Looking for ideas for a permanent location for our generator.

* My husband is away working and I cant lift the generator, I have a
baby to look after.
*The power can go off for days, and we do get snowed in, seems we are
the last to get ploughed out, only people I see are snowmobilers.
*A neighbours generator shut off one night during a outage in the winter
he went to put gas in it and it was gone
*In 2 feet of snow it is hard to find a level spot.
*We have added a generator panel to the house and have 5000 generator.
* We have a 10-20 ft shed but was told it wouldn't be wise to use it in
there even with all the windows open.

I will need to keep snow away, keep it chained...:))

Any ideas would help Thanks.
CathyLee

These things can be LOUD. Might want to place it in its own little shed on
the other side of where you would not like to hear it.

Also placing it in a little shed and getting a recreational vehicle
generator muffler welded to the exhaust will reduce the noise quite a bit.
You can also get a flexible long exhaust hose welded to the muffler to run
outside.

Then you would need to refuel it. Might want to have it in a location where
it would be easy to get to for refueling.

Also neighbors... Might want to locate it away from neighbors so far as
noise goes if you don't quiet it down.

In article ,
CathyLee wrote:
Looking for ideas for a permanent location for our generator.

* My husband is away working and I cant lift the generator, I have a
baby to look after.
*The power can go off for days, and we do get snowed in, seems we are
the last to get ploughed out, only people I see are snowmobilers.
*A neighbours generator shut off one night during a outage in the winter
he went to put gas in it and it was gone

Stolen? Or just buried under snow?

*In 2 feet of snow it is hard to find a level spot.
*We have added a generator panel to the house and have 5000 generator.
* We have a 10-20 ft shed but was told it wouldn't be wise to use it in
there even with all the windows open.

I would put it in the shed but extend the exhaust pipe to the outside.
And a sturdy lock on the door.

--
Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

In article , Bill says...

These things can be LOUD. Might want to place it in its own little shed on
the other side of where you would not like to hear it.

Also placing it in a little shed and getting a recreational vehicle
generator muffler welded to the exhaust will reduce the noise quite a bit.
You can also get a flexible long exhaust hose welded to the muffler to run
outside.

Then you would need to refuel it. Might want to have it in a location where
it would be easy to get to for refueling.

Also neighbors... Might want to locate it away from neighbors so far as
noise goes if you don't quiet it down.



No need to worry about bothering the neighbors. The neighbors' power will be
out, too, and the Music of Many Generators will fill the air.

Banty (BTDT, many times)

"CathyLee" wrote in message
...
Looking for ideas for a permanent location for our generator.

* My husband is away working and I cant lift the generator, I have a
baby to look after.
*The power can go off for days, and we do get snowed in, seems we are
the last to get ploughed out, only people I see are snowmobilers.
*A neighbours generator shut off one night during a outage in the winter
he went to put gas in it and it was gone
*In 2 feet of snow it is hard to find a level spot.
*We have added a generator panel to the house and have 5000 generator.
* We have a 10-20 ft shed but was told it wouldn't be wise to use it in
there even with all the windows open.

I will need to keep snow away, keep it chained...:))

Any ideas would help Thanks.
CathyLee

If your gen isn't on wheels you might want to consider that in the event
that you choose to
keep it housed in the garage. Of course, if there's snow on the ground it's
still going ot be a
bear to move. Consider setting it up in the early winter with a collapsable
'dog house' (hinged
panels so that it can be collapsed and stored in the off-season) to protect
it from the elements.
Whe running it is going to need free movement of air to cool it. If it's
completely encapsulated
the trapped exhaust and engine heat will build up quickly. Since you
obviously have unscrupulous
neighbors about you may want to find something to chain it to. When our
power goes out we
don't leave the gen on all night anyway. Of course, we do use a woodstove
so the heat is
constant. The fridge and freezer can last overnight before being powered
up. Also, if you plan
to run your furnace off of the gen you need to be aware that many of these
units put out power
which is considered 'dirty' - not stable and a lot of backround junk in the
current (I don't really
know what that means) which is fatal for many of the new, computer
controlled furnaces. An
additional piece of equipment (rectifier??) is needed. I've read that
Hondas are the best, but since
my needs are simple I didn't go with them - just a cheap Coleman. Be sure
that you read up on
proper hookup to your house so that you don't endanger any linemen who may
be trying to restore
power. I have read that even throwing the 'main' in your box is no
assurance that you can't get
spillover and kill someone. Either use an extension cord (still not a good
idea) or get a genset
switching device and have an electrician install it. It isn't cheap but
peace of mind and safety win
out. My electrician wired a plug to the outside and made up a connector
from the gen to the
recpticle while he was there installing the switching device. I'm guessing
here becase it's been
5 years but I believe the device was around $500 and the hook up was another
$300-400.

"C & M" wrote in message

...many of these units put out power which is considered 'dirty'...


You can use a "power line conditioner". (Some UPS units (battery back-up)
sold at office supply stores and computer stores come with a power line
conditioner.)
Power line conditioner...
http://www.tripplite.com/products/pr...productID=2833

Bill wrote:
"C & M" wrote in message

...many of these units put out power which is considered 'dirty'...



You can use a "power line conditioner". (Some UPS units (battery back-up)
sold at office supply stores and computer stores come with a power line
conditioner.)
Power line conditioner...
http://www.tripplite.com/products/pr...productID=2833


I don't think a power line "conditioner" will help you if you buy a
cheap unit that doesn't put true sine wave power

A 10x20 shed is fine especialy in winter with the door open and if the
proper retrofit is done to rout out the exaust , my 7500 watt is in a
8x10 shed. Or better is the gens own shed where walls open up. They put
out alot of exaust heat, a fire hazard so it must be done right. Chain
it to the floor. You need someone that knows how to safely vent the
exaust

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
A 10x20 shed is fine especialy in winter with the door open and if the
proper retrofit is done to rout out the exaust , my 7500 watt is in a
8x10 shed. Or better is the gens own shed where walls open up. They put
out alot of exaust heat, a fire hazard so it must be done right. Chain
it to the floor. You need someone that knows how to safely vent the
exaust

Aren't there caveats or even warnings concerning additions or modifications
to small engine exhaust systems?

CathyLee wrote:
Looking for ideas for a permanent location for our generator.

* My husband is away working and I cant lift the generator, I have a
baby to look after.
*The power can go off for days, and we do get snowed in, seems we are
the last to get ploughed out, only people I see are snowmobilers.
*A neighbours generator shut off one night during a outage in the winter
he went to put gas in it and it was gone
*In 2 feet of snow it is hard to find a level spot.
*We have added a generator panel to the house and have 5000 generator.
* We have a 10-20 ft shed but was told it wouldn't be wise to use it in
there even with all the windows open.

I will need to keep snow away, keep it chained...:))

Any ideas would help Thanks.
CathyLee



There were a bunch of people killed in Florida after the hurricanes from
improper generator vent. Just read an article about one who was a
retired mechanical engineer who knew not to put it in "enclosed space".
He had it oudoors in florida room with the windows of florida room
open. Ir ran out of gas, he went out to refill it and was overcome.

A few years ago, someone in our condo was using gasoline powered -
compressor for pressure washing in the atrium that is roofed but open on
sides. Our unit was closed up, with AC at opposite end of building, and
yet our CO alarm went off. The CO alarm was an old one that hubby
brought with him and didn't intend to use, as we have all electric.

According to Rich Greenberg :
In article ,
CathyLee wrote:
Looking for ideas for a permanent location for our generator.

* My husband is away working and I cant lift the generator, I have a
baby to look after.
*The power can go off for days, and we do get snowed in, seems we are
the last to get ploughed out, only people I see are snowmobilers.
*A neighbours generator shut off one night during a outage in the winter
he went to put gas in it and it was gone

Stolen? Or just buried under snow?

I'd assume stolen. Stealing generators was quite popular during the
ice storm up here. Even from hospitals and emergency crews - I spent
an afternoon installing a replacement generator at the works garage
(where the sanding trucks reload) after the portable 7Kw unit was stolen.

[The replacement was 200Kw. Nobody was stealing that... Tho, having
the army coming in and being stationed in the yard undoubtably helped.]

*In 2 feet of snow it is hard to find a level spot.
*We have added a generator panel to the house and have 5000 generator.
* We have a 10-20 ft shed but was told it wouldn't be wise to use it in
there even with all the windows open.

I would put it in the shed but extend the exhaust pipe to the outside.
And a sturdy lock on the door.

As a short term solution, this'd work, but even then, it's probably
not all that secure, and exhaust pipes cobbled up can leak. Fuel spills,
fire hazard etc.

For longer term, having a small poured concrete slab, with heavy duty
rings embedded (for chaining the generator in place), with a small "hut"
for weather protection is ideal. Leave at least 6" opening at both
the top and bottom of the hut walls, with at least 12" of clearance on
all sides, more on top, and put a substantial overhang on the roof.
A piece of sheet metal roofing is ideal.

Keep it clear of the house.

According to a volunteer firefighter I knew, there were a lot of
CO poisoning close calls. Even the generator I saw chained to the
center post between two open garage doors (attached garage) made me
very nervous.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.