using gas generator in severe weather

So i just picked up a 5000w gas generator to power the house during outages. My question is what do you put it in when the weather is poor. I have an attached garage, and i know i cannot use it in there. Do I need to build some kind of mini-shed to keep it out of the snow and rain?

 

Gen Tent portable generator safety canopy....

 

www.gentent.com

 

No offense, but we get 100 kmh winds with snow or rain. That thing looks like it just protects the very top in winds like that. No?

 

Build an open walled roof over it if you're worried about it

 

Just afraid blowing snow would get in everywhere. I need something that breathes and keeps blowing snow out.

 

Could you keep it in the garage and have the garage door open? Or build your own exhaust extension to run the fumes outside?

The serious generators I've seen have been in their own sturdy, well constructed shelters near the house that are partially dug into the ground. Looks like that may be your only option.

 

So this is a portable ?

How are you hooking up to the house ?

 

the gen tent worked great during a hurricane

 

Yes, running the cord under the garage door to a transfer panel that I am having professionally installed.

 

I am in Florida and we use generators during hurricanes. That size is the bare minimum needed to run a few lights and a refrigerator. I kept mine in the garage until the storm passed and then used it to keep my food cold ,run a few lights and a box fan. I want to do what you stated and have a dedicated way to install into electrical service as to not back feed power and keep electrical workers safe when they do get around to repair electrical service.

 

I built something similar to that gen tent, used framing and ply wood and tyveked it, sits on top kind of like a cap, then i use ratchet straps to secure it to the generator.

 

Cool

I have a similar set up

 

I am thinking now that maybe a heavy tarp anchored to a large planter, the deck and a few cinder blocks might be the easiest and best way to do this. My main fear was making the gen get too hot in some sort of box like structure.

 

Run it in the garage and leave the door open. If the wind is blowing that hard, it should circulate the fumes out of the garage. Another option is they make plastic tubes with a fan at the end, the fan needs to be facing out to pull the exhaust fumes away from the generator and force them outside.

Like this, just smaller.

 

Thats a definite concern especially when using plywood. I should take a picture of mine for you. I couldn't cover the generator completely for that reason. But it keeps it dry for the most part, i was also worried about 80mph winds

 

Get fire treated plywood. It will still burn if it gets hot enough but it takes a lot to make it catch. The plywood shouldn't be close enough to catch fire anyways. If you are putting it that close, line the plywood with sheet metal and use something to space the sheet metal off the plywood like 1/4" or so (metal side faces the generator, the air space between the metal and plywood keeps the wood from burning).

 

I am building a shed out by my generator hook up which is about 75 yards from my house but I was also looking at doing an enclosure like this..http://www.nooutage.com/images/GenShed-generator.jpg. Home Depot sells the enclosure for around $250 and then you just have to vent it and get an attic fan and install it. It doesn't show it on this enclosure but I would also pipe out the exhaust.

 

As long as you have it ventilated I wouldn't worry about anything burning up. I put a tarp over mine last year and the only issue I ran into was that the exhaust burned a hole through the tarp.

 

To be honest, I would build a small brick container for it outside that locks....Think about it....huge storm comes, huge power outage...Generator's sold out....Thieves driving around at 3AM.....Hey look! That guy has power! Not to mention the noise of it running could attract thieves.

Secondly, check out the natural gas/propane conversion kit's. These are awesome because they dont require extreme modification and you can run your gen. off of Gas, NG or LP.

http://youtu.be/CaJixPkWvR0

http://www.propanecarbs.com/