Posted by Odilia,
We’re having a wicked winter season here, and have had several power outages, which is highly uncommon for my part of the world. I’m thinking of picking up a gas generator that could be used to run a few smaller appliances or other stuff if the power goes out for any serious length of time. What are the best types of home electric generators? I’m debating between propane, gasoline and diesel power. Each seems to have its advantages and disadvantages, but I’d like to get some feedback from someone who has “been there” and can give me some real-world feedback. Which type of fuel do you prefer, and have you run into any problems with one or more of them? All three are pretty widely available in my area, so that’s not an issue, I’m just curious about things like noise levels, efficiency, messiness, etc.
I’ve got a propane generator and I’m pretty happy with it. It runs longer on a single fill than my old gas model did, and it’s cheaper to operate as well. The only issue is that you have a close supplier for propane, since if the power’s out you probably don’t want to have to go far to refill it.
I prefer gasonline powered generators, mainly because you can get gas almost anywhere. Not all gas stations carry propane or diesel, so it can be a bit tricky to find them in some places. If your local station carries them all, you’re okay, but if you travel with it, stick with gas.