Anything about propane, portable generator will be appreciated

[UTUSN]

Had an 3-5 days' outage in recent years and am expecting increase of those soon. I know *nothing* about generators and propane. Bought a Duromax hybrid, and a friend helped put it together in January and it's been sitting in storage. Have started getting serious about braving the startup.

Have (learned?) decided (YouTubes are fantastic) :

* Will not use gasoline, only propane. Gasoline lots of trouble, corrosive, draining, certain grade, blah.

* Propane 20 lb tank: Hose with regulator - pending on actually getting the tank, buy first one then exchange (not refill).

* Oil - SAE 10W-30 - "engine oil" same as for vehicles?

* Has a main 120/240 connection and two 120s.

*** In between emergencies, can it be used for routine appliances, just to keep it (and me) active? Will this extra curricular use cut down on utilities?

*** Check for leaks. Nowhere near fire.

Anything anybody can tell me will be much appreciated.

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. It's all about the interface. How are you connecting to your panel?

[UTUSN]

3. Haha, when I said i-know-nothing, I really really meant it.

"all about the interface" - no idea. "connecting to your panel" - the propane or the electric extensions?

The pal who helped put it together is an Air Force vet who talks in technical terms, like he thinks he's talking to somebody who knows what he's talking about, and when I ask he says I don't listen, hah.

Nothing has been connected yet. Haven't even bought the propane bottle. *Do* have the hose with regulator and a 4-prong electric extension L14-30.

[UTUSN]

5. By the bye, too late now about your electric self-propelled mower since you already got one.

I've had a Toro 32" for 2-3 years now and haven't had problems. I tried riding mowers twice and they were way too above my pay grade - getting the job done a lot faster but all sorts of problems. I donated the first one to the VFW and returned the second one to the dealer. The self-propelled is a bit more labor intensive but less trouble in the end.

[OAITW r.2.0]

7. Good to hear. Counting on my self Propeled to get me thru the Ryobi downtime.

It was 5 months, last time. So I got an EGO and bought a 2nd powerpack so I can deal with the 2+ acres I have to mow.

[UTUSN]

8. Half a city lot takes me 45 minutes on one charge, so 6 days total.

The charging is about 3 hours so can only do a half lot per day, not to mention that's all I can handle anyway, am 77.

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. 2 power packs get me thru 3/4. When the first goes dead, recharge. By the time the 2nd goes dead, the recharge

has enough to finish the job.

[elleng]

2. Call the propane supply company,

they'll be glad to exchange big, old tank with a small, new one (every 4 months or so, when they feel like it.)

[UTUSN]

4. Music, law - have now discovered another and surprising dimension to you, elleng!

Not to mention a mischievous sense of humor!

No idea about "big, old tank." The 20 lb ones are all over around here - sports stores, grocery stores, convenience stores.

[usonian]

6. This article has a lot of information.

https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/buying-guide/
It actually covers the basics, even for Consumer Reports.

More here:
https://norwall.com/power-expert/How-to-Use-a-Portable-Generator-for-Emergency-Power/

I don't know about whatever you bought, so this is general. Don't know how long a 20 pound tank will run.

Before anything else: If you are talking two-phase 120-220, you are talking backup generator, not an emergency generator.
Such generators are permanently installed and have a transfer switch as part of the installation. Over 5 kw, IIRC.
I have a backup generator.

Emergency generators will keep your food cold and the lights and gadgets on. But be damn careful. See below.

First order of business:
Never backfeed into your home power without a transfer switch. Period.
Know your electricity or ask a real electrician.
Period.

Second order of business:
Keep it away from the house. Exhaust, even from propane, is a no-no.


3-5 days is about right for a gas generator. I hate gasoline, yes and I have a big Generac that will power (and has ppwered) the home for weeks. ( fire danger in the area) It runs on propane.

You can check, but if you have natural gas piped in, it usually works during power outages. They may shut it off during fires.
Make sure that the generator is jetted properly (if natural gas or propane).

[UTUSN]

11. Thanks tons!

[usonian]

13. The electrical hookup is incredibly important.

Use a lockout or transfer switch. Generator output must never contact the power lines. It’s really dangerous to do so. Heed the other stuff as well.

Former EM3 (and electronic, optical and computer engineer here) Stay safe!

[UTUSN]

14. Thanks, will be expecting your supervisory service call! Brisket on Thursdays!

[Mopar151]

10. See if your propane delivery company...

Will set you up with a 100 # bottle.
In NH, you're supposed to use a licensed gas fitter to hook stuff up. Both times we've used one, I've been happy with the work, and I'm race car fussy about this stuff.

[UTUSN]

12. Thanks, sounds sophisticatedly technical for my level.

Thanks but around here I think it's about people grilling and buying the propane at convenience stores - not delivery companies.

[Mopar151]

15. Where are you?

Do folks near you have gas stoves, water heaters, or furnaces? Propane delivery is how that works!
How many hours does a 20# tank run your generator? How "weatherproof" is your resupply plan?

[UTUSN]

18. Hah - short and longer answers to most of the questions!

* Undisclosed, * Yes & Don't know, * A-hah, *No idea yet, * No idea!

*** So the longer versions: While I embarrassingly bare lots especially in Lounge, I self-deceive that I maintain *some* limits on personal bits (like location) private. I'm told that multitudes in my area, in the rurals (I'm in a 100K town) are big users of propane, probably for serious purposes besides the backyard barbecuing. yes gas stoves and water heaters, don't know furnaces. (Am probably dropping unintended clues!1 ) I guess the delivery reference is about the rurals. As I said, the 20 lb bottles are in all stores in town, meaning delivery is not a factor. No idea how many hours a tank lasts for me since I haven't even bought a bottle yet and have not connected and run anything yet. Resupply isn't a factor same as for delivery, since the bottles for me will be on an Exchange, not Refill, basis.

There, I've bared my soul!1 As I said, I'm totally Know-Nothing about this, totally Non-Technical/non-Technician, all the specialized jargon is Greek to me, I don't need the Biggest and Best of anything, just Basic preferably with some-knowing-body "helping" me, meaning doing the job (I pay fairly). Thanks again!

[Mopar151]

19. You seem to be missing my point.

If you do not have gas mains in your neighborhood, then there is a propane delivery company serving your neighbors! BBQ tank availability * is likely to be compromised in the event of power failure, much as ice seems to disappear in similar situations. If you are committed to tank exchange thru a single brand, your options are much more limited.
What if you run out of propane @7 pm on Saturday, with no backup?

[UTUSN]

20. Not about missing. I've noted a couple or more times I'm not savvy about this AT ALL.

And now that you've filled in the explanation, doesn't apply to my situation. Thanks anyway.

[sl8]

16. You might want to check into recommended tank sizes.

Different propane dealers/vendors have charts for this. They take into account temperature, fuel usage, tank surface area, etc.

Depending on the the temperature and rate of fuel usage, too small of a tank won't be able to vaporize enough propane to keep the geneeator running.

[UTUSN]

17. Thanks. All the info has twists, kinks, wrinkles!