a backup generator "dog house"? store and use question.

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Philphine

don't give him tools!!!
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here in the next few months i mean to pick up a decent backup generator. i've been looking at my house and thinking i have a good place to use it. under the deck (about 4' high) and not too far from the back door, but i think far enough away to not worry about fumes.

i'm thinking it would also be a good place to just keep it and have it always ready, but it would be exposed to weather and possible theft.

so i'm wondering if there's some kind of box or storage type deal made just for generators, or what someone may have thought up for themselves. since i just started considering this i've only been hunting around on the internet a few days, but haven't seen anything yet.

if you've been in the military and/or worked on aircraft, i mean something like a small version of powered a.g.e. like a weatherproof box where i could just bolt/lock the box to the ground or house and open a door or two to access and use it.

any ideas welcome. thanks.
 
I would have a concrete pad poured to the size needed and a box made of aluminum with welded seams, with doors placed where you need them. don't forget adequate ventilation to allow for combustion air to enter.you might also consider a generator that runs on propane or natural gas. If you buy one that runs on gasoline, then you might have a problem getting it in the event of power outages
 
thanks. there's already concrete there. i think from where the a past owner had a lot of pool equipment. it's part of why it seemed like a good spot.

i can weld a little, but not aluminum (i can do a little mig and flux wire). since i posted i did find one or two things others have done. maybe i could weld up a steel frame with some aluminum doors/sides. i even saw where someone put theirs under the deck also, and just screwed a piece of corrugated roofing under the deck over it. i guess i
need to find some specs/pic/dementions to see what needs to be accessed and vented and whatnot.

truthfully, i brought the generator already (generac rs5500). it was a free layaway type deal so i don't have it at home yet. i'm figuring (along with not having to pay it all at once) i have time to work out where to put it and wire it and whatnot, but if the weather gets crazy or whatever, i don't have to search the city with everyone else after one. i can just go get it.
 
There's a bunch of videos online. Check out some of these.


Outdoor Enclosure for Portable Generator


[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6miA4R41RM[/ame]



Right click and copy and paste the url for the youtube page, which has more videos.
 
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thanks. I don't know why I didn't think of you tube.
 
These "dog-houses" are pretty common in Maine. I would drill into that slab, epoxy in threaded rod and attach a PT-bottom plate. Build walls/roof, add sheathing and side/roof with a similar material to what is on your home. Put in an exhaust as well. I would build it so one side of the house is removable so you can service the generator without having to pull it out. There should be a way to lock that side door. People go nuts on security, but all you really need is to prevent the quick smash and grab.

You need to run that generator every month and keep up on the oil changes. Depending on the generator you can wire them to auto-start/run for an hour every month. Also, get an electrician out there to wire your breaker box for the generator feed. NO BACKFEEDING. Have the electrician wire it up to provide electricity to critical circuits, the number of which will depend on the wattage of your generator. A 5500W should run some, but not all circuit in your house, IIRC.

As long as the generator is outside and not close to any air inlet into the house, I don't see CO buildup into the house should be a problem. Use a CO detector to be sure.
 
Hi,

We are also getting a backup generator, one that runs on gasoline. We have a pea gravel pad that is bordered with 2 x 6's. So we're in the same boat, looking for something to house the generator as it will be outside in the elements. Even though it comes with wheels, it weighs 200 pounds so not real easy to move around.

I was thinking about a resin storage shed but wonder if it's okay to run the generator with the top and front doors of the shed open. I have seen some youtube videos, but I'm not real handy.

I'm also thinking of a resin deck box and turning it upside down (and not installing the lid) as a protective cover for the generator. Then when I want to run the generator, I could simply lift off the deck box.
 
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