You never know when an emergency or a disaster can strike, so getting yourself prepared is always essential. Having a generator is vital to prevent getting into the fuss of sudden power loss. However, to keep it in running condition, you need to have fuel that’s the power of your generator.
On average, a 5KW generator can consume almost 0.75 gallons of gas in an hour. When you have the complete knowledge of which appliances you want to power and which generator fits your needs, you will be able to have an idea about the fuel you need.
How much gas does a generator use depends on factors like, the type of generator, type of fuel, overall load, etc. These factors influence the amount of gas needed.
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Load On Generator
The whole house running on the generator is a heavy load and will consume more gas, and small personal electronics are light load and won’t consume much energy.
So, it entirely depends on the factors mentioned above how much your generator will use gas. The amount of fuel a generator uses can be calculated only if you know how much power an individual appliance uses.
Average Cost to Run A Generator
Now we know that different fuels in the generators have different burn rates. Therefore, we can estimate how much it will cost to run a generator depending on the running and fuel type in a particular generator.
Gasoline Generator
The average gasoline cost is $2.89 per gallon, and running a gasoline generator for an entire day will cost you $46.80.
Diesel Generator
The current average cost of diesel is $4.34 per gallon; therefore, when you run A diesel generator for an entire day, it will cost you $52.08
Propane Generator
A propane fuel using a generator for when Run for 24 hours will cost you ever $115.19 because the per-gallon rate for propane is $3.38.
Natural Gas Generator
The rate of national natural gas per thousand cubic feet is $20.40; therefore, when you run a natural gas generator for 24 hours, it will cost you $58.75
Tips for Lowering the Fuel Consumption
The fuel consumption of generators is different for different generators. A fair amount of money is spent on generators, and this turns out very costly.
Whatever the type of generator you choose for yourself but there are several ways by which you can save the cost of fuel. The following measures can lower fuel consumption.
Avoid Using Water Heaters
Try to use the gas stove to heat water when you are running a generator. This will lower the consumption of energy when you are not using the water heater. It is suggested not to use the water heaters when you are running the generators.
Use Less Power on Generators
Ensure that the extra lights, bulbs, and fans are turned off when the generator is in use. Also, the light bulbs should be of low energy so that less power is consumed and hence less fuel is wasted.
Avoid High-Energy Appliances
Not all the appliances used the same power. Try to use the low-energy devices when a generator is being used and avoid using the appliances that use higher energy.This will lower the fuel consumption and save you money.
Use Low Voltage Compressor
The refrigerator’s motor can be replaced with a low voltage compressor so that less energy and hence less fuel are used when the generator is running.
It is not necessary to use a low voltage compressor with a generator only. You can also do this when the refrigerator runs on electricity to avoid hefty bills.
Check for The Parts of Generator
The generator should be checked and maintained regularly to avoid any damage or leak. When there is a damaged part in the generator, it uses more fuel to run, and the flow is not smooth; therefore, the fuel consumption increases many folds.
Avoid Underloading of Generator
Another surprising thing that might cause the fuel to be consumed in a higher quantity is the underloading of a generator. The generator increases the fuel consumption to reach the required operating temperature when underloaded.
Some people do not put much load when the generator runs to lower the fuel consumption, but this is a false assumption. Give the generator the full load that it uses to avoid extra fuel consumption.
Avoid Carbon Deposits
The generator starts to heat almost all the components in its burning phase. All the oil, fuel, and gas are burning along with certain parts of the generator. At such time the carbon deposits must be removed because they might increase fuel consumption.
Clean the Generator Regularly
The generator components should be potentially cleaned with chemical solutions. It is better to see a professional because the components need to be hand-washed one by one. This will make the fuel last longer by restricting the consumption due to wear and tear.
There is no primary measurement about how much fuel a generator uses because the usage and consumption are variable. Certain factors decide the consumption, and certain aspects help in reducing it.
Type of Generator
Different designs of the generator also differ in the quantity of gas consumption. To check the gas consumption, you need to pay special heed to the type of generator powering your house and offices.
The most popular generator types are standby, portable, inverter, and tri-fuel generators. A little explanation about the generators can help you in getting the necessary knowledge.
Standby
This kind of generator has a lot of power to quickly give you access to electricity for a lot of hours in a day. Standby generators are often used in calamities where it becomes necessary to have a power connection for long periods. However, it consumes a lot of gas because of its large size.
Portable
This type of generator has its fuel capacity that lets you know how much fuel is needed. These are small, so they can’t handle a lot of things at a time. With its capability being better than inverters but lesser than standby generators, a portable generator can easily power your refrigerator. Still, it won’t be able to power the air conditioners or heating systems in your homes. They Can only be used for a minimal time for running large appliances. But, it indeed consumes much less gas.
- Inverter
Out of the enormous variety of generators available in the market, the inverter generator is the smallest and the most convenient option to exist.
Inverter generators are mainly used for quick charging. They can charge small devices like laptops, mobile phones, and car batteries. The inverter generators are not important here because they do not use fuel for operation.
Tri-Fuel
This kind of generator consumes three different fuel types to choose for powering them up. The fuels include natural gas, gasoline, and liquid propane.
Type of Fuel
The type of fuel is also essential to know how much it will use. It is because some burns faster, and some lasts longer.
Diesel
The diesel gives you the most efficient burn. It is the slowest burning fuel than all others. Diesel generators are a cheaper option, but they have some severe side effects on the environment.
They have higher emission levels, although they can be used in significantly low quantities. E.g., if you have a 1000KW size generator, it will consume 7.1 gallons per hour.
Natural Gas
It is the most convenient option for the home because every house has its lines coming making it easy to power the generator. However, it burns super-fast. If you have a 1000KW generator, you need 9883 cu. ft. per hour.
Natural gas is usually less harmful to the environment than diesel, but it cannot be considered an utterly environment-friendly option. Using natural gas as a fuel for generators can be annoying because it prolongs the starting time of generators.
Gasoline
It is the most comfortable option because of its availability. They are mostly less expensive than other models. This is why most house owners go for a generator that can run on gasoline.
The consumption of gasoline is moderate. Per hour a gasoline generator can consume 0.75 gallons. But such generators need to be refueled regularly. Gasoline is usually hard to find in emergencies.
Propane
It is versatile because of its easy availability. Propane-powered generators consume relatively less. A 500 gallon of propane can fuel a home for seven days.
The generators operating on propane are top-rated and convenient for the areas where it is a task to carry other fuel types.
READ MORE: What Can a 3500 Watt Generator Power?
