Jim,
I have backup generators at my home and at my retreat. Both are propane powered. The generator at the retreat is a low speed (1800 RPM), liquid cooled generator. I have run it for up to 10 hours straight, with no problems.
The vast majority of us “off the grid” folks have low speed propane generators. They are very reliable and fuel storage is not an issue since propane does not go bad. Most residences that I have seen, run the house and generator off of the same 500 gallon tank. My generator has a dedicated 500 gallon tank, as does the house. Next year I plan on installing a 2,500 gallon underground propane tank.
I have started my propane generator at 10 degrees F with no problem.
I bought both my generators from Norwall Power Systems,. Regards, – PED
Jim,
George B. ‘s site is an excellent source of info for building your own diesel genset. I had purchased one of the Changfa 22HP single cylinder diesel engines before the EPA ruled against their sale here in the US.
The info alone on the Lister CS diesel (clone) engines is very valuable for all interested in off grid power.
I also bought a generator head (12 KW) from Georges friend’s store (Powerful Solutions).
This web page is a good example of a Lister CS diesel clone employed for power in hurricane prone Florida and the progress of the learning curve needed to keep power for the duration of four hurricanes.
I hope this helps your readers a good bit. – Tim P., on top of a wind swept ridge
Jim,
I have not yet gotten to the level of ordering one of the [generators from] Powerful Solutions, but want to. I did find the driving engine also for sale in Minnesota, I think. This same individual had 1,800 RPM generator heads for sale, they look like exactly what we should be getting for Schumer time. It is always Schumer time here, he is one of my senators. Guess who the other one is. Talk about depressing!! Check out his store: Powerful Solutions. He has practically a kit that will fix a retreat right up. – Sid in New York State
James:
Regarding Diesel generators, the diesel tractor with Power Takeoff (PTO) generator option is important to consider. Many people own a diesel tractor already, they are extremely handy if equipped with a front end loader in homesteading situations. They are sturdily built, and designed to run for extended hours. The PTO drive generators are available in a variety of sizes, as low as 7 KW, ($1,500 including trailer to carry it), and up to 75 KW, my personal unit is a 25 KW Onan. The other advantage is that the tractor is generally used on a regular basis, so fuel is kept fresh, batteries charged and the machine maintenance is kept in mind. Contrast this with a generator that often sits unused in the back of a shed until needed, will it start? For the price of a good quality dedicated genset, a multi-use tractor and a PTO generator is much more survival friendly. – DD
Mr. Rawles,
Thanks again for your very informative web site. I continue to enjoy my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course. In my search for a good generator/drive system, I have run across a design that seems to be among the most durable. It is referred to as a “Lister.” One can do a web search on “Lister” or “Listeroid” to get started. These engines were designed by the British and have been known to run almost continuously for years and even decades, according to posted accounts. The Brits discontinued manufacturing new units in the 1980s, but there are enterprising folks in India that continue to make clones (hence the “Listeroid” name). One caution on the India units: many accounts I have read indicate that new units still have some (a lot?) of casting sand in the interior. If you purchase one of these units, be sure to tear it down before you run it and make sure that the sand is cleaned out. While this may sound daunting, it actually will illustrate one of the key qualities of this design – simplicity. The valve train itself is on the outside and the unit is intended to be owner-serviced and maintained.
In addition, these diesels are started with a hand crank. This is possible because there is generally a large, heavy flywheel mounted on the crankshaft. This flywheel develops the inertia to assist in overcoming the high compression that most diesels require to fire. So, again – simplicity due to the absence of electric starting. One other quality that David V. was seeking was low RPM. These diesels generally run in the 600 to 1800 r.p.m. (depending on size/number of cylinders) with most operating in the lower part of the range.
Now the best news of all – there is a company in the US called Old Style Listers that builds them – from scratch! They are located in Washington state. I have spoken to the owner and visited the web site. They don’t make many each year and they’re not cheap, but quality rarely is inexpensive. In my conversation with the owner, he told me that they are fitted with a [large] muffler for an automobile and, therefore, operation in a residential area results in little or no disturbance to the surrounding neighborhood. He said that they routinely run theirs in a residential zone and holding a conversation nearby is no problem while it runs. According to the web site, they have cylinder heads that boast a duty cycle of at least 100,000 hours – that’s almost 11.5 years. I hope this provides some food for thought for David V. and others. Thanks again for such a complete, informative site. I consider it required daily reading.
P.S. on another note I have used your rather thorough treatment of derivatives to inform my wife (a CPA) about my outlook and concerns regarding future large-scale financial problems. She found it quite eye-opening – something of a big “aha” experience. Thanks again for all that you provide for us on your site. – Rob in NC