06-03-2014, 11:40 AM
I have a Chinese generator a lot like that, perhaps a touch larger, also bought from Amazon, and converted it to natgas myself. The carb kit, plumbing, and semi-portable natgas line cost as much as the generator. The optional installation of a bypass circuit breaker box onto my house's main panel allowing us to run nearly the entire home from the generator without stringing extension cords all over the place cost A LOT MORE than the generator.
If you know how to change oil and use a hacksaw, you'll be able to do the conversion yourself - basically all that is involved is bolting a natgas regulator onto the mouth of the carburetor, which might require cutting part of the tubular frame to accommodate the regulator, and replacing the lost structural integrity of the frame with a steel bar and a couple of bolts. Switching between natgas and gasoline involves flipping one valve. It was a thrill to run the engine off of natgas with an empty gasoline tank - my generator started on the second pull.
I would say the desire to keep the generator around but unused is incompatible with the desire for the dual fuel setup. You need to run the engine with the natgas setup to make sure you have the right plumbing attachments.
Even with the gasoline-only setup, I would not give an untested, unknown, Chinese generator the dignity of being stored in my house. Anything mechanical should be tested first, and all small engines need to be broken in by running at moderate load for 4-6 hours and having an oil change.
Assuming you don't do the natgas conversion I'd suggest a four-hour breakin period, running the tank nearly dry, killing it with an increasing concentration of Seafoam to avoid gumming the carb in storage, changing the oil, and storing it as you see fit.
I should also recommend he wheel kit. Generators are inconvenient to lift and need to be moved often. Now that you could leave in the box until you need it.
If you know how to change oil and use a hacksaw, you'll be able to do the conversion yourself - basically all that is involved is bolting a natgas regulator onto the mouth of the carburetor, which might require cutting part of the tubular frame to accommodate the regulator, and replacing the lost structural integrity of the frame with a steel bar and a couple of bolts. Switching between natgas and gasoline involves flipping one valve. It was a thrill to run the engine off of natgas with an empty gasoline tank - my generator started on the second pull.
I would say the desire to keep the generator around but unused is incompatible with the desire for the dual fuel setup. You need to run the engine with the natgas setup to make sure you have the right plumbing attachments.
Even with the gasoline-only setup, I would not give an untested, unknown, Chinese generator the dignity of being stored in my house. Anything mechanical should be tested first, and all small engines need to be broken in by running at moderate load for 4-6 hours and having an oil change.
Assuming you don't do the natgas conversion I'd suggest a four-hour breakin period, running the tank nearly dry, killing it with an increasing concentration of Seafoam to avoid gumming the carb in storage, changing the oil, and storing it as you see fit.
I should also recommend he wheel kit. Generators are inconvenient to lift and need to be moved often. Now that you could leave in the box until you need it.