Generator Natural Gas Conversion, WEN DF480iX
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Today we're converting a WEN DF480iX inverter generator to run on Natural Gas, which involves plumbing a natural gas regulator and quick connects. We've made several attempts before without success.
Great job on solving overload issue. I took the easy, more expensive route when converting my Champion inverter generator (model 200913) to run on natural gas. I went with a Grenergy conversion kit that adds the ability to run on propane and natural gas.
@@ericgalvan3589 Thanks Eric. I may still try a 3/8” at some point, but there may only be another 200 or so Watts to be had; but may remove the need to run some choke while using Natural Gas.
Thx for making this video...exactly what I wanded to do for charging my solar batteries Nov-Feb
Glad it helped
Excellent video. Thank you!
Thanks imk, a new video of building an emergency, portable cover for it is uploading right now to release before 4:00 EST. I’m having a blast with this thing! Thanks for watching.
Thx friend r doing this
@@blainecelestaine4543 My pleasure Blaine. I ran it all afternoon and evening on NG last night without incident, so things appear to be working. I hope you watch the video on making an emergency cover. Had a lot of fun with that.
Nice job 👏.
The inside of that looks very similar to the eu2000i, wonder if it's identical to the honda 3000 handy. I've owned hundreds of the 2000's but only a few of the 3000 handy"s, never had those apart.
@ I have 2 Yamaha ef2000’s, but can’t speak for the eu’s. I may do some efficiency tests at various wattages to see how this compares to the Yamahas.
Have a great day!
@TailgateTinkerer the early 2000's actually put out 2200, I think I had told you that before.
@brettblack7049 Can’t remember us discussing the 2200, but I’ve seen them for sale. The Yamaha ef3000iSEB is an interesting unit with a 500W battery boost I haven’t seen elsewhere. Very heavy for the wattage, but very well made. The Chinese generators have gotten better over time and I’ve heard the Hondas have lowered their standards a bit to compete. It’s hard to shell out 2-4x per Watt for the a Yamaha and Honda for occasional use. I’m pretty impressed with the quietness and function of the WEN so far.
Wow I was considering this very same generator and nat gas conversion. Looks like you opened up the flow from the regulator ball valve and choked it from the generator? What ddi you use to connect your hose to the stock propane coupling?
Thanks for your comment David. For Natural gas I had a previous large diaphragm pressure designed for NG, but had previously plumbed it with a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer before the T, and all the brass pieces were 1/4” after that also. I removed the reducer on the regulator output and replied the T and everything else to 3/8” up to the final connector. Using the choke the way I did isn’t ideal, you really want sufficient gas flow for full airflow….but I did what you saw and ran it all afternoon and evening in the snow without incident. You may want to watch the generator cover video as well; knowing with time and thought we can do better.
As far as the hose, I cut the stock WEN propane hose off several inches before the 1/4” male quick connector, then put 3/8” barbs to 3/8” NPT threads one each cut hose and then screwed a 3/8” propane/NG quick connect onto each NPT thread. This “dongle” can then be removed and used on the propane line (which now has a 3/8” male NPT termination) or a NG line that also terminateswith a 3/8” standard male quick connector. I didn’t show making this “dongle” but rather just used a 3/8” two sided barb for the video for NG and made the dongle later.
Of course you can just keep the WEN propane line stock and buy another WEN propane adapter for ~$51 and cut into that connector to make the NG work. I wanted the dongle because I built a self-switching propane adapter to manage 2 tanks for uninterrupted supply. It’s tempting to tear into the generator’s internals and plumb a 3/8 quick connect input, but I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze.
Be aware this is not what WEN intended for this generator, so I can’t claim there aren’t short or long term impacts running it this way. What I do know is that propane tanks are expensive and have finite capacity and gasoline is expensive, labor intensive, and risky to store as well as being finite. My goal is to have 3 fuel options and to have a generator for emergencies that will likely never run more than a couple hundred hours maximum on natural gas for my family’s emergency use.
My time working the Helene disaster underscores my desire to use limitless fuel supply when available and have multiple options when not.
@TailgateTinkerer appreciate the thorough reply. Did you happen to buy the parts from Amazon? Can you provide a link to what you ordered ?
Amazon has an amazing variety of options and I best not get into that level of detail as I have my hands in some other projects. Besides, shopping and making it your own is the best part.
Now if I can find a video to add a ags to my 5k powermate converted generator..????
Glad it helped.
AGS?