Home Generator

[dennishoddy]

You don’t want to put a generator in a small building like a pool storage box. They are air cooled engines and need free flowing air to keep from overheating and seizing the engine.
Now, that being said, it would be easy to install a wall mounted fan in one side of the box and a vent in the other.
Most portable generators have a 12V DC battery charging port. Pretty cheap fix would be one of the auto radiator electric fans. Get one from a salvage yard on the cheap.

 

[DRC458]

Be careful with any cover that's part of your house. Heard on the news of a family that was killed and theirs was outside too. Seems the soffit vents allowed the CO in and it permeated the house killing them. This was in OKC a few years back.

During the 2015 Thanksgiving and Christmas ice storms, most of my area was out from anywhere from 3-15 days. We ran on several calls with CO detectors triggered due to on demand generators that were close to the home, and the exhaust wasn't routed above the eave of the house. CO filled the attic spaces through the soffit vents. Most were new, large homes.

You don’t want to put a generator in a small building like a pool storage box. They are air cooled engines and need free flowing air to keep from overheating and seizing the engine.
Now, that being said, it would be easy to install a wall mounted fan in one side of the box and a vent in the other.
Most portable generators have a 12V DC battery charging port. Pretty cheap fix would be one of the auto radiator electric fans. Get one from a salvage yard on the cheap.

Hhhhhhhhhmmmmmm. OK. Y'all got me re-thinking this. My covered patio is actually an add-on and has no soffit vents. BUT, that does not mean the fumes could not become trapped beneath the ceiling and eventually permeate the attic. My original idea was to build a small enclosure for this thing and put it "near" my walk-in garage door (north side of the house). I may go back to that idea, with some modifications ... a bit larger structure with an electric fan and vent(s).

 

[TerryMiller]

Hhhhhhhhhmmmmmm. OK. Y'all got me re-thinking this. My covered patio is actually an add-on and has no soffit vents. BUT, that does not mean the fumes could not become trapped beneath the ceiling and eventually permeate the attic. My original idea was to build a small enclosure for this thing and put it "near" my walk-in garage door (north side of the house). I may go back to that idea, with some modifications ... a bit larger structure with an electric fan and vent(s).

If your genny won't be moved much, consider extending the exhaust out and upward above the eaves.

 

[DRC458]

If your genny won't be moved much, consider extending the exhaust out and upward above the eaves.

Plan was (is) to store the generator in the garage, where it can easily be moved outside through a walk-through door. IF I build an enclosure for it, that enclosure will be just feet away from the walk-in door to the garage. There's no way I could leave it on the patio full time, and to extend the exhaust above the eaves would be a major project. I suppose it would make a lot more sense ... be easier to visualize ... it I took some pics. (Wish I had the equipment and talent that Terry Miller fellow does!)

 

[DRC458]

OK. If anybody's really interested, this is the covered patio my genny would be set up on. A heavy-duty 50 foot extension cord will reach from the generator on this patio, into the garage and to the breaker panel and heating unit. That walk-in garage door is on the north wall, near that wood fence you see in the background. The wheel barrows/garden cart would have to go somewhere else if I build an enclosure.

 

[MacFromOK]

You could fabricate a small roof and attach it to the genny's frame. It could be hinged for easy access, and you could put the genny wherever ya want.

Just a thought.

 

[Dumpstick]

You could build as hinged panel on to the fence. Fold it out to act as a roof for the genny, fold it flat the rest of the time.

If you need the Genny, move the barrows over 4 feet, wheel out the Genny, fold out the roof, done.

 

[Shadowrider]

You could build as hinged panel on to the fence. Fold it out to act as a roof for the genny, fold it flat the rest of the time.

If you need the Genny, move the barrows over 4 feet, wheel out the Genny, fold out the roof, done.

This is what I'd do, since the prevailing winds will likely blow it along and then away. I'd try to place it where the exhaust points away from the house and on that fence would be a good place to make a fold out roof for it.

I've also thought of placing mine in a "dog house/pool pump" type thing with a vent for air and an outlet for the exhaust. Mostly for the noise abatement so my neighbors won't shoot me. But I've not got around to it building anything yet.

 

[DRC458]

You could fabricate a small roof and attach it to the genny's frame. It could be hinged for easy access, and you could put the genny wherever ya want.

Just a thought.

You could build as hinged panel on to the fence. Fold it out to act as a roof for the genny, fold it flat the rest of the time.

If you need the Genny, move the barrows over 4 feet, wheel out the Genny, fold out the roof, done.

This is what I'd do, since the prevailing winds will likely blow it along and then away. I'd try to place it where the exhaust points away from the house and on that fence would be a good place to make a fold out roof for it.

I've also thought of placing mine in a "dog house/pool pump" type thing with a vent for air and an outlet for the exhaust. Mostly for the noise abatement so my neighbors won't shoot me. But I've not got around to it building anything yet.

Yeah, kinda' like, build a lean-to. That was basically my original idea, but I keep changing my mind!

 

[MacFromOK]

If you put a small roof on the genny frame itself, you could chain the genny in place to a tree/fence/vehicle or whatever if you're worried about high winds.

Just another thought.