What happens when a generator gets rained or snowed on?

[T]

Hi All,

What happens when a generator, like the one above, gets rained or snowed on? Kaboom? Fries out?

Many thanks,

-T

[Dean Hoffman]

We used portable generators at my former workplace. They sat outside in fields or in the backs of our pickups. They were snowed and rained on numerous times. No harm done. BUT, the generators didn't run unless the weather was good enough for us to be out and about. There are little covers available for generators. I don't know if there are generators available with GFCI. It would be good to have one if so. There are adaptor cords a couple feet long that do have GFCI.

[hubops]

I run my Honda on the front porch - where the porch roof provides some protection from the elements. It's been well-dusted with blowing snow with no problems. I've heard of people who build their own "cozy" for some weather protection - keeping lots of cooling ventilation. John T.

[trader_4]

That's the key here, what exactly does rained or snowed on mean? If it's a little brief passing rain or inch of snow, probably nothing. If it's a downpour or steady rain for a day, foot of snow, then I would expect you'd be in trouble. I'd expect rain to be worse than snow.

[Ralph Mowery]

I have 2 generators , one a 5 kw gas and another I bought about 15 years later that is gas and propane. Each one is in what I call a dog house. Just large enough for the generator. They each have one door and a roof that is on hinges so I can gas them up and prop the roof up a few inches for more ventilation when I run them.

I would not want to leave anything with a small engine out in the weather .

[gfretwell]

If the neutral isn't bonded and the generator frame grounded, a GFCI is not going to do much. OTOH the danger is less too. From what I see, construction type generators usually bond the neutral to the frame. Small inverters like the Honda don't. If the frame isn't grounded, the only fault that would be detected is a short from a current carrying conductor to the case of the tool. A ground fault wouldn't be seen. You can always do this

<a joke, people>

[gfretwell]

It is certainly better to keep them out of the rain, for many reasons. Mine is in a car port type structure when it is running. I hang mover blankets around it, spaced well away but that is just to hold down the noise. It does slow the blowing rain tho. Don't put anything on the exhaust side. Even 4 feet away, it will get pretty hot. I point that to the back where I don't have a neighbor.

[Dean Hoffman]

The bucket isn't green.

[hubops]

• 1. Even in the dog-house - watch out for mouse nests and the fire hazard that might result. John T.

[gfretwell]

Good eye. That was why it showed up in the "violations" web site ;-)

[Ralph Mowery]

I keep some mouse/rat poison blocks in the generator 'dog house' and in a couple of out buildings and garage. I drain or run all the gas out of the gas generator when I am not using it. We seldom have power outages so I bought the dual fuel generator that I plan on running on propane only . That way I can fire it up for an hour or more and when the power comes back on, just cut off the propane tank valve and not have to drain the gas out. It is electric start or pull start so I have a battery maintainer charger I put on it about once a month if I think about it. I store gasoline in another out building.

[invalid unparseable]

Mine is in the end of the garage near the transfer panel. In use, I pull it out of the garage which has a bit of an overhang to protect from rain or snow. You have me looking into the idea of mover blanket muffling because it is loud. I can close the garage door when using it but is is still loud for others.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I'd be more concerned about the connections and plugs than the generator itself but a plastic drop cloth would help.

[hubops]

Your comment made me wonder if I misunderstood the OPs question ? I assumed he meant running the genny in rain & snow - not storing it outdoors .. ? I can't imagine any plastic drop cloth standing up in any case .. dunno. John T.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I probably should have said tarp instead of drop cloth. Either one would hold up for a day or three but the blue tarps hold up longer.

[Clare Snyder]

They make generator covers - like BarBQ covers or Air Conditioner covers but when I neded to leave mine outside overnight I put a steel bushel bucket over it.

[Ralph Mowery]

For a day or two probably ok. If a tarp is put over it for a long time moisture will be trapped under the tarp and will be as bad as if there were no tarp.

That is if the tarp is close to the equipment. If under something that is open where air can circulate then it is probably ok.

[T]

The power usually goes out during a storm. I would not want it to be exposed in that circumstance.

I plan on storing it in the garage when not in use.

My concern would be thinking the weather had passed, firing it up, and having it get stormed on by accident.

So, get some kind of overhang to protect it, or leave it in the garage durint the weather. Correct?

If in a overhang and some snow gets blown at it, does it explode? Fry? Call me names in French?

[Dean Hoffman]

There are probably all sorts of warnings about carbon monoxide if a generator is close to an opening for the living space. Have you searched for RV standby generators? That might give you some alternatives. I asked a question back on July 13 about generators. One of the responses from back then might help. I suspect generators are more likely to cuss in Chinese or Japanese if they're not happy.

[Scott Lurndal]

I bought a generator in 1994 after a power failure. Stored it outside along the side of the house, covered with a blue tarp for the next two decades, until the next power failure. Added some gas and it fired up on the second pull.

I run it dry before storing it.