need, but I'm really impressed with how quiet that thing is😮
@@nigozeroichi2501 Thanks for watching! Definitely impressed with how quiet it is
I like dual fuel so for short term needs, propane can be used without concern about draining it and purging all the gasoline for long term storage each time.
For extended outages or use, then switch to gas for economy and full output. But after that's done, all the gas should be fully drained and cleared out unless it's anticipated to be needed again within a couple weeks.
I ended up gong with an $1850.00 13kw PTO generator that I mounted on a small trailer which then attaches to my Massey 1835m. It's enough to run our entire property including a 5hp deep well pump. Our Honda 3300w Super Quiet worked fine when we lived in town and everything ran off NG, but everything out here on the ranch is electric now.
That’s a great setup! Thanks for watching!
I had a commercial site with a propane fueled generator. Once in the winter the power went off and generator started . Temperature was 5 below degrees C after a few hours the generator started coughing and spitting . I checked the system and the regulator was a large ball of ice. I dug around in the barn and found a box of 12” flexible ac duct. So I duct taped it to the grill so the radiator heat could blow on the regulator. In about 15 minutes the ice melted off and the generator settled down for the rest of the power outage.
@@franksprecisionguesswork501 thanks for watching! That’s very helpful info to know!!
after watching this video, i am also curious to know how long my generator would last using similair loads using 1 gallon of fuel or a "full" 4.6 gallons of propane or maybe have the propane place just fill my tank to just 1 gallon of propane to make the test faster.
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam those are good questions. The manual always gives rough estimates but really nothing beats just trying out to see so you have more accurate results. Thanks for watching!
Great video, I was wondering how long the predator would run on propane.
I bought a Firman wh03242 from Costco that has 3,750 start up Watts on propane add 3,000 running Watts on propane.
On gasoline it has 4000 starting watts and 3200 running Watts.
Per your video you got 6 hours per 10 lb of propane , running my generator on propane not on eco mode running the air conditioning and charging the batteries on the rv using a 30 lb propane tank , it ran for 22 hours . I bought it on sale for $599 .
I did not look to see what it was drawing for wattage more amps. It only has one rooftop air conditioner on it.
Thought I'd share that just for comparison in case anyone was interested thank you for sharing your video.
Thanks for Watching! That’s good to know for comparison!
Running it at constant load/ speed should give the best economy. How much, I'm not sure but for most engines, gas and diesel it will add up. Great test and better results then I expected.
@@williamgibb5557 thank you and thanks for watching!!
I have a backup for emergency only and have a 3000 watt diesel generator It will run 5 days on 5 gallons of fuel roughly and sized for emergency use only not comfort. I use it for well pump, refrigerator and cut off hot water heater and all large hvac units and run a small ac unit and close off house to utilize smaller spaces for comfort. We have gas heat and fans will work and use gas cook top. The power if out for months or year if disasters hit I have vegetable oil mix that could take care of home for years and parts to repair generator if needed. I would convert lithium battery's and solor form shed if it got to this point to charge battery by generator and sun if it becomes a crisis so not to kill generator running for so many months or years if it come down to this point.
I'm curious. What generator do you have.
Thanks for Watching! What generator do you use?
I am curious as well
I have a 1970's 3000 watt 120 volt Onan air cooled diesel gen set built on a 20 gallon fuel skid. Next to it is an Onan RV7500 diesel gen 120/240 volt set on a 40 gallon fuel tank base. Both are bolted to the shop floor on Chevy transmission rubber mounts so they stay put in an earthquake. I run them at part load for 20-30 minutes once a month.
They are noisy, the stink of diesel exhaust finds its way into the house if the wind changes. 2 years ago I installed a large battery power console with solar input. 3600 amp hours 46,000 watt hours. Either gen set can recharge the battery bank. That is the way to go....rig for silent running. The battery bank/inverter charger runs 2 house fridges and 3 chest freezers 24/7. Solar input is questionable in Winter with short days and low sun angle, stormy days for a week plus. I run the 7500 diesel for a few hours every 5 days to charge batteries if needed.
Here's that Onan 7500 getting prepared as a Bomb Cyclone was headed to NorCal a few years ago. We lost power for 18 hours but went on batteries.... th-cam.com/video/T6B_bFc4rkA/w-d-xo.html I like that HFT propane dual fuel gen set. I also have a Power Horse 7500 watt inverter gen set that is very quiet but it is gasoline only.
Thank you for this excellent video. I will be converting my Honda Eu 3000 over to propane after viewing this video. Carry On Sir.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
My cheap off brand 3750 that I converted by swapping the carb. runs 22 hours with a fridg, freezer, pellet stove, normal lighting and a computer..
@@twistedhillbilly6157 that’s awesome
Regular octane fuel is cheaper that propane but when the temps are over 90 degrees my Predator 3500 inverter generator needs the high octane fuel to run right. We went camping in the summer and ran my AC on my camper all day and the generator was very thirsty.
I think propane is the way to go.
Good points! Thanks for watching!
would have been neat to see the tank sitting on a scale to see consumption in real time / time laps. considering converting my whole house generator to propane. storing gasoline is a pain.
Thanks for watching and good idea! If I do a follow up I’ll use a scale
Thanks for the info. My Honda EU2000 can run this wattage on 1 gallon of gas for 10 hours.
This makes sense due to your generator having a bigger engine.
The EU2000 is still more efficient with 1 gallon of gas costing about 4 bucks.
The 20lb propane tank costs more.
Honda absolutely makes a great generator! Just a little pricey. Thanks for watching!
One thing I want to point out if folks don't know, it makes a big difference WHERE you get your propane. If you go to a hardware or other place with those exchange tank deals be aware that for safety they ONLY fill the tanks 75%. I started going to a farm supply place and they fill it full and my BBQ lasts way longer between refilling.
@@bailey9r I totally agree! It’s way better to have it filled than exchange it! Thanks for watching!
All propane tanks are filled no more than 80%, room is left for expansion. If filled completely up there is a high chance of the tank rupturing.
@@Gh0stDrag0n1 Well I may be off on my % quote but the trading tank places fill them way less than a place that fills your tank for you. And way cheaper too.
Just a suggestion for your next test with this system...get a bathroom scale and set the full tank on it for initial weight. After a time, the scale will show loss of weight as propane is used up. This will work very well for timing at a glance, based on tank weight. Good video, thanks for sharing.
Thank you and that’s a great point! I will absolutely weigh the tank next time and do a follow up.
Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper look on your tank for the "Tare weight" (stamped on the collar, usually) which is the weight of the tank when empty. Subtract tare weight from the actual weight of the tank and what you are left with is the amount of propane (in lbs) that you have in the tank.
Definitely helpful! Thank you for doing the test
Glad it was helpful!
That's a pretty honest test for a small generator on propane. You lose about 25 percent power, and the upside is cleaner burning and longer engine life. The downside is more fuel consumption and excess ability in certain areas.
Thanks for watching!
If the generator does not have an oil filter you have to change the oil every 24 hours. The last price of a a 20lb tank of propane at one of these propane dealers on a refill is about $34. If you have to run the generator for 24 hours you are looking at $76 dollars per day.
About 3 months ago we had several tornados knocked out power here in Houston, Texas to 2.3 million people. Our power was out for 6 days. We have a Generac natural gas whole house generator. It came on and run for 6 days straight. I did shut it down every other day to check the oil and started it back up. After the 6 days I went out and changed the oil filter and 2 quarts of 5W-30W pure synthetic oil. About a month later we had a hurricane and the generator ran for another 3 days 24/7.
When we got our natural gas bill we subtracted our normal usage and it cost us $24.00 per day for natural gas. I do own a 7kw Onan gasoline generator but I got tired of having to store gasoline not knowing if I was ever going to use it. This is why I had a Generac 20kw whole house generator installed.
I talked to the company that installed our generator. It is not the first of September 2024 and they told me they are backed up on installing generators to January 2025. We had over 45 people die of heat related events during this time.
@@dhansel4835 Thanks for Watching! Where I live a propane refill is $20. It’s actually cheaper for me to have it refilled then one of the 75% capacity exchange tanks at the big box stores
@@Outdoor_Prepper @dehansel4835 is saying that if the natural gas utility is operational, the fuel is about 33% the price of propane and presents no fuel storage complications.
Our local North Texas Ace Hardware refills from empty are $16.
My area of SC, just got several 20 lb tanks, actually filled, only $12.00 per tank.
@@Outdoor_Prepper I use ethanol-free gas. Way more energy in gas than propane and it's much easier to fill a gas can than a propane tank.
I believe regulations state 85% full is the max for safety reasons. The manufacturer and model of the gas to proane adapter can make a difference in the efficiency of conversion.
Agreed - when I say full I mean 80-85%. The exchange tanks only fill to 70-75%.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your time kind Gentleman 👍
Thank you and thanks for watching
I use Yamaha inverter generators. The EF4500iSE's fuel tank, boasting 4.5 gallons, allows it to operate for up to 15.2 hours with a full tank (with an estimated fuel consumption of 0.3 GPH).
Thanks for watching!
Liked the video, pretty long winded though! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
I like how quiet that generator is. I think it would power my RV fine.
Thanks for watching! It would be great for an RV and has a tt-30 plug!
Curiosity is getting me. If you are running the space heater outside in the summer time, what is the outside temp? Is the heater actually running non stop or does it have a thermostat and it is cycling?
Good question! It’s actually running non-stop and doesn’t have a thermostat. It’s either low 700watts or high 1500 watts.
Thanks for watching!
Twice last year had no power for 5 days each two weeks apart. Have a 5000w Gas generator.
Powered my well and various refrig/freezer, tv etc. There is if you don’t know a conversion kit that allows you to run gas and turning fuel off at tank also run on propane. Haven’t used the propane much but it works well. Don’t know if that conversion kit is still made - I got it 25 years ago. My gen is 25 years old Campbell Hausfeld.
Use non alcohol gas for easy start and about a year or more no problem running. I store the gen inside heated garage - no rust.
P.s. If you’re gonna run a water well - ya need 240 on yer gen.
Those are some great points! Thank for watching!
Shoulda just weighed the tank before and after an hour of runtime. Some quick math would have saved you, and your viewers, a lot of time.
Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepperthere is always some assholes.
@@Thoreau-e4lLol, always.
@@Thoreau-e4l He's not wrong. Kinda silly to do the test this way, really. Constant load, just run it for an hour, maybe 2. Weigh the tank before you start, weigh the tank when finished. Easy enough to figure out the pounds of fuel per hour without having to actually burn a whole tank of expensive propane.
Do that on your channel hotdog
A 20 pound tank holds 20 pounds of propane.
We ran one on our garage freezer after Helene. Ran for nearly 2 days. The pole is fixed, and I don't have to drain the gas tank. :)
That’s great! Thanks for watching!
Yes thank you very much for this
@@johngilley9815 Thanks for Watching!
I was told the 75% full was a safety precaution due to the fact that the gas can expand and it prevents issues. Explosions ect.
@@flynt1977 I think 80% is considered full and the exchange tanks are filled to 70-75%. Better to get a tank filled than exchanged.
Thanks for watching!
Remember that a generator is totally inefficient if run at zero load! Use the generator at no less than 50% load. When running a generator charge everything! -phones, tablets, powerbanks, torches, laptops, walkie-talkies -EVERYTHING.
Propane and butane cylinders should be filled by weight, use bathroom scales to determine the gas content. If your cylinder will be refilled then write the empty weight on the cylinder, otherwise you will have to read the small markings on the metal label every time.
Thanks for that info and thanks for watching!
a normal generator runs at 3600rpm for the sine wave, but an inverter genny can run at 1800 rpm and ramp up for more power. So save more GAS. Load is the question.
@@davidholm980 thanks for watching!
We just had a hurricane and lost power for 4 days. My 7500 watt generator, using about 3500Watts average, cost about $40 a day to run, two 6.5 gallon tank fulls. My neighbors propane, using about the same wattage cost him about $60 a day usage. Talking to other neighbors, this was about the norm. My neighbors daughter, having a full house generator on natural gas, was costing her about $125 a day.
Thanks for watching!
If you only need 1500 watts, why did you buy a 5000 watt generator?
Generally I will pull about 1500watts but I might be powering the furnace in the winter or a window ac in the summer and if they were to kick on at the same time the surge watts would be closer to 5000. Having a 5000 watt surge capacity is important to me. It’s also better to go slightly higher and use less of its rated power than to be operating closer to the upper limits in terms of longevity. Thanks for watching!
He stated that he bought it for running an air conditioner or a furnace and other appliances early in the video, he's only testing 1500 watts not on eco mode to see how long it will run on 20lbs of propane.
It's really amazing that you got 12 hours on that small tank, I never would of figured that possible. Thanks for the video
@@Outdoor_Prepper I was in Fiji Islands during Winston Cyclone Cate 5. Lost power for a month. Luckily was able to get a 2.2K Gen at HW store because my good friend was a higher up there. Believe me there were 20 people trying to buy that last unit. I powered Frig, some lights, phone charger etc.. but at night I maxed it out running a small mini split AC in one room because it was so hot/humid. I had to go back to US and my wife stayed and continued to use it. Buy the end of the month right before the government restored the power the unit seized up and fried. My guess is in the AM the unit ran out of gas and would stop after running nonstop at full load. It got too hot doing that over and over and fried. They gave me another one out of warranty. I would have got a more powerful one but was lucky to get what I got. CAT 5 winston cyclone was crazy. I'm considering this 5K predator with the propane setup for back up. I should pick one up because if the shit hits the fans good luck picking one up after a major event hits the power grid.
One small thing, propane tanks from the exchange places only have 15 pounds in them ( it says on the label). Take your tank to a fill station and they put 20 pounds in it.
I totally agree! Exchange tanks are a rip off and you’re better off getting them filled at an independent dealer
I don't know what the hell google did to youtube. On some videos including this one. It keeps giving a error that say's if playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device, and then it just buffers and never plays. It only happens with some videos, and for some reason it happens a lot with this persons stuff. A person should not have to restart their laptop or PC to watch a youtube video.
Thanks for Watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper To be able to watch your video. youtube made me restart my laptop. You are lucky I found it again.
Thanks for doing this video. It's a question I've often wondered about. I also have been a person who has propane tanks refilled rather than swapping them. One problem with this is the rubber seal in the tank connection. Over time those rubber seals deteriorate, and they are not customer replaceable. When I asked the my propane refill vendor about this he said the only solution was to swap the tank. In theory the swapped tank rubber seals get some attention. I don't know if this is true but I seem to have no other option when they start to leak.
Some valid points for sure! Thanks for watching!
Remember that if you want to run electronics you'll want an inverter generator to produce clean power. Standard generators are not designed to run sensitive electronic devices or appliances.
Thanks for watching!
All Powerhorse non- inverter gens have less than 5% thd. A few Generac do as well
Great video. So much info for so many in such a simple video. I like these tests and everyone else should perform these tests for themselves on thier own situations so they have a great idea on how its really gonna go for them in the real emergencies.
Thank you! And thanks for watching!
I love how you assume that, in an emergency your cell phone and internet service will be functioning and you'll be sitting around the house with all the lights on. After hurricane Camille we had no electrical service or phone service for 9 months. Fortunately, we had an artesian well. Keep some quality tape around to place around the doors on the fridge and freezer. Candles never seem to fail like batteries. The nice thing about this new generation of inexpensive generators is they feature an easy way to daisy chain them.
@@wesstubbs3472 I make no assumptions that anything will work but do want to have the ability to keep the phone charged should I be able to get service. Those are some good points as well about the fridge and freezer! Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Oh, yeah, unless you plan on running the AC, you need screens and windows that open. Just like "the old days."
A television with or without an emergency is a complete waste of time and energy.
Thanks for watching!
I always start mine in eco mode and let it run for a few minutes to let the system warm up some before I put a load on it.I do think that will extend the life of the unit.
Totally agree with you! Thanks for watching!
Sorry. No trained and responsible person that fills propane cylinders will fill to 100%. Any slight increase in pressure will cause the relief valve to vent. If it’s inside your car when that happens you have a big problem. If the humidity is very low the propane can ignite from the static charge - no additional ignition source is required.
@@arlenbell4376 by full, I mean opd trip off full, but that still leaves some extra space. The exchangeable tanks are significantly underfilled and not a good value. Thanks for watching!
Be we will still charge you for it. 😅
That's not what he said. He fills it to the 80 percent setting on the OPD. That's fully full. Not overfilled. You're right. Never fill past the OPD!!!
A champion 2500 Watt inverter generator is supposed to run about 35 hours on propane at half power. Generators do put out a little less power on propane than they do on gasoline.
I actually have the champion 2500w dual fuel and think the 35 hour runtime at 1/4 load is amazing!
Thanks for watching!
@Outdoor_Prepper I have yet to actually run gas in mine . . .
12 hours seems right in line with the fuel consumption rating of the generator with how you ran it. You could probably stretch out to nearly a week of run time if you did the following:
1. Go for bigger tanks like a couple of full 30 lb tanks. 30 lb is a more practical size for a portable generator as it is still easy enough to carry and load into your vehicle for refueling, and Flame King makes one with a float based fuel gauge. Also, a little more surface area so the tank doesn't cool down as much as propane is a natural refrigerant and you are doing a one way refrigeration cycle by boiling propane to burn in your generator. Granted, your tank is probably far from getting cold enough for there to be any real issues. Maybe in the dead of winter, you want to keep the tank from frosting up. Tank pressure when there is liquid propane in the tank is based on temperature and it takes really cold temperatures to push the temps below what the regulator is designed for, like arctic cold, keeping in mind you are using a refrigerant that will make things colder as you boil and depressurize it as it makes its way to the generator for consumption. There is moisture in the fuel, it is inevitable, so probably want to keep things above freezing in order to avoid ice buildup in the fueling system. And unlike a Boeing 777, which still had problems with ice buildup in the fueling systems on high altitude flights over the poles until Boeing found and corrected it, that propane system has no system for melting ice in the fueling system. So say putting the tank behind the generator makes sense for winter time. It does not make sense in warmer environments and especially if say you are in Phoenix in the summer time, you are trying to keep the tanks from getting too hot and venting to keep the pressure from getting too high in the tank. After the tank exceeds 140 F (say it is 115 F outside and the tank is in direct sunlight, making it hotter), it will start venting.
2. Pick up an off grid all-in-one inverter and associated LFP battery. Here is the thing if you do it right. These all-in-on units can run off of batteries. They can take power from a generator and limit the pull so as to not overload the generator. They can quickly charge the battery off of the generator. And you can also hook up solar panels and it will buffer the solar power in the batteries. And all of this doesn't cost that much. There are other pre-packaged solutions, but they cost a lot more. You can put together a 3,000W inverter and a 2.5 kWh LFP battery for under $1,000. Once you put this together and hook up things like your fridge to it, your generator can be off most of the time. You could also break this up into a discrete inverter and a discrete charger and run the charger when the generator is going. If your main load is your fridge, a fridge will pull anywhere from 1.8 kWh / day to 4 kWh / day depending on how old it is, possibly more if it is really old and on the edge of failure. A fairly cheap and portable LFP battery will hold 2.5 kWh, so plenty for overnight usage on just about any home fridge and a full day for a newer fridge. I suppose if you go for a big all-in-one off grid inverter unit and it won't accept 120V generator power, you could use a separate 120V charger to charge the batteries off of the generator. Or maybe use a transformer to boost 120V to 240V, granted most of the transformers you find for this look kind of sketchy and it is hard to find something that would be a good idea for the job.
3. When you start thinking about it, your average home load is probably less than what this generator can put out. The main problem really is you don't have a storage mechanism with the generator by default, so the generator has to be able to handle the peek load for the stuff you intend to run in an emergency. Sizing for peak load, especially with a home transfer switch, you could end up with a rather large generator and use gobs of fuel that is largely wasted turning that big generator. Once you have a system of buffering power and delivering peak power away from the generator, the generator can be more focused on continuous load charging batteries and such and then be shut off so you can coast on batteries for a while. It is an extra expenditure for sure, but it really cuts down on generator size and fuel consumption. And if you are looking to keep everything cheap and portable, breaking up the tasks can get things into small, portable modules. A small, portable generator. Small enough propane tanks to carry around and load into your vehicle. Small enough battery to carry or load onto a dolly. A small enough inverter to carry around. Maybe for peek power you disconnect the battery charger and have both the battery - inverter setup and the inverter generator delivering power to your stuff at the same time or you are using a small enough charger to where you have loads on the generator in addition to the charger going. You are not going to run everything around the clock, so maybe some stuff just takes the generator power and other things like your fridge would be running off of the battery - inverter setup for more round the clock power. As long as the loads are small, say not much more than 6,000W peak output, then things can stay cheap and portable. Only if you have big intermittent loads, then maybe you spend more on the battery - inverter setup and start thinking about making the battery - inverter part of your setup more stationary and maybe more of a focus on hooking solar panels to it with the generator there to keep the batteries from running out of juice if the solar panels can't keep up. And if you want something pre-packaged that does all of this and is portable, it does exist, just for an extra cost to get it in the format you want. Granted, if you live in California, a lot of generators in general are not CARB certified, so you may come up short on the generator component designed to go with some of these systems.
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All in all, when you look around, just having an emergency backup generator, while generators are relatively cheap, it is not a very efficient option for extended outages and fuel storage starts becoming a problem. Plus, you may be in a situation where you have to wait a while for say a storm to pass, before you can go outside and setup a portable generator. When you get into buffering power with batteries and additional inverters, there is a whole sea of options to fit pretty much any need and any budget.
Wow! Those are some great points for sure! Thank you for taking the time to share and thanks for watching!
My left ear totally enjoyed this video. My right ear feels neglected.
Apologies I had a new mic and has a configuration issue. It has since been corrected!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your video. What kind of regulator are you using for your tank.
The regulator came with the generator.
Thanks for watching!
That is a standard 11" w.c. output Integral regulator (silver one) feeding a vacuum demand regulator ( black one )
Tanks.
Real world for us is having a refrigerator/freezer, a separate freezer, a couple of iPhones, and a couple of LED ights running. Keeping the food from spoiling and phones charged are the most important items during a power outage.
@@DanBlake3rd I feel exactly the same way. This generator will do that with no problems at all and give you a good runtime. Thanks for watching!
I agree with you regarding getting your tanks refilled rather than exchanging the tanks. I have a Tri-fuel generator and I purchased a couple of 30 lb tanks specifically for use with my generator. I got them at my local Ace Hardware. That is where I get my tanks regfilled, if you are getting two or more tanks refilled they charge you by the gallon rather than what you pay with an exchange. I also bought a couple empty 20 lb tanks at my local CostCo for use on my griddle. These tanks have a guage on them which makes it easier to see when they are almost empty. Luckily electrical power is farly stable where I live so I haven't really been able to do a real test of the generator. I suppose I should test it out before I really have to use it for real.
I actually thought a 30lb tank with a gauge as well for that exact same reason. Thanks for watching!
@@Outdoor_Prepper Sorry I wasn't clear it was the 20 lb tanks from CostCo that has the gauges. But I suppose if I used a 20 lb tank with the gauge I could estimate how long the 30 lb tank would last. But just like with your test it would depend on the overal load on the generator.
Great video, do you have. Relative temperature and humidity, also what’s your elevation relevant to sea level.
Thanks for watching! I’m right at sea level and the temp was about 76 - low humidity.
My huge query would be how long can you run a single generator before having to service the unit with an oil change? Wouldn't two 3500 watt units with a parallel harness & staggering the service intervals be a better approach?
My personal opinion is to change the oil about every 50 hours . Having 2 is always a great idea especially for redundancy.
Thanks for watching!
I had a similar generator during beryl , ran right under 8 hours , one 5000 btu a/c , 2 box fans , 2 lights , fridge was on 6 hours during the night and we didn’t open it during the day . I froze six 1 gallons jugs before the storm for dispersing in the fridge to keep it cold .
That’s great information! Thanks for watching!
What was the weight of the "full" propane tank you used?
I don’t weigh the tank unfortunately but the propane refilled filled it to its full legal / safe capacity which I believe is 80% or 20lbs. Will weigh next time for sure.
Thanks for watching!
Oh and on the HF page for this model it says "Fuel Type 87+ Octane Unleaded Gasoline" I've never heard of 87+ before; what is that meaning? Thanks
Basically it just uses regular gasoline ( not premium). This unit can also run on propane as it’s dual fuel so that’s a great option! I prefer to use propane as it keep the carb clean and prevents it from getting gummed it - it also burns cleaner .
Thanks for watching!
Good Video. I've Often Wondered What Kind Of Real Time Numbers You Would Get Compared To Generator Manufacturer's Claims. Thank You.
Glad it was helpful!
I do appreciate the effort but....
Single phase...1500 watt...Okay for light duty.
I bought a 7kw Colman in '99 to power my all electric home, sump pump and well were main 'have to have' appliances. It is a 14 hp Vanguard and ran good on gasoline. Converted it 6 years ago to NG when it became available on my Rural Street (new furnace and AC) it definitely had less power but worked for my needs.
Brought it to my new home after the gasoline system quit working (I will fix it eventually) and tuned it to run on your bottled propane. Propane is way better fuel than NG for power output but running the house takes more power than 1500 watts. I haven't needed to use the generator more than an hour but in this real life situation I would expect 6 hours at best.
Again thanks...my home page has my set up for what it's worth.
Good points! Thanks for watching!