Natural Gas Generator conversion kits

[MORAY]

Today while searching for some information on my generator I found someone who had converted his to natural gas. With all the problems finding gasoline and gas cans I thought this sounded like a great idea especially since I have a natural gas line on my deck. I guess it makes sense but i hadn't even thought about it. They make conversion kits for propane too. The whole gasoline thing with this is a pain in the ***. I just wish I could have found this earlier this week and I would definitely go for that.

The other pain with these things is they have to be protected from rain. They should just build them with a case so they are capable of running outside since you can't run them in a garage that I don't have anyway. Oh well, I think I'm definitely going to pursue looking into that NG modification.

[zyklonbmovie]

build a wood house for your generator with an exaust hole at the bottom for your main exaust and leave a space underneath the over hang of the roof you put on it, luckily the guy behind me is a roofer and he had material that i could put on the roof so it didnt leak in , a tarp or some other kind of plastic would work fine if it is attached right

[Phildirt]

can you post a link?

[Lutefisk]

I've been looking for a good source for a conversion kit. Some are actually dual fuel - both gas and LP. And, since I have an LP tank buried in my back yard that would work great for me.

What I would really like is one of those ultra-quiet Honda generators that can run 10 hours on a tank of fuel. Too bad they cost abour 4X as much.

Paul

[MORAY]

I basically built a temporary structure for it and then tarped it so I'm good to go now.

As far as a link,I didn't get real far on the best source for one since I couldn't get the exact model number off my generator and I basically ran out of time. I guess it is a OEM B&S version and so harder to get the model #. The model number that is on the tag just doesn't match anything I have found so far. I'll come back to this when I find out more details. But, do a google search for the engine you have and natural gas or LP conversion and there are many that come up. There are a bunch of generators on Ebay right now and that is where I found one that a guy had converted. One thing I did read about this is they run 40-50 degrees cooler and it doesn't build carbon like gasoline does. Plus, it runs quieter.

The Honda is nice but cheap is better than quiet for me.

[Lutefisk]

From what I understand about vehicle propane conversions you lose about 10% power but gain a lot of engine life.

Paul

[MORAY]

Well, I just ordered a conversion kit from Alternate Fuel Technologies 877-425-8383. The guy is basically a rep and the kit is shipping from MN. It will be dual fuel so I'll let everyone know how it works when I get it installed. It's not cheap to do but the gasoline thing is a mess. We shall see.

[Lutefisk]

Which generator do you have and what was its approximate cost. I think they are in th $120-150 range.

Paul

[BoricuaMojao]

did any of you do the cost comparison between the fuels? propane, natural gas, and gasoline.

[MORAY]

I have a generac with a B&S engine. I'm getting one for 139. One place I talked to was getting hammered with orders for Florida and couldn't tell me when they would ship. Mine shipped today.

Fuel costs were not my driving factor for this as it is not something that will run long term and the differences are not huge, but I did ask about it. NG will not really save money. I hope! Natural gas is a really reliable source and I don't have to worry about how much gasoline is in the tank and filling the thing in the rain, etc... I can tell you that natural gas has been a great asset during these power outages, especially for hot showers.

The whole gasoline thing has been a major pain since I was without power for both hurricanes for multiple days, although not as long as some have been. Also, having to mess with gasoline twice a day (at least) and then the possibility of somehow contaiminating the tank is a major downside for me..

We are all spending a ton of time on hurricanes as of lately and the less to focus on the better.

I'll let everyone know how this works out.

JW

[MORAY]

Hey Everyone, here is an update on the NG conversion kit. I got it hooked up and the instructions suck but I don't usually read them anyway unless I can make it work. Anyway, I got it to start right of the bat yesterday and then I couldn't make it work today. However, after much dedication I figured out the problems and it works! No more gasoline to go get, pour in, spill etc....

However, even though it is dual fuel the NG plate must be taken off to run on gasoline because it restricts air flow. So, if any of you were thinking about doing this I would recomend it. Of course, I know I'll be out of power for days where some of you won't even lose power.

Good luck with Jeanne everyone.