Snow Clearing Technique, what is yours?

[Marks481]

We built an impromptu shelter underneath the deck to house the potable generator and many Gas containers.

Now that it is all over, it is time to build a permanent doghouse for that generator.

I have a generator doghouse that has been waiting for paint all summer that is sitting in the garage. Last night I was wishing it was put together, because I doubt my generator would have lasted long in the rain we were getting. Fortunately, we never got more then a flicker of power. Bravo Zulu to Dominion Power... they spent the last week feverishly clearing limbs away from all the power lines along my street.

 

[foote2floor]

We never really have enough snow to need plowed. Sometime in the last two years the town I live in (Spavinaw) set a record for snow. Don't know if it was accumulated amount or amount in a set time frame. Either way I had to stay at work for six days straight so no need to plow. It had melted to a slush by the time I got home. But most of the time I just run over the snow a few times with my truck so the GF can get out in her mountaineer.

 

[Clumber]

Now that it is all over, it is time to build a permanent doghouse for that generator.
.

Yep, I want to build a generator dog house on a pallet-type base that I can move with the tractor. However, it's not clear how to enclose the generator and still provide adequate ventilation vs protection from the weather? Any advice on that issue is appreciated.

 

[Marks481]

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

If I ever get it together I will let you know how it works out. This is for a 10kW generator... primary purpose of the shelter was to attempt to shield the noise.

 

[ponytug]

Dear Tim,

I hope you added some glass fiber type insulation for sound absorption. The other item to watch for is radiant heat from the engine and muffler. Depending on your design, you might want a heat resistant panel to keep the walls of the dog house from getting too hot.

Commercial one tend to rely on labyrinth enclosures to breakup the sound. (Also, they help to break up the radiant heat.) A long time ago, I walked by a 100kw one (no typo) being used for a movie set. It was unreal. You could see all of these lights, but you could barely tell it was on, standing next to it.

You might want to consider in an inner metal structure with vibration dampeners if you need more sound reduction.

As another route to noise reduction- I have an old, loud, Briggs and Stratton generator, and I saw/heard a video of someone who put a small Mazda muffler on it and basically all you could hear now was the whirr of the engine fan and the generator brushes. I don't use it enough for the project to have risen to the top of my do list, but it is on it, somewhere.

All the best,

Peter

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

If I ever get it together I will let you know how it works out. This is for a 10kW generator... primary purpose of the shelter was to attempt to shield the noise.

 

[Clumber]

I have a 8" 120V fan to exhaust air above the generator, a metal collar to support exhaust pipe and route it outside the shelter, and an 8" vent low that lines up with the engines air intake.

Thanks Tim. I have since seen lots of variations of generator enclosures on the web. Most exhaust vent from the side. I would think that venting from the top would allow snow and rain into the enclosure. When I start my project I will start another thread

 

[Marks481]

Thanks Tim. I have since seen lots of variations of generator enclosures on the web. Most exhaust vent from the side. I would think that venting from the top would allow snow and rain into the enclosure. When I start my project I will start another thread

I described that vent poorly.

I have an 8" round louver vent at the top of one wall, underneath the edge of the roof, with an exhaust fan on it. Roof overhang + louvier will keep the rain out.

Engine exhaust vents straight out the side, direct 1.25" tube bolted onto muffler goes directly out the side of the shelter.

 

[Clumber]

Thanks for the update Tim. That config seems like a good design.

My spouse now wants the generator far away from the house. She heard of a couple that died of Carbon Monoxide poison while sleeping with a generator by their bedroom window. I think that I could attach a long section of dryer vent flexpipe to the exhaust port of the dog house to vent far away from the house. But then you have the problem of the hose flapping about in a windy storm... More to think about...

 

[Rustyiron]

Think snow!