Generators have become an integral part of household machinery in recent years, and not having a generator will put you years behind everyone else. Generators can come in handy in many power outage situations, and generators can also be used to provide power outdoors. However,  before you use it, you need to know what fuel the generator uses and how much gas does generator need when running it.

Please note that generators come in different models and specifications, and this is only an estimate of how much fuel will be used depending on the power output and the size of the load. Peak load will consume more gasoline than low load operation.

5000 watt Standard Generator

Let’s take a generator with a power of 5000 watts as an example. A standard 5000-watt generator will consume on average about 0.75 gallons per hour. Based on a 24-hour day, that is 18 gallons of gas per day. But we don’t need it running 24 hours a day.

Standard Generator Example

For example, the Heyepower HY5000 Gas Powered Portable Generator has a 4-gallon gas tank that provides up to 12 hours of run-time at 50% load.

Types of Fuel Used

To complicate matters more, different generators use different types of fuel. The table below shows the fuel usage for different fuel types.Taking the United States as a reference, according to data from https://www.globalpetrolprices.com, the current gasoline price is $3.8 per gallon, and a 5000W generator uses 18 gallons of gasoline, which costs $68.4 a day. The diesel price is $4.6 per gallon, and the 8000W generator uses 12 gallons of diesel,  which costs $55.2 per day. With natural gas at 0.015 per cubic foot, a 7000W generator uses 2832 cubic feet, which costs $42.48 per day.

These estimates should hopefully give you a better idea of how much it could cost to run a generator. Of course, as you use your generator, the costs will be real and apparent in fuel prices.

How long can you keep gasoline in a generator?

When gasoline generators are not in use, all generators need to be properly stored and maintained. When you add a properly formulated fuel stabilizer and store the generator in a cool, dry place, the gasoline in the tank can last up to one year. However, gasoline can clog the carburetor if it isn’t used or drained within two weeks. So please store it properly according to the generator’s instruction manual to ensure the normal operation of your generator.

If you are using other fuels, you can also refer to the shelf life of the fuel itself, but it is recommended not to leave fuel in the generator when the generator is not in use.

How to drain gasoline from generator?

Regular maintenance of the generator is very important, in addition to preventing problems during use, it can also prolong the service life of the generator. If the old fuel in the generator is not discharged for a long time, the carburetor may be clogged and start problems may occur. Bleed out the gas from the generator regularly to maintain proper maintenance.

Therefore, when the generator isn’t use for a long-term, the gas in the generator can be discharged and stored, and then added again when you use it.

The table below shows how the gas is expelled from the generator.