Generator Cover for Outdoor Protection

[jacric2005]

How do you protect your generator when in use outdoors? I'm looking for ideas for something that can easily be set up once the generator is rolled out of the garage for use.

Home Depot sells the GenTent, but maybe I can save that $200 by using some PVC I have laying around??

Thank you.

 

[pattenp]

Been there done that and couldn't really figure out something to my satisfaction. I ended up buying the GenTent, very easy to put on when needed.

 

[burleyfarm]

I’ve been considering something like this. This way I don’t have to store the generator in the garage and it’s set in up ready to go. Just not sure how it will look in relation to the house and landscape.


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[Bretny]

Every ones generator is dif and everyones landscape is dif...but personaly i wouldnt spend $200 on one i couldnt leave out full time.

I have found as im sure others have that the power hardly goes out when the ground is dry and its 80* and sunny. Dragging a generator out of a snow covered shed to get to your garage is a real PITA or just not possible. Same goes for wet soggy ground or trees down in the way.

Having a wire you pull out to connect to the generator shed is def doable though.

My generator is out in the weather yet its made for that. Its behind my garage and hard wired in. I do still want to put a roof over it to prolong its life.

 

[Raisedonadeere]

Every ones generator is dif and everyones landscape is dif...but personaly i wouldnt spend $200 on one i couldnt leave out full time.

I have found as im sure others have that the power hardly goes out when the ground is dry and its 80* and sunny. Dragging a generator out of a snow covered shed to get to your garage is a real PITA or just not possible. Same goes for wet soggy ground or trees down in the way.

Having a wire you pull out to connect to the generator shed is def doable though.

My generator is out in the weather yet its made for that. Its behind my garage and hard wired in. I do still want to put a roof over it to prolong its life.

I was treating my gen, eu 3000is like it would melt if it got wet until I saw a block layer with a unit in the back of his pickup truck, never garaged, where he told me it had been for 4 years and used daily to run mixer. It wasn’t pretty but performance wasn’t affected.

My takeaway from that, if bad weather brings a need for the gen, don’t sweat it, just drag it out in the rain, sleet, snow and fire it up. Mine 10 years old, still looks new though. I do want to build a lean-to of some sort to lock it in but can be opened enough to run it.

 

[Bretny]

A clean non beat to hell generator will always get you more money on resale.

I see alot of beat to snot honda eu2000i that dont have a sticker left on them for over half the price of new. I wouldnt touch them.

 

[jacric2005]

Regarding sitting in the weather, I am fortunate to have the use of my dad's log splitter now that he is too old to wrangle logs and he has a heat pump. Anyway, someone once let it sit in the rain and it got in the engine and he had to fix it. He advised me to keep it covered with a tarp, run clear premium and run it dry. So far so good. It's a wonderous tool.

My generator has the gas tank on top and the rain would have to be blowing sideways to get in the engine, but in Oregon it does that sometimes.

 

[kd3pc]

big unit at the house, just sits outside, ready to use, and it has been that way for 6 years. I start and run it monthly, keep treated, non ethanol fuel in it and works as it should.

The Honda EU 2000 is still mounted on the stern of the boat, where it has been for a decade and still works like new. A bit sun faded.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I had to look up a picture of a GenTent, as I had never heard of it before.

My concerns with a thing like that are 1) keeping it away from the engine's exhaust and muffler so it doesn't melt and 2) if it blocks airflow to the engine for cooling.


As others have said, the generator should work fine without a cover, they're designed to be used outdoors. Assuming you keep it indoors when it's not in use, it's only going to be outside a few hours now and then so it's not going to deteriorate.

 

[jacric2005]

Thanks for the reality check. Over the last 12 months it would have run for a 4 day outage in wet snow one of those days. I think I just saved myself $200.

 

[metlmunchr]

I've had a 5kW Generac for about 14 years. I've run it outside in snow, sleet, pouring rain, and whatever else came along and its none the worse for wear so far.

IMO, that generator condom is a $200 solution to a problem that doesn't exist.