How many gallons of propane does a generator use per hour?

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asked Dec 16, 2021 in Lawn Mowers/Garden Tractors by Munhallsokas (860 points)
How many gallons of propane does a generator use per hour?

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answered Dec 16, 2021 by crackedmyhammer (700 points)
Depending on the size of the propane powered generator the propane powered generator will use around 2 to 3 gallons of propane per hour.

If you have a 500 gallon propane tank then the 500 gallons of propane will usually last you around a week of running the propane generator 24/7.

On average a 20lb propane tank of propane will last at least 5 hours at minimal load.

If you increase the load on the generator then the generator will consume more propane.

A generator will run longer on a tank of gasoline for the same amount of fuel as it would propane.

Typically generators run for shorter times on the same amount of propane in gallons as it would on gasoline.

However propane is a better option for fuel for a generator as the propane does not degrade like gasoline does so the propane can be stored longer and you can keep more propane on hand for your generator than you could with gasoline.

Most generators will use around a 1/2 gallon of gasoline per hour depending on the size of the generator and the load on the generator.

If your generator is a 5000 to 7,5000 watt generator then it will usually use 5 gallons of gasoline in 8 hours of run time.

Of course if you increase the load on the generator then the engine will increase in speed and use more fuel.

A generator will use more gas with more things plugged in if the things plugged into the generator are using electricity.

The more electricity being pulled from the generator means the engine will speed up to turn the generator to keep up with the output of the electricity.

So the engine will use more gasoline the more load you have on the generator.

If you plug something in and increase the load on the generator you'll notice the engine will speed or rev up some which means the generator is using more gasoline or fuel.

To make your generators fuel last longer you should use as little of a load on the generator as possible.

The more electricity you pull from the generator the more fuel the generator will use and so the less electricity you use with your generator the longer your fuel will last.

Also the most efficient fuel for a generator is Diesel Fuel.

Diesel Fuel generators use less fuel and last longer than gasoline engines do.

The amount of time that a tank of gas will last in a generator depends on the generators size, generators load and the size of gas tank.

For example if your generator is a small generator up to 1000 watts then it usually has 1 gallon gas tank which can last at light load for around 4 hours to 5 hours.

For a larger generator the 5 gallons of gas will typically last 5 hours to 6 hours depending on the load of the generator.

A 7,500 watt generator will run for up to 8 hours on 5 gallons of gasoline.

The actual run time of the generator on the 5 gallons of gas however depends on the load on the generator.

The more electrical load you put on the generator the more gasoline the generator will use.

But for a light load on the generator the 7,000 watt to 7,500 watt generator will run for up to 5 hours on 5 gallons of gas.

If you put more of a load on the generator then it may use the 5 gallons of gasoline in 4 hours.

If you want to ensure you have enough gasoline to run for for awhile you should have 10 to 50 gallons of gasoline on hand.

Or have a propane generator.

A Generac Whole House Generator can run continuously for up to 125 days before it starts to wear out.

However most times you're usually only without power for a few days to a few weeks in most cases so you can easily run the Generac Whole House generator for those several weeks without any issues and the Generac Generator will still last several years.

Generac engines can weather about 3,000 hours of use, meaning your Generac backup generator can survive 125 full days of use before it starts to reach the end of its life.

However, since you will likely only see a few days without power per year, Generac estimates that these 3,000 hours will spread over 25 to 30 years.

When a generator is running it's not a good idea to put gas in the generator while it's running because of the potential for a spill of gasoline on the muffler which could start a fire.

it's best to shut the generator down and then refuel the generators fuel tank or install a larger fuel tank so that it does not run out as quickly.

However if you do refill a generator while it's running make sure to do so very carefully so as not to spill any gasoline on the hot parts such as the muffler.

Generators can run non stop for several days as long as it has enough oil and fuel to operate.

However if you have a portable generator it's best to shut it down after 14 hours or so to check the oil in it and give it 30 minute rest.

But I have run my portable generator with a larger tank attached for 3 days non stop and then shut it down for an hour while I checked the oil and allowed it to rest for a bit.

Then I started it back up and ran it another 3 days non stop.

When you need to run your generator to keep your refrigerator cold you should run the generator for at least an hour to keep the refrigerator cold every 4 hours.

As long as you keep the door closed on the refrigerator the refrigerator should stay cold enough for 4 hours.

So every 4 hours run the generator for at least an hour.

The refrigerator will usually come on for 20 to 30 minutes and then shut off for a bit and then come back on again.

If you can run a whole house generator or run a generator connected to your entire house then you could run the generator non stop.

This way the refrigerator and other appliances as well as lights will work.

I do this with a 7000 watt portable generator.

I have a separate breaker tied to the main panel outside and a plug on the outside of the house where I plug the generator into with a big 30 amp cord.

Then I can flip the other main breaker off and turn the generator plug breaker on to back feed the power into the house.

This way the incoming power from the meter is shut off so it does not back feed into the electrical grid.

Then I have my entire house powered and can watch TV, keep my refrigerator going, run my space heaters, computer etc.

I usually let it run all night so I always have power.

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