How Much Gas Does A 5500 Watt Generator Use?

A 5500-watt generator will serve medium apartments and homes with no electricity. With this capacity, the generator is made mainly for residential uses. However, it is enough to power up most home appliances during power cuts.

Plus, a 5500W generator will work fine with excellent fuel efficiency. It brings us to the most important question for the generator, “How much gas does a 5500 watt generator use?” Also, you might wonder which fuel you should use for the generator.

Well, a generator with a 5500W load capacity will require 0.60 to 0.70 gallons of gas to run for an hour. Therefore, the generator will run for 8 to 10 hours with 6 to 6.5 gallons of fuel. Also, the actual run time of the generator will vary depending on the type of gas you use. Usually, gasoline provides the longest runtime to the generator.

So, let’s take this in-depth discussion on the fuel usages of a 5500W generator deep. This is a must-read for you if you plan to have a 5500W generator.

How Much Gas Does A 5500 Watt Generator Use?

When a homeowner buys a generator to back up his home appliances, he considers many things. It includes the running and load capacity of the generator, its noise level, performance, running time, etc.

Among the top considerations for a generator, its fuel efficiency plays the most important role. It becomes important because the generator will need fueling every time there’s a power cut in your locality. So, your 5500-watt generator must be fuel-efficient in the long run. Accordingly, you must know how much gas this generator will need for daily usage.

As our research found out and industry expert says, the generator with 5500W capacity will consume 0.6 to 0.7 gallons of gas hourly. This gas consumption of the generator is based on gasoline uses. If you use propane or natural gas, the fuel use will increase considerably.

This guideline on gas use by the generator is general and shouldn’t be used as a benchmark. If you see abnormal gas used by the generator, you should check it ASAP. For example, there can be a problem in the fuel, air filter, engine, or other parts of the generator that forces it to use a higher amount of gas. Also, you should maintain the generator appropriately, following its maintenance guideline and checklist. It will be useful to yield the best fuel performance from the generator.

Furthermore, this fact shows that the generator runs for 1 hour with 0.6 to 0.7 gallons of gas. But how much gas does it needs to run for the whole day? Also, how long will a 5500W generator run with a full fuel tank?

We will answer these questions in the next section.

How Long One 5500-Watt Machine Run With One Tank Of Fuel

Every machine’s gas consumption is different. Mainly, how much gas a machine needs will depend on which gas you are using. Also, it will depend on your machine type, quality, watt, and age.

If we talk about the 5500-watt machine, you may need 17 gallons of fuel per day. Well, this amount is for gasoline. This fact shows the gas usage of the generator for the whole day. However, the generator’s running time will vary based on the fuel tank capacity.

The bigger the fuel tank is, the longer the generator will run with a full fuel tank. So, to know the exact answer, we need to determine the average fuel tank size for a 5500W generator.

We researched deeply on the topic. We found that a generator with 5500W capacity usually has 5 to 6.5 gallons of capacity for the fuel tank. This capacity of the fuel tank is primarily for gasoline.

So, with 0.6 gallons of hourly gas usage and 6 gallons of fuel tank capacity, you can expect the generator to run for 10 hours. However, in reality, you will get slightly less runtime for the generator. You can expect 8.5 to 9 hours of backup from the generator in practical uses. It happens because the gasoline may have the slightest impurity. Over time, residual development inside the fuel tank and filter also respond to reduced runtime.

For instance, the Champion 100231 5500-Watt Generator has 6.5 gallons of fuel tank capacity for gasoline. It will run for 9 hours continuously. After that, you have to refuel it.

You now know the fuel usage of the generator and how long it runs with a full fuel tank. But you might be curious to know how many home appliances you may run with the generator. It is a crucial question because it helps you understand the actual usability of the machine.

Mostly, you can run all the items that you need to use. But you may also need a few more gallons for running other things. In a word, we can tell that this machine needs around 1/3 gallons of gas per hour.

What Can A 5500-Watt Machine Run?

The 5500-watt machine comes with 23 to 45 amps that ensure 120 to 240 volts. We have talked with the many users of this machine. They said that they could run all the household appliances. Even many people use this generator when they go on an outdoor trip.

In this situation, one does not carry a fuel tank with them. This machine can run around 24 hours with 17 gallons. So, once you fill the fuel tank, you do not think about refilling. The generator can easily power up your mini-fridge, portable electric stoves, a small room heater, and other outdoor appliances. So, your adventures will be comfier too with a 5500W generator.

So, a 5500-watt machine will be perfect for that. Well, most American people use this machine for household work. So, of course, you can use it for the house and any program like an outing.

Propane Vs. Gasoline: Which Gas You Should Use For 5500W Generator?

One of the most critical and never-ending debates about a generator is what type of fuel you should use for it. Modern-day generators come with a dual-fuel facility mainly. It means you can use propane or gasoline for the generator, depending on your preference.

So, which one should you choose for the 5500 watts generator?

Ideally, you should use gasoline for the generator. Gasoline provides the longest runtime for the generator with an excellent butane rating. However, gasoline is the most expensive fuel for a generator.

On the other side, propane is cheaper and eco-friendly. So, many homeowners will use propane to run their 5500 watts generator. Of course, it appears to be a feasible idea because of its low pricing. Propane, however, comes with a significant disadvantage.

Compared to gasoline, propane is low in butane capacity. So, it can’t run the generator as long as gasoline can. In fact, the runtime capacity for the generator will be almost 1.5X to 2X less than gasoline in real life. For instance, Champion 100231 5500-Watt Generator will run for 9 hours with gasoline and 6 hours for propane.

So, here’s the key takeaway for the fuel usage of the generator. You should use gasoline for a 5500W generator when you need a longer runtime. It is primarily helpful during storms, floods, hurricanes, and emergencies. Conversely, for daily uses, you can use propane to save money on fuel costs.

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Conclusion

How much gas does a 5500 watt generator use? Well, a generator will roughly use 6.5 gallons of gas to run for 8 to 9 hours and 17 gallons for whole day usage. Mostly, generators with 5500W capacity come with 5 to 6.5 gallons of fuel tank. So, it would help if you refilled the fuel tank 3 times to use it for 24 hours at a stretch.

You should maintain the generator and keep its air, fuel filter, and fuel tank clean. It will enhance the generator’s fuel efficiency and cut down your daily use cost of the machine. So, always follow a generator’s maintenance tips properly for the best fuel performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):