Never needed the generator in AZ but figure hurricane season in SC might come in handy. Had it wired up but that side of the house is open above the box. Concrete pad.
Looking for ideas to cover it while in use. Don't really want a permanent "shed" for it.
Electrician suggested getting one of those plastic deck storage boxes and cutting it to allow for exhaust.
Posts: 1708 | Location: SC | Registered: December 10, 2003
Unless it was designed to run while covered , I would not do anything to restrict airflow . MAYBE something to shed the rain off of it but that's all .
Posts: 4484 | Location: Down in Louisiana . | Registered: February 27, 2009
GenTent - Designed for running a portable generator in adverse weather conditions. It could be used for storage, but it obviously adds dimension to the generator as it's designed to allow for airflow. I have the GenTent Extreme which is the HD version. I've yet to use it in adverse weather so I can't really comment on the effectiveness other than it seems very well designed, and quite durable. I've also yet to need to use my Kohler PRO9.0E Generator during a power outage though...Thankfully?
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Posts: 9814 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: October 29, 2011
It's probably different by you, but we didn't have any rain before the power came back on after Charley (out for 2 to 3 weeks) or Ian (out for 8 days). They were 18 years apart and we had no other need for a generator to power the house in between. My plan was to put a 10x10 EasyUp over it with the legs at the half up position if it rained.
Posts: 12308 | Location: SWFL | Registered: October 10, 2007
I don’t own a whole home generator so please forgive my ignorance. What is the reason to want to cover it while running? I assume we are talking about a permanently mounted generator such as a Generac. I could maybe see covering it while not in use, but I would think it needs open air while running.
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Posts: 9011 | Location: The Lone Star State | Registered: July 07, 2008
I would not. An typical air cooled generator engine needs air circulation - ventilation to not only cool the engine and oil but the electronic components as well.
Most portable generators have a CO monitor in them that will shut them off if the CO gasses build up too much. So any cover you get for it needs to have open sides for good airflow.
If you are keeping it on the pad, I would just build a plywood roof, hinged on the back so it can be lifted up for refueling. If you are looking just to cover while in use, the previously mentioned Generator Tents are the best option.
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Posts: 3414 | Location: Southern Maine | Registered: February 10, 2008
If there are a couple trees/posts to tie off to away from house, maybe a sloped tarp? I did that with a smoker in TX for rainy cooks, no problems with enough clearance.
Won't work DURING a hurricane, but for AFTER should be fine.
Probably better coverage than the gencondom with less heat retention?
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Posts: 12917 | Location: Madison, MS | Registered: December 10, 2007