Houseworks: Choosing the right inverter

Published Dec 26, 2024  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  3 minute read

This 4,000-watt dual-fuel inverter is in Steve Maxwell’s shop for testing. It runs on gasoline or on propane from a 20-lbs. or 30-lbs. tank using the hose connection.  Photo by Photo Steve Maxwell 

Q Can you direct me to a model of inverter that runs on gasoline and natural gas? I’m looking for something that delivers clean electricity while also being quiet. 

A Inverters are one particular type of portable generator, and a lot of technical advancement is happening with the category of generator. Inverters are not only typically a lot quieter than regular generators, but they burn less fuel because engine speed varies depending on the electrical load demanded.  

Article content

It’s only very recently that inverters began appearing with the ability to operate on more than just gasoline. Plenty of small models in the 2,000-watt to 4,000-watt range are available now that run on gasoline and propane. The largest inverter I know of that runs on multiple fuels is the Champion 201176. It’s a 10,000-watt that operates on gasoline, propane and natural gas, and the ability to use natural gas offers quite an advantage for people living in places with access to natural gas. This is by far the cheapest fuel, and barring some major catastrophe is also the most reliable in the event of a long-term power outage. With this unit connected to your household natural gas supply with a quick-connect hose you essentially have unlimited run time, with no need to travel to a gas station to fill gas cans (assuming the gas station can even pump gasoline during an extended outage). 

All inverters are known for the purity of power they put out. Power purity is measured with something called total harmonic distortion (THD). The smaller the THD, the more pure the power. Good quality standard generators have a THD of five per cent, which is considered safe to use with all electrical devices. Inverters have a THD of less than thee per cent, which is even better and safer for the most sensitive electronic devices. 

Article content

———— 

Sealing driveway cracks 

Q What can I use to seal cracks in my asphalt driveway that keep opening up each spring? Every year I roll on a liquid driveway sealer but it only seals the cracks for one year before they appear again.   

A Our Canadian climate is hard on things like asphalt and concrete because the earth expands and contracts seasonally as wet soil freezes and expands, then shrinks again as it defrosts. This is the cause of your recurring cracks, and they feed on themselves. The more cracks you have, the more water gets into the soil under your driveway. And the more water under there, the more frost heaving occurs, creating even more cracks. So the better sealed your driveway is before going into winter, the fewer cracks you have in the spring. 

There are many products available for filling driveway cracks, and most are made to be used before the kind of liquid sealer you’ve been using. If this were my situation I’d start by waiting for the cracks to be as wide as possible. This usually happens in the spring, as frost is leaving the ground. There’s no point in filling cracks that are not as wide as they’ll get seasonally.  

Article content

Next, you need to choose a good crack sealer. I’ve never seen anything fill and seal gaps as well as polyurethane caulking. This stuff is made by different manufacturers, and I’ve never seen any exterior sealer that works as well. It remains flexible for decades, it accepts coatings on top, and it has strong adhesion abilities.  

When it comes to caulking and gaps, the smaller the width of the crack, the harder it is to fill in a way that will stay filled. If any of your driveway cracks are narrower than 3/16-inch, I’d open them up wider with an angle grinder spinning an abrasive disk, apply the polyurethane caulking (don’t bother with anything else), then roll on some of that driveway sealer after three or four days drying time. 

Steve Maxwell first used polyurethane caulking outdoors more than 30 years ago and it’s still as good as they day it went on. Visit him at baileylineroad.com for free access to thousands of made-in-Canada home improvement articles and videos. 

Article content