How to run a portable generator in hurricane rain/wind?

SpartanEpoxies
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
F

farmerjohn1324

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Messages
963
Reaction score
103
If you're power goes out during a large storm, you will need a portable generator.

How can I protect it from the rain/wind that requires me to need it?

I have never used a generator before. Will starting it require me to go outside in the storm?

How can I get the power in the house without leaving a door or window slightly cracked?
 
That generator produces carbon monoxide which can kill your family in short time. Stick to flashlights until the storm has passed, or find a place with an overhang, or even your garage, if you don't mind leaving the door open.
 
Have you bought one yet, you can get some with a battery and a starter, and your best bet would be a shed on the side of the house. If you are going big enough to run the house there is special gear for changing from street to gen power.
If you are doing a small one to keep the fridge going you could install a set of outlets in a wall, male outside female inside.
 
havasu said:
That generator produces carbon monoxide which can kill your family in short time. Stick to flashlights until the storm has passed, or find a place with an overhang, or even your garage, if you don't mind leaving the door open.
Click to expand...

I was planning on putting the generator outside.
 
nealtw said:
Have you bought one yet, you can get some with a battery and a starter, and your best bet would be a shed on the side of the house. If you are going big enough to run the house there is special gear for changing from street to gen power.
If you are doing a small one to keep the fridge going you could install a set of outlets in a wall, male outside female inside.
Click to expand...

I would just want the fridge, stove when necessary, a couple lamps, and a power strip for a computer and phone charger.

Do they have lithium ion batteries? How long can they last for?

And, without knowing specifically if or when the power will go out, how can I get from the house to the shed and back in those weather conditions?

No, I haven't bought one.

And maybe a couple fans since the A/c is hard wired to the house so I think that would be impossible.
 
I purchased a pretty nice generator from Costco. It had a battery for quick starts, and even included a keychain start button, that will reach about 50 feet away. It is a pretty cool feature. As a matter of fact, it is so cool that my ex wife stole it during the divorce. She doesn't know yet, but I will be stealing it back real soon!
 
If you want to run delicate electronics, do yourself a favor and spend the extra money for an inverter/generator. You'll do damage to your computer if you don't use the inverter.
 
:thbup:
havasu said:
If you want to run delicate electronics, do yourself a favor and spend the extra money for an inverter/generator. You'll do damage to your computer if you don't use the inverter.
Click to expand...

What is the difference between an inverter and just a generator?

I was going to go with battery powered so that I can start it from a distance, like the 50 feet distance you mentioned.

Why can't I run electronics from a power strip like I do normally?

The only type of inverter that I know about plugs into a car cigarette lighter and changes DC to AC.

I also know of something that changes incoming AC in an RV, for example, into DC power for the lights.

What do you mean when you say inverter?
 
Last edited:
They have dual fuel generators too for gas and natural gas or propane. I agree a shed is the best. Two people died in Florida today running a generator. Generators are mostly waterproof so leaving it on a patio should be fine. I use my work one in the rain when ever it rains here. So maybe twice in the last fifteen years.
 
Chris said:
They have dual fuel generators too for gas and natural gas or propane. I agree a shed is the best. Two people died in Florida today running a generator. Generators are mostly waterproof so leaving it on a patio should be fine. I use my work one in the rain when ever it rains here. So maybe twice in the last fifteen years.
Click to expand...

They died because they ran them in their house?

I would not do that. I have a shed, but I also don't want the shed to build up carbon monoxide. Perhaps I could have a hose for the exhaust.

This still leaves the problem of getting to and from the shed to turn it on. I can't predict when my power will go out.

And how long will a battery powered generator last for?
 
I have a mod friend who installed two solar panels, two deep cycle batteries, and an inverter. He spent about $600 for everything and can keep a fridge and a few lights on forever if needed. Every few months, Costco sells them with a vendor in their road shows.
 
havasu said:
I have a mod friend who installed two solar panels, two deep cycle batteries, and an inverter. He spent about $600 for everything and can keep a fridge and a few lights on forever if needed. Every few months, Costco sells them with a vendor in their road shows.
Click to expand...

I'm sure there's a million ways to do it.
 
Yes, many of the suggestions are good so far. Here is a bit more detail and then you can take it from there.

farmerjohn1324 said:
If you're power goes out during a large storm, you will need a portable generator.
Click to expand...

Yes, you will want a generator either portable or stand by. Portable generators are less expensive but require more work when using them. You have to start them, make sure they are outside away from the house, run cords from the generator to the house etc. A stand by generator is more expensive but far easier if it is within your budget. An automatic standby generator will kick on automatically after the power has been out for a given amount of time. This is good for elderly people, disabled etc. They are installed permanently usually being fed by propane and not gas so you don't have to go outside every couple of hours and put gas in it again.

farmerjohn1324 said:
How can I protect it from the rain/wind that requires me to need it?
Click to expand...

If you are going with a portable generator be sure that you follow the instructions carefully with the proper procedures in grounding it. Then there are more options from there. As mentioned there are many ways to get the power from the outside to the inside. It is more so how much you want to spend to do it. One thought of how to protect it from weather is maybe using something like a large portable dog house with a lid that lifts off. This will be far cheaper than a shed. Just make sure it is large enough so the generator will not overheat. A lift off lid so you can take it off and add gas to the generator as needed.

farmerjohn1324 said:
I have never used a generator before. Will starting it require me to go outside in the storm?
Click to expand...

Yes, a portable generator will require you to go outside. There are some that can start easier without pulling the cord etc. Again how much you want to spend.

farmerjohn1324 said:
How can I get the power in the house without leaving a door or window slightly cracked?
Click to expand...

You can do this even with a portable generator again by installing a generator receptacle on the house side of the house and then you only have to run one cord to the house and not leave windows or doors open.

My suggestion to you and I am sure others will say the same thing the first thing you want to do is figure out exactly what you want to be able to run while power is out. Once you figure that out then a load calculation must be performed to determine the size generator you need. Some people will then decide if they want to go larger or smaller depending on the amount they want to spend on the generator. Again, with convenience if within your budget get a stand by generator; more money but much easier and more convenient.
 
Last edited:
BTW, they had a 2000w Inverter/generator at Sam's Club today. It was selling for $299. Looked just like a suitcase style Honda generator for 1/5th the price.
 
havasu said:
BTW, they had a 2000w Inverter/generator at Sam's Club today. It was selling for $299. Looked just like a suitcase style Honda generator for 1/5th the price.
Click to expand...

I've been looking at battery powered generator and an 1800 watt would only keep my refrigerator powered for 4 hours.

How long does a gas generator last for?

I'm trying to lessen the loan.

I can get indoor lithium-ion lights. I can cook food before the storm comes, but I would still like to be able to use a microwave if the power is out for over a day. I can use coolers and ice, but would still want to keep my fridge running.

I definitely need a phone charger and computer charger with modem plugged in also.

Battery would be preferable because I don't have to go outside, worry about carbon monoxide, and housing of my gas generator, make extra outlets on the outside of my house, etc.

Microwave is 1050 watts, phone charger is 5, computer is ~34, I'm not sure about the fridge, but I know that would be the most demanding load.

I need to find out how many watt-hours (or joules : 1 watt = 1 joule/second) are stored in these battery generators so I can determine if it will actually keep me in power for a whole day or longer.

According to the specs, it holds 612 wH.

With a maximum continuous output of 1440 watts.

I just read that a refrigerator uses much less than a microwave. A fridge would be 500 - 750. So I could unplug the fridge momentarily if I needed to use the microwave.

Does this mean it would only keep my fridge running for one hour? That doesn't help me very much.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top