what do i dowith the generator when the power is out and it is raining and snowing?

Question

what do i dowith the generator when the power is out and it is raining and snowing

Answer 1

I've operated my generator during rain and snow. Most of them are relatively ok to deal with moisture. I wouldn't leave it outdoors permanently, but for an occasional outage it isn't much of a problem.

Read through my home generator web page.
http://members.rennlist.org/warren/generator.html

I have information on transfer switches, operation, testing, and so on available. Far more than I'd ever consider typing into Yahoo! Answers....

Answer 2

I've placed mine on a cheap 4-wheeled garden cart, then build a cover around it where I can open the sides for ventilation.
This way it is protected and can easily be rolled from one place to another.

Don't fall for this nonsense of just plugging it into an outlet, in some places this is actually not legal, besides it takes more than just plugging it in. If done wrong the risk is burned up wiring inside the walls or the death of a lineman who tries to restore the power at a pole down the road (although the load of other houses on the same line would trip the breaker of the generator or stop the motor). If the cable with the 2 plugs is not polarized correctly then it might bite you pretty good when you touch it. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you really know what you're doing. The safest and absolute correct way is to spend another couple of 100 bucks for a transfer switch.

Too bad, some of the answers in such cases should not be taken serious.

Answer 3

Depends on what you want to do. When we have power outages, they are shorter. We leave the generator outside (it is in a motorhome) and just run a heavy extension cord into the house and plug the refrigerator and freezer into it to avoid losing food. Same thing would work with portable heaters if you need heat. Just don't exceed the capacity of the extension cord. Our cord is 10 ga, good for 30 amps (3600 watts).

If you want to run heavier stuff, then buy a service switch for installation at the panel as others have suggested. Bear in mind that there are lots of rules about this in many jurisdiictions, designed to save the power guy from getting electrocuted by some homeowner.. Check with your building inspection folks....

Answer 4

Put in the garage. Leave the door open about a quarter of the way, and set the generator near the opening. Run the cord inside.

If you don't have a garage, you can easily build a small, portable enclosure for it out of a couple of 2x4's and some plywood.

Answer 5

Don't plug it into the wall and don't run it in the garage with or without the door open. You don't want the exhaust fumes entering the house. You should keep it well away from the house and use extention cords to power the units you want to run. You can have it wired into the house wiring system but that is a bit expensive. If you plug it into the wall you also have to open the main breaker to isolate your house for the power company lines.

Answer 6

JP is correct. You must connect the generator to you home wiring through a transfer switch. That is mandatory. Or you can run it outside and throw an extension cord through the window and plug in a heater and a lamp or two. Rain and snow won't hurt it.

Answer 7

Curl up under a blanket and watch the snow fall.

Answer 8

I'm amazed someone hasn't yet made a lightwt, maybe collapseable portable wiremesh-walled generator shed.

Maybe they have.

Answer 9

bring the generator inside to keep it out of the rain/snow, after a few hours you'll be dead from carbon Monoxide poisoning, but you'll have light for the last few hours of life.

Answer 10

Let it snow, its not going to hurt your generator