How long will a Generac generator run on 250 gallons of propane?
Most standard tanks contain anywhere from 250 to 1,000 gallons. Typical home-use will burn through around 2 to 3 gallons of propane an hour. So a 1,000-gallon tank will see you through around two weeks of outages.
If you're looking for a Generac home standby generator, you'll need to decide on the propane tank size. Generally, it's good to have a tank that holds between 100 and 500 gallons of propane. A 100-gallon propane tank will last 1-2 days, while a 500-gallon tank can last 7-10 days..
As for another example, again depending on what you are powering and the size of your generator (let's say 20kw in this example), a propane generator may use around 2-3 gallons/hour. So, if you have a 500-gallon tank, which can only be filled to 400 gallons, then a full tank would last you around 6 to 7 days.
Most propane tanks, either above or below ground, are 500 to 1,000 gallons. 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.
Theoretically, a generator can continue running as long as it has fuel to do so. However, some fuels might be more difficult to obtain a continuous supply of during a natural disaster or other emergencies. In essence, you can keep your generator running as long as you have access to the fuel needed to run it.
While gas-powered generators may be more cost-effective up front, propane-powered generators can save you money in the long run. You probably won't be using your generator every day, which means you'll be storing it for the majority of the time. When it comes to shelf life, propane is a far superior fuel supply.
A typical propane-powered 22kW Generac standby generator burns about 2.1 gallons per hour at half load. At around $2.50 per gallon, that's $110 per day. At full load, a propane generator may consume up to 3.6 gallons per hour, costing almost $220 per day.
It costs anywhere from $600 to $1,600 to fill a 500-gallon propane tank. Keep in mind that tanks can only hold up to 80% capacity due to the propane expanding when temperatures increase.
How big should my liquid propane (LP) tank be? + We recommend at least 250 gallons for our Generac automatic standby units.
Propane Usage
According to Generac, a leading manufacturer of generators, a 22-kW generator would burn approximately two gallons per hour (gph) at a 50% electrical load and 3.6 gph at full load. A larger 38- kW unit would burn three gallons of propane per hour at half-load and 5.4 gph at full load.
Is it better to run a dual fuel generator on gas or propane?
MORE EFFICIENT + COST EFFECTIVE: Sure, propane fuel costs more up front, but it also contains more than TWICE the energy of gasoline. A cubic foot of propane = 2,516 BTUs, compared to a cubic foot of gas = 1,030 BTUs. This means propane gas burns longer, lasts longer, and is technically cheaper!
Generac rates the 24kW Generator at 21kW on Natural Gas and 24kW on propane. In the past, applications that needed more than 20kW of power required a more expensive liquid-cooled model and additional installation costs.

Propane Usage Based on Household Square Footage
1,000 square feet will use an average of 440 gallons on an annual basis. 1,500 square feet will use an average of 670 gallons each year. 2,000 square feet will consume up to 900 gallons on an annual basis.
As a general rule of thumb, propane is cheaper per BTU than heating oil. However, seasonal factors and location also play a role.
So if you have to run a generator for 12 hours during a power outage, that will cost you around $36-$60. An equivalently sized propane generator can cost between $6-$10 per hour to run. This is one area where solar-powered generators have an advantage.
Generac recommends shutting units down every 24 hours of operation to check the oil level and air filter. Turn OFF the homes main utility disconnect (located in either the transfer switch or homes breaker box).
There are 91,000 btu in a gallon of propane. That equals 4.56 gallons per hour. That divided into 500 gallons gives about 110 hours, or about 4–1/2 days. Remember, that is full load.
Typical life span for standby generators is 25 to 30 years. For applications operating outside of standby, engine life is dependent on run hours, maintenance cycles, and the quality of installation.
You will have to install a tank that is generally between 250 and 1000 gallons. A typical whole house generator burns about 36 gallons of propane a day. That means even the small tank will run the generator for a full week.
Liquid Propane
Just like in your home, Generac's business standby generators can run on a propane fuel tank supply. Fuel tanks can provide up to 168 hours of run time before they need to be refilled.
What are the pros and cons of a propane generator?
- Easy fuel to get in an emergency. ...
- The fuel has a long shelf life. ...
- It is a clean-burning fuel. ...
- A tank is required for the fuel. ...
- Less efficient than alternative fuels. ...
- The engine has a shorter life expectancy.
According to Generac's product guide, their generator will usually consume 2.39 gallons of propane for every hour of operation. So with a 120-gallon tank, you can expect to have it run continuously for about 50 hours.
A 500-gallon tank holds 400 gallons of propane and can last several months, ranging between 2 to 14 months. On average, homeowners can expect that the tank will last around 5 months with regular use of appliances.
It's cheaper.
On average, it is about $1.76 per gallon cheaper to refill a propane tank versus exchanging. Refilling your own propane tank costs about $3-$4 per gallon while exchanging at a third-party retailer is usually around $5-6 per gallon.
Propane is cheaper than electric.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating a home in the U.S. with a propane heating system costs far less than heating with an electric system.
Does propane expire? Another way you get peace of mind with propane delivery from Bottini Fuel is that propane doesn't have a shelf life or an expiration date. That's because propane doesn't go bad! Other fuel sources can degrade over time, like kerosene, diesel, heating oil and gasoline.
1,000 Gallon Tank
If you use a lot of propane throughout the year and have a larger square footage home between 2,000 to 4,500 square feet, this tank would be a good choice.
So--if the ATS is to be connected to a 100-Amp load center, you will need a 100-Amp Automatic Transfer Switch. If your home is 2500 square feet or less, a 20kW generator should suit your needs well, particularly if you have gas heat and hot water.
This depends on both the size of your generator and how long you plan on running it for. For most home usages we recommend either a 120 gallon tank for short outages (1-2 days) or a 500 gallon tank for more extended time periods (8-10 days).
24-hour tanks are the most common size, though 48- and 72-hour tanks are also available. The tank size indicates the maximum length of time the generator can run.
How many gallons of propane are in a 100 pound tank?
100lb Propane Tanks: A 100lb pound tank is approximately 4-foot tall and 1.5-foot in diameter. These types of residential propane tanks will hold a little less than 25 gallons of propane when full and can be used for things such as home fireplaces, dryers and grills.
Reduced emissions aren't just better for the environment and local air quality, but propane generators generally require less maintenance, which means more reliability and longer lasting performance.
A 20-pound propane tank will run a generator for a total of about five hours. A propane tank of this size can usually carry around 4.6 gallons of propane.
A 7kW generator will run for 66 hours, a 12kW generator will run for 36 hours on a 100 gallon tank at full load.
As mentioned the Generac 22KW and 24KW use the exact same engine, the added power output of the 24KW comes from having a larger generator assembly so... because the 24KW unit outputs more power, in theory the engine should not have to work as hard as one in a 22KW unit to produce the same amount of power.
For Generac 10kW, model #7172, the fuel consumption at 50% load is 36 ft3/hr and at 100% load it is 56 ft3/hr. The fuel consumption for model #7172 at 50% load is 0.97 gal/hr LP and on a full load, it's 1.48 gal/hr. The smallest propane tank we recommend for our automatic standbys is a 250-gallon tank.
If you heat your home with propane and it's cold outside, you are going to use more propane. The same goes for heating with natural gas or electricity. The United States encompasses such a large geographic area that the climate regions of the country range from frigid to tropical.
A 500 gallon propane tank is an efficient option for larger homes (1,500 square feet or more) that use propane for several appliances.
Furnaces, hot water heaters, and gas fireplaces use the most propane in your home. Here's how much propane they use. The average 100,000 BTU propane gas furnace uses approximately 1-gallon-per-hour or 500-1,200 gallons per year.
- Propane produces fewer BTUs per gallon than oil heating.
- Propane-burning equipment often costs more to purchase than heating oil-based systems.
- Propane is combustible in air, so precautions are needed to operate the equipment safely.
What is the cheapest fuel to heat a house?
Natural gas is likely to prove the cheapest way to heat a home if you have this heating option available to you where you live. Although prices have risen, natural gas is the least costly form of space heating. This is followed by electricity, propane, and heating oil, from the next cheapest to the most expensive.
Generally, propane costs a little less than heating oil per gallon.
If you're looking for a Generac home standby generator, you'll need to decide on the propane tank size. Generally, it's good to have a tank that holds between 100 and 500 gallons of propane. A 100-gallon propane tank will last 1-2 days, while a 500-gallon tank can last 7-10 days..
If your Generac uses liquid propane stored in a tank, running times are not indefinite but still considerable. Most standard tanks contain anywhere from 250 to 1,000 gallons. Typical home-use will burn through around 2 to 3 gallons of propane an hour.
A 250-gallon residential propane tank holds 200 gallons of propane and will generally last around a month—but a tank can last much longer depending on a list of factors. A 500-gallon tank holds 400 gallons of propane and can last several months, ranging between 2 to 14 months.
GENERAC HOME GENERATOR FUEL CONSUMPTION RATES & COSTS
A typical propane-powered 22kW Generac standby generator burns about 2.1 gallons per hour at half load. At around $2.50 per gallon, that's $110 per day. At full load, a propane generator may consume up to 3.6 gallons per hour, costing almost $220 per day.
Propane Usage
According to Generac, a leading manufacturer of generators, a 22-kW generator would burn approximately two gallons per hour (gph) at a 50% electrical load and 3.6 gph at full load. A larger 38- kW unit would burn three gallons of propane per hour at half-load and 5.4 gph at full load.
A: A 500 gal tank is filled to 80% capacity or 400 gal when technically full. Manual with the 20KW generator gives a usage rate of approximately 3 gal/hour at full load. This would correspond to 133 hours at full… see more.
How big should my liquid propane (LP) tank be? + We recommend at least 250 gallons for our Generac automatic standby units.
Liquid Propane
Just like in your home, Generac's business standby generators can run on a propane fuel tank supply. Fuel tanks can provide up to 168 hours of run time before they need to be refilled.
How long will 1000 gallons of propane last for a house?
Here's the wide range answer: a 1,000-gallon propane tank will last anywhere between 2 months and 11 days to 2 years and 4 months (847 days, to be exact).
Provides whole house coverage for many homes.