"Bill Horne" wrote in message
news:1321147426.4755.14.camel@Thinkpad...
This is, of course, a complicated calculation: natural gas is more
convenient, but limits the genset to one location. Diesel is (so I've
heard) less expensive than gas, but the genset will cost more
initially.

If you are reading this, and *YOU* have bought or used any of the
options I've listed, please make your opinion known.

You really don't want to go the diesel route unless you are prepared for a
significant amount of maintenance (both of the genset and the fuel). Stored
diesel fuel grows all sorts of stuff that will quickly plug fuel filters.
In cold weather starting is difficult unless you use auxiliary heaters to
keep the generator warm.

I've dealt with backup power for radio and television stations for forty
five years and standby diesel will absolutely not be reliable, unless you
maintain a rigid maintenance program and exercise the plant religiously.

For a home size plant, I opted for propane, since that is the only heating
fuel available to me, and reasonable run time comes from a 500 gallon
propane tank that would be in place in any event. No fuel stability issues,
reasonable maintenance required, and once I move up to a large enough unit
to deal with a 1-1/2 HP well pump, several pumps for the septic system,
furnace, the incremental cost to go to a 20KW units was very small.

I'm in the Mother Lode part of the Sierra Foothills, and, surprisingly, most
of our long outages come in the summer, when wildland fires cause
transmission shutdowns. The 20 KW unit manages the air conditioning as well
since the compressor is a low starting current scroll type.

Bill
KB0RF