Running portable generator during inclement weather

[Pilot]

I reluctantly leave mine in the open. I asked a service guy about it & he said it was OK, but the manual says "no". I just don't have a good place to put it out of the weather. Used it for 9 hours on Saturday. Service guy says to make sure it has lots of ventilation, that the most business he gets are from folks who covered their generator.

When the electrician wired the transfer switch he wanted to be sure both sides had equal loads. I had to make quick guesses as to what we would use when & guessed wrong. All the lights ended up on one side and last Saturday the lights were a little dim even thought the voltage at the outlets read ~117.5. I'm going to get it rewired. OTOH, maybe it was the rain and it should have been protected.

Also looking for a way to muffle a Briggs engine. Ours is pretty loud. A Briggs excuse for a muffler is a spark arrestor--might as well have nothing.

 

[dsgsr]

I reluctantly leave mine in the open. I asked a service guy about it & he said it was OK, but the manual says "no". I just don't have a good place to put it out of the weather. Used it for 9 hours on Saturday. Service guy says to make sure it has lots of ventilation, that the most business he gets are from folks who covered their generator.

When the electrician wired the transfer switch he wanted to be sure both sides had equal loads. I had to make quick guesses as to what we would use when & guessed wrong. All the lights ended up on one side and last Saturday the lights were a little dim even thought the voltage at the outlets read ~117.5. I'm going to get it rewired. OTOH, maybe it was the rain and it should have been protected.

Also looking for a way to muffle a Briggs engine. Ours is pretty loud. A Briggs excuse for a muffler is a spark arrestor--might as well have nothing.

Try, Quiet Mufflers I bought one for my 10K Onan Gen. Very quiet.

David

 

[oosik]

I have not had to run my generator during a power outage. I do use it extensively out & about on the property - in all kinds of wx. Rain & snow bother me more than the generator. It is stored in one of my tool sheds. The only thing to be aware of - don't run it in enclosed areas where people will be and don't run it where it is going to get flooded. Otherwise - if you have or can build a small shelter, then use it - if not, the generator should be designed to handle the wx and should do just fine out in it.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I used a small generator for hurricane season on the Virginia coast when power always goes out sometimes for several days. Put it in a shed with door and windows open and run heavy extension cord. I think the common contractor/homeowner machines can handle a drizzle but probably not heavy rain driven by 50 mph winds.

 

[jix]

Everyone who has posted knows the pros and cons of "portable generators"

I believe that keeping direct rain off of the machine is critical. Water infiltration is a killer, but so is inadequste cooling ventilation, becoz too much heat is also fatal to the engine. The dilemma is to have both good weather protection and good ventilation for engine cooling if the engine is air-cooled.
Mine is underneath a waterproof porch floor next to my front door. Blowing snow does get in there, but that snow cannot easily enter the genny casing. If rain is allowed to hit the casing. it can and has caused the electronics inside the case to malfunction temporarily.

I keep the genny far enough away from the porch overhang to stop rain from getting to it, but I do not and would not enclose it because of heat issues and fire risk. For servicing, I merely unplug the feed wires from it and roll it out to where I can access it. If I were to enclose it, then it would need a large fully louvred shed made of fireproof material and big enuff to work inside for servicing. My porcf floor is about 36" above the genny. The KIPOR genny I have is very quiet..72 dB...so it is not an issue. No other maker can match that degree of silent running, IMO..and none can match the fuel economy.

I would not recommend a diesel powered unit in the cold weather we have hare in NB Canada.. They just are too hard to start after they get a few years running on the engine and the compression starts to drop. In other climates, diesel are very good machines, for the most part..BUT NOT CHINESE diesels!!
My KIPOR is a Chinese mfr'd machine, but it is not a cheap one. Time has passed and this unit has proven itself quiet, reliable, and economical over ten years running. I also like that it protects the electrical apparatus it supplies with clean stable, well regulated AC current at a stable frequency.

I would buy another one in a heartbeat, but they are scarce.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I have a home built "dog house" for my portable generac generator. I made it so that I can take any or all of the 4 sides off for good ventilation of the unit. The roof can come off too.

I recommend that you put together a shelter for it with a roof and be able to protect the wind ward sides. But allow for ventilation to prevent heat build up and allow the exhaust out etc. Maybe make it so it is open on one or two sides with protection from prevailing winds.

I built mine on a steel platform that has a 3 pt hitch so I can move it with the tractor.

 

[3930dave]

I used a small generator for hurricane season on the Virginia coast when power always goes out sometimes for several days. Put it in a shed with door and windows open and run heavy extension cord. I think the common contractor/homeowner machines can handle a drizzle but probably not heavy rain driven by 50 mph winds.

I think that is a good way to put it. Heavy commercial/industrial gens have their own shrouds and upgraded seals, connectors, etc.... to deal with large amounts of water (big $).

My last generator has a sticker on it something like "Dry Protected Location use only". Partly for reasons already listed, but also because the Mfr's Legal Dept wants an out to use if somebody gets zapped while they are standing in a puddle at the generator.

The air-cooled gens that most of us can afford need adequate airflow. The master-craftsman "shed" builds you can find (4Shorts has a great Vid - I think he's on Ytube as Paul Short, and I think it's also still on here, and the guy in PA I listed recently in my Last Gen Mtce Run thread) do a great job of managing airflow to protect the generator.

I really liked both of those builds, and esp. like the open mesh floor on the PA guys portable solution.

Manage the exhaust (fumes, flammable material), and heat, and IMO that's 85% of what's critical in a gen shed.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I have a home built "dog house" for my portable generac generator. I made it so that I can take any or all of the 4 sides off for good ventilation of the unit. The roof can come off too.

I recommend that you put together a shelter for it with a roof and be able to protect the wind ward sides. But allow for ventilation to prevent heat build up and allow the exhaust out etc. Maybe make it so it is open on one or two sides with protection from prevailing winds.

I built mine on a steel platform that has a 3 pt hitch so I can move it with the tractor.

I like that approach - flexible, and still portable :thumbsup:.

Rgds, D.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm fortunate to have a small shed unattached from the house with lots of ventilation (read 'holes in the walls' :laughing but a good roof. When generator is required, I move it from the wall to the center of the shed and fire it up. I'd never run it in the rain or snow. I'd always keep some sort of roof over it and on a dry pad or raised ground. We had to use it to power my in-law's house for three days after a tornado. We put it in their yard-barn to run. Worked well.

 

[Shift4200]

You might laugh, but I use a "kiddie pool" set upside down on top of my Generac generator. Held in place with a couple sandbags.

Might not be the prettiest thing in the world, but it keeps her dry while she keeps us going.

-J