Generator Fuel: Propane, Gasoline, Diesel and Dual Fuel

Fuel decides more about living with a generator than almost anything on the spec sheet. It sets how long you can run, what you have to store, how the engine behaves in the cold and whether you can tie into a tank or gas line you already have.

I started this page with the questions readers ask me most: how to feed a generator from the house propane tank, how far a cylinder should sit from the exhaust, what ethanol does to a small engine and how much fuel a typical unit actually burns. The gas and wiring side of a permanent hookup is work for licensed pros, and I point that out where it applies.