03-08-2012, 11:54 AM
Sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching but it is such a significant point that it bears repeating. When you burn propane in a generator to make electricity the generator rejects somewhere between 3/4 and 4/5 of the Btus in the fuel to the surroundings, mostly to the air. The remainder comes out as electricity which is great stuff to be sure, but if all you are going to do with it is run a conventional electric water heater or electric dryer, turning the electricity right back into heat, then you have just thrown away 3/4 of the energy for the sake of convenience. There are times when this is necessary as in an emergency or of course if you live in a high rise in Waikiki but if you have the luxury to plan ahead then I think anyone running a generator should have propane water heating and a propane dryer. The washing machine may or may not have an on-board heater. I would recommend getting one without an on-board heater and accepting the compromise of not being able to guarantee a 170 degree sanitary cycle. As for coffee pots, they are so small that the convenience is worth it but even there a purist would boil the water on the (propane) stove. Using electricity to make heat is a little like paying for sex. A significant part of society does it but enlightened people generally try to minimize the behavior.