How to Run a Portable Generator Continuously (Non-Stop)

You may be wondering why you can’t just refuel your portable generator while it’s still running.

I’d counter that with another question: Have you ever put gas in your car without shutting it off?

To be honest, I have. Living in the frigid northern recesses of the United States sometimes necessitates this.

However, that does not mean it is a good idea. Gasoline is highly flammable.

The hotter your engine is, the more likely you are to ignite something accidentally. Now, gasoline itself isn’t flammable in its liquid form.

You can actually throw a match into a bucket of gasoline if there are no fumes present.

Here’s an article about that from the CCOHS, though I believe the article is recommending that you don’t try that.

The article states that “flammable and combustible liquids themselves do not burn. It is the mixture of their vapors and air that burns.”

So, the real danger comes in with fumes that gasoline releases into the air.

A single spark can ignite gasoline fumes in an instant. This is known as the flashpoint. So if your generator is running low, or “running on fumes,” you want to be careful when refueling. Ergo, you’ll need to shut it off.

The most popular portable generator, the Honda EU2200i, gets 8 hours of run time on just about 1 gallon of gas. Your run time will depend on the efficiency of your generator, it’s wattage rating, and the sustained load being drawn from it. A 5,000 watt generator will consume more gas per gallon then most 2,000 watt generators.

Now that you know why you’ll want to shut your gas generator off when you refuel it, you’ll probably want to consider how much fuel your tank can hold. Most portable gas generators can hold anywhere from 1 to 10 gallons of fuel at a time. A decent gas-powered generator can get anywhere from 10 to 13 hours of run time per tank of gas.

A standard 5,000-watt generator will use around 18 gallons of gasoline during a 24-hour period. If your 8-gallon tank gives you 13 hours of run time, you’ll have to stop and refuel it, say, in the morning and in the evening.

This isn’t too bad, all things considered.

The Firman H05751 7125/5700 Watt 120/240V Electric Start Gas or Propane Dual Fuel Portable Generator does exactly that.

It can be run for around 13 hours at a time on each tank of gas. It’s an all-purpose option that can be used in various scenarios. Plus, it runs on propane. We’ll get into that next.

Most large propane tanks, either above or below ground, hold 500 to 1,000 gallons.

Standard propane tanks you find outside your local grocery store are 20lbs and contain 4.5 gallons of propane and weigh about 37 pounds when full.

Expect a propane-powered generator to burn 2-3 gallons an hour.

A 500-gallon tank will power your home continuously for a week. A 1,000-gallon tank will last for 2 weeks.

That being said, your portable propane or dual-fuel generator should still be given rest periods if mandated in your user manual.

Just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that you ought to.

I love the dual-fuel DuroMax XP12000EH as a solid affordable over 10,000-Watt dual fuel generator. If I was buying a propane generator for the first time, this would be my pick.

Since propane burns really clean, you won’t have to worry about harmful residue clogging your carburetor. It is also pretty darn efficient.

There’s a lot of debate about whether propane or gas generators are better for long-term continuous usage. We will take a look at that next.

You may be wondering whether gas or propane is better. The answer is that both are good. It really depends on the situation that you’re in.

Gas Generators: Pros and Cons

Gas generators are super efficient, easy to fix, and reliable. Gas is easy to obtain pretty much anywhere.

Plus, gas burns easily in cold weather.

However, gas may also be expensive and is very flammable.

Also, gas tends to eventually cause all kinds of build-up in your generator’s engine.

You’ll have to clean your carburetor more often and remove any unused gas before storing your unit.

Consider this: almost all gas stations use electricity to power their gas pumps.

This means that in a city-wide power outage, you might not be able to get gas.

Plus, if you are storing your gas at home, you’ll need to have a fuel stabilizer.

Fuel stabilizers are additives that can prolong the lifespan of unused gasoline. (I recommend using Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment for this.)

Propane Generators: Pros and Cons

Propane generators can also be pretty useful.

Propane comes in cylinders that are pretty much impossible to spill. When you do spill propane, it evaporates right away.

This makes it safer to work with in general. Engines running off of propane are also usually a lot quieter than ones running off of gasoline.

In an emergency situation, propane generators are great for power outages.

You don’t need any electricity to fill up a propane tank. Propane also has a really long shelf life.

You can pretty much store propane indefinitely without a fuel stabilizer of any kind. Plus, propane engines are usually quieter while running continuously than gas engines and propane is cheaper than gas for the most part.

That being said, propane engines are more complex than gas engines. This means that if they break, they’re pretty difficult to fix.

Another big problem is that propane isn’t nearly as efficient as gasoline.

You’ll run out of propane much faster if you’re running your generator all day.

Finally, propane is virtually useless in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.