For your backup power needs, a portable diesel generator can provide emergency power during a blackout and electricity during those instances you find yourself in a location that’s off the power grid. A diesel generator actually combines the power of an electrical generator and a diesel engine to supply you with power for when you need it the most.
Portable diesel generators, as the name suggests, runs on diesel to provide electricity. They have features that distinguish them from other generator engines, and here are just some of them:
- A portable diesel generator is reliable – with a full tank, it can run for a maximum of 14 hours before it requires refueling. Industrial surveys cite some water-cooled diesel-run portable power generator engines that can produce 1800 rotations per minute (rpm) and run for 12,000 to 30,000 hours based on their engines’ power and capacity before actually requiring any maintenance. There are also portable power generators of the diesel variety that can supply you with anywhere from one to 10 kilovolt-amperes (kVA).
- Portable diesel generators are compact and have less components – They have a lesser number of parts compared to gas engine generators, which make diesel-powered generators easier to transport and even easier to maintain. When you’re out in the market looking for pre-owned or second-hand units, getting a second-hand diesel genset may be more advantageous than getting a used gas-powered unit because diesel is actual somewhat of a low-grade oil that can help protect engines’ internal mechanisms. This helps them stay in great condition longer.
- Diesel generators come with single or triple phase engine types – they have four-stroke engines for optimal diesel use, thus lessening fuel waste. This means all traces of fuel are combusted completely, lessening carbon monoxide production, whose colorless, odorless, noxious fumes can be extremely dangerous when inhaled.
- Portable diesel generators come in low noise models – since diesel engines are smaller and have an equally smaller number of individual parts, they make less noise compared to other gas engines. This is especially true for water-cooled engines, whose reduced noise makes it a good silent generator to have around. Adding a noise muffler can lower the noise pollution potential further (Read related article on the Buffalo GENSD7 diesel generator).
- Portable diesel generators are cost efficient – when taken on a per kilowatt unit cost, a portable diesel generator costs 30% to 40% less compared to other portable power generators that run on gas. And even when left unused in the genset’s tank, diesel does not evaporate as easily as other fuels, making a portable diesel generator more cost efficient. One other advantage of diesel engines is that they can run on alternative fuels, such as biomass.
These benefits make the portable diesel generator the perfect power backup source for a cost-conscious, energy saving-oriented, and convenience-centered home or small office.
Some of the more popular portable power generators of the diesel variety include the ETQ DG4LE Diesel Generator, a highly rated unit equipped with 10-horsepower engine capable of up to 4,900 watts of power and runs a maximum of 12 hours on a half-full 3.2 gallon tank. Another is the All Power America APG3201 Diesel Generator with its four-stroke 10-horsepower engine that delivers as much as 6,500 watts. It features both an electric and recoil start, and as far as silent generators go, emits only 76 decibel levels of engine noise. Last but not the least, the Northstar Generator #165930, while pricier than the previous two, features a low oil shutdown mechanism that extends generator life. It comes with six receptacles that generate 6,500 watts of power from a 6.5 gallon tank, and runs up to 13 hours on a 50% load.