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Dual fuel generators


Dave_P

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I'm looking at getting a new generator and been seeing a few advertised with an LPG conversion, running off a propane cylinder.

 

I'm wondering what the benefit of these are?

 

In a car LPG is promoted as being cheaper than petrol but how does that work for bottled gas.

 

For example I can buy a 13kg cylinder of calor gas for around £26 which is £2 per kg. If a kg is the same as a litre then this equates to £2 per litre. I can buy petrol for a lot less than that!

 

So why would I spend around £150 extra on a dual fuel genny? Is it just down to safer storage and wider availability on the cut? Or do people get one of those kits which allow their cylinders to be re-filled from the pump?

 

Thoughts please.

 

Also, does anyone have a Hyundai genny who could give their thoughts on them please?

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I'm looking at getting a new generator and been seeing a few advertised with an LPG conversion, running off a propane cylinder.

 

I'm wondering what the benefit of these are?

 

In a car LPG is promoted as being cheaper than petrol but how does that work for bottled gas.

 

For example I can buy a 13kg cylinder of calor gas for around £26 which is £2 per kg. If a kg is the same as a litre then this equates to £2 per litre. I can buy petrol for a lot less than that!

 

So why would I spend around £150 extra on a dual fuel genny? Is it just down to safer storage and wider availability on the cut? Or do people get one of those kits which allow their cylinders to be re-filled from the pump?

 

Thoughts please.

 

Also, does anyone have a Hyundai genny who could give their thoughts on them please?

 

Have you looked ta the fuel usage of the gas gennys? Maybe email the suppliers

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LPG converted genny benefits:

 

Its safer than petrol

Its cheaper than petrol (even bottled gas)

In most cases you already have propane on board

Safer storage of genny especially if you have never run it on petrol

No need for petrol on board

 

One downside is that it may reduce engine power output slightly over petrol.

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LPG converted genny benefits:

 

Its safer than petrol

Its cheaper than petrol (even bottled gas)

In most cases you already have propane on board

Safer storage of genny especially if you have never run it on petrol

No need for petrol on board

 

One downside is that it may reduce engine power output slightly over petrol.

Is it cheaper than petrol. Can you explain?

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Have you looked ta the fuel usage of the gas gennys? Maybe email the suppliers

Fuel usage is broadly similar.

Dave P, just for info 1kg of LPG is approx 1.9 litres. Hope that helps.

Ah! Now that explains something. I'd been making a ASSumption that propane was of a similar density to water. Hence 1litre=1kg. Clearly not though.

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Is it cheaper than petrol. Can you explain?

1kg propane is just over 2 litres. Of course petrol is pretty cheap at the moment, whereas calor prices haven't come down, so the differential is less than it used to be.

Edited by nicknorman
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Even though the octane rating of LPG is greater than petrol, if the unit is dual fuel it will tend to use slightly more LPG than petrol, with a slight reduction in power. This is due to the engine having to stay tuned for petrol. However a unit set up purely for LPG will be the same/slightly better on fuel consumption and will have no power loss.

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With 47Kg bottles approx half the cost, when you get down to 13Kg its closer to that of petrol I admit. Check out here.

 

 

That doesn't explain anything. Thankfully others on here have so no harm done.

 

So you learnt nothing from the link then ???

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So you learnt nothing from the link then ???

No. Not really. Simply saying something is cheaper without backing it up or explaining why...

 

I don't mean to cause any offence. I've done my research on generators and looked at various pros and cons. However I got one thing wrong on the costing which others have explained.

Edited by Dave_P
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Propane needs to be delivered to the generator at high pressure so you need a dedicated bottle rather than a piped suply from the low pressure

service pipe. With cars ​gas is cheaper than petrol but not as efficient. I preferred gas to power a generator as pouring petrol always carries a risk even when you always refill the generator on the towpath.

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Propane needs to be delivered to the generator at high pressure so you need a dedicated bottle rather than a piped suply from the low pressure

service pipe. With cars ​gas is cheaper than petrol but not as efficient. I preferred gas to power a generator as pouring petrol always carries a risk even when you always refill the generator on the towpath.

 

Does it?

 

If so why does my LPG converted genny have a LP pressure regulator on connection to bottle, and why do the suppliers offer a bbq fitting option to connect to boat gas system?

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I'm thinking now that the LPG version might be the way to go for the following reasons:

 

1. Slightly cheaper to run (13kg bottles)

2. Safer to store.

3. Can store in larger quantities.

4. Easily to source on the canal.

5. Does not 'go off' like petrol when stored.

 

I think I would need some kind of splitter off the cylinder so that I can run two regulators from it - one to the boat, one to the genny. Has anyone else done this?

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I'm thinking now that the LPG version might be the way to go for the following reasons:

 

1. Slightly cheaper to run (13kg bottles)

2. Safer to store.

3. Can store in larger quantities.

4. Easily to source on the canal.

5. Does not 'go off' like petrol when stored.

 

I think I would need some kind of splitter off the cylinder so that I can run two regulators from it - one to the boat, one to the genny. Has anyone else done this?

 

Have a chat with Sail & Trail. They are the company that offered me the BBQ fitting option. I assumed this did away with the LP regulator they otherwise supply. If so you could just fit the opposite sex BBQ bayonet (I believe) connection to your existing gas system.

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I'm thinking now that the LPG version might be the way to go for the following reasons:

 

1. Slightly cheaper to run (13kg bottles)

2. Safer to store.

3. Can store in larger quantities.

4. Easily to source on the canal.

5. Does not 'go off' like petrol when stored.

 

I think I would need some kind of splitter off the cylinder so that I can run two regulators from it - one to the boat, one to the genny. Has anyone else done this?

We have a bbq fitting. It makes life so much easier. IIRC it is installed downstream of the regulator via a tee junction and has a dedicated gas tap immediately upstream of the bbq fitting to satisfy the BSS in case of leakage.

 

Ken

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Have a chat with Sail & Trail. They are the company that offered me the BBQ fitting option. I assumed this did away with the LP regulator they otherwise supply. If so you could just fit the opposite sex BBQ bayonet (I believe) connection to your existing gas system.

You've lost me there. I don't want a bbq. Do you have a link to what you're talking about? Is it a clip-on regulator?

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You've lost me there. I don't want a bbq. Do you have a link to what you're talking about? Is it a clip-on regulator?

It's not a BBQ, it's a quick release fitting to connect a gas bottle to a gas BBQ. Or in our case an LPG powered genny. We have this one here http://www.gasproducts.co.uk/acatalog/Bullfinch_Caravan_Gas_BBQ_Point.html

 

Ken

Edited by NB Ellisiana
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You've lost me there. I don't want a bbq. Do you have a link to what you're talking about? Is it a clip-on regulator?

 

Oh dear this is hard work wink.png - a BBQ fitting as mentioned by myself and recommended by Ken is a convenient way of acheiving the connection you required without having second bottle. Its an option provided by Sail & Trail hence link.

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Hi,

Try

https://www.edgetechnology.co.uk/

 

They specialise in gen sets inc LPG

 

I pay 48p litre for autogas to power my car and fill the motorhome tank, my use on the boat does not justify the cost of a refillable bottle unless I can find a realy cheap "gas it" or "gaslow" tank on ebay etc

 

Ray

Thanks. I'm aware that there are lots of companies who sell gennys. That wasn't really my question.

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Oh dear this is hard work wink.png - a BBQ fitting as mentioned by myself and recommended by Ken is a convenient way of acheiving the connection you required without having second bottle. Its an option provided by Sail & Trail hence link.

I kind of assumed it was some kind of connector. A look through that website brought up a few hits for 'bbq' but nothing which actually explained how it works or what it does or how I would need to connect it to my set up.

 

I have 2x13kg calor bottles in a dedicated gas locker on my rear cruiser deck. There is one hose with a regular on the end which I manually swap over when the bottle is empty. My plan would be attach some kind of splitter to the hose, run one side to the boat as normal and fit some kind of simple connector with a shut off valve to the generator hose. Then I could attach the genny to it when needed but keep it shut off when not needed. If possible I might drill a hose into the side of the gas locker to run the genny hose through so I could keep the 'lid' on the gas locker when the genny is running (but this may have BSS implications).

 

Could someone explain the pros/cons of this approach and how a bbq fitting might work for me. (Without using jargon). If its too much hard work then, of course, feel free to not answer.

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I kind of assumed it was some kind of connector. A look through that website brought up a few hits for 'bbq' but nothing which actually explained how it works or what it does or how I would need to connect it to my set up.

 

I have 2x13kg calor bottles in a dedicated gas locker on my rear cruiser deck. There is one hose with a regular on the end which I manually swap over when the bottle is empty. My plan would be attach some kind of splitter to the hose, run one side to the boat as normal and fit some kind of simple connector with a shut off valve to the generator hose. Then I could attach the genny to it when needed but keep it shut off when not needed. If possible I might drill a hose into the side of the gas locker to run the genny hose through so I could keep the 'lid' on the gas locker when the genny is running (but this may have BSS implications).

 

Could someone explain the pros/cons of this approach and how a bbq fitting might work for me. (Without using jargon). If its too much hard work then, of course, feel free to not answer.

Our gas installation is very similar to yours, ie two 13kg gas bottles in the rear semi-trad area. Our gas locker forms the port side seat arrangement. Both our gas bottles are connected to a double bottle change-over regulator valve. The copper pipework then runs forward from changeover valve, through the gas locker to the cooker in the galley. The copper pipe was tee'd into, in the gas locker, to provide an additional length of about 12 inches of copper pipe to a manual gas shut off valve, and then to the 'BBQ' socket fitting. All this is within the confines of the gas locker so, in the event of any leak, any gas would drain overboard. My genny has a length of flexible gas hose with the other half of the 'BBQ' fitting. The genny is placed on the towpath and the genny's flexible gas pipe is plugged into the 'BBQ' socket using a 'push and quarter turn' action similar to fitting a bayonet light bulb. Once the connection is made, the gas can flow. In theory the BBQ fitting doesn't need a seperate gas tap as gas shouldn't flow if the connection is not made. I had the gas tap fitted as a belt and braces approach and on recommendation of a BSS examiner. I hope this clarifies its use and installation.

 

Ken

Edited by NB Ellisiana
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