Power Portable Generator With Natural Gas?

 I've got a little gennie that, hopefully, won't get much use.

But the thought has occurred to me that in a prolonged outage
gasoline might not be the most convenient fuel to obtain.

I've heard people who have been through the aftermaths of
hurricanes use the phrase "feeding the beast".

We've got natural gas piped right in to our house/furnace.

I'm wondering if anybody has experience with enhancing their
home's natural gas piping to accommodate a tri-fuel-converted
generator.

I'm mainlining a pipe under the lawn and some sort of outlet
rising up near a tree or in the garden shed where the generator
can be attached sort of like hooking up an outdoor barbecue to an
LPG tank.

Anybody been here?
--
PeteCresswell

  Per (PeteCresswell):

Oops... spell checker got me on that one...

SHB "I'm imagining a pipe..."
--
PeteCresswell

 

   I have "been there" for the last several years!  There are lots of other
folks who would KILL to have natural gas available for their generator.  You
are a lucky guy (as am I). There was once a natural gas BBQ in my back yard
that was connected to an outdoor tap in my gas pipe.  It was a simple matter
to run a pipe from that tap to my 4 KW Onan, which was already set up for
propane.  Unfortunately, my setup is dual fuel (LPG/NG) rather than triple,
so gasoline is not an option for me.

   My first choice fuel is natural gas, but I keep a few days supply of
propane just in case the natural gas system does not survive a hurricane.
Switching from one fuel to the other only involves turning on the
appropriate valve and making a slight mixture adjustment.

Vaughn

 


Shutoff Valve, where you tap into the gas main, and at no more than 3ft
from the Gen.

Pipe size, check the conversion kit requirements.
<http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/natural-gas-pipe-calculator-d_1042.html>
Also, here <http://www.propane-generators.com/natural-gas.htm>

Pipe material? I see repairs are made with a flexible pipe, not sure of
the material. There are also blurbs about flexible Stainless pipe, and
braided SS connecting lines.

Document pipe layout, and label.  This may even be a required code.

Theres plenty of conversion kits for all sorts of small engines, shouldn’t
be a problem to fine one for the one you have.

Cheers.

 

  If I were doing a setup, I'd forget about gasoline, LPG & NG only