A portable generator is a fantastic resource for homesteaders, survivalists and anyone else interested in a self-sufficient lifestyle. However, portable generators have one disadvantage — you have to keep them outside, which means they’re constantly exposed to adverse weather conditions.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about keeping your portable generator safe in ten different types of weather conditions.
Why Can’t I Use My Portable Generator Indoors?
Why can’t you just move your portable generator inside when bad weather strikes? While this may seem like an easy solution to the problem, it’s nevera good idea to use portable generators indoors. They are highly dangerous inside for several reasons:
- Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide (CO) is an extremely dangerous gaseous chemical found in portable generator exhaust fumes. CO is colorless, odorless and tasteless, so humans can’t detect it on their own. It can cause brain damage or death after just a few minutes of direct exposure.
- Electrical hazards: If the portable generator comes into contact with a wet object, it can electrocute anyone who touches it. That’s why it’s best to keep the generator outside away from indoor water sources.
- Fire hazards: Although uncommon, it is possible for portable generators to overheat and catch on fire from overuse. They are more susceptible to overheating indoors because of the lack of ventilation. Additionally, CO is highly flammable and could start a house fire if it comes into contact with a cigarette, candle or stovetop flame.
Always operate your generator outside to mitigate these risks. Additionally, you should also keep the generator at least 20 feet away from your house so CO doesn’t filter through any doors, windows or vents.
[Editor’s note: These risks cannot be overstated. Only and always use a gas-powered generator outdoors. In fact, don’t even use them in a partially enclosed area, like a garage with the door halfway open; that’s bad, too!]
Can I Use My Portable Generator in Bad Weather?
The answer to this question is both yes and no. As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to keep your portable generator running if it’s exposed to bad weather. Wet conditions can lead to the aforementioned electrical hazards, and heavy winds can cause significant damage to your equipment. If practical, you should turn off the generator and wait for the weather to pass before operating it again.
This factor poses a huge problem for people who live off the grid and rely on portable generators as their main power source. If extreme weather conditions roll through, you might be without power for hours or even days. However, there are many ways to get around this problem and keep your generator running through all kinds of adverse weather.
What Weather Conditions Can Damage a Portable Generator?
Before we get into strategies for protecting your portable generator, you need to know which types of weather are your greatest threats. These ten weather conditions can deal major damage to your generator and leave you without power.
1. Regular Rainfall
Rain is the most common type of bad weather, and thus the greatest threat to your portable generator. It doesn’t take much rainfall to wreak havoc on electronics. Anything that’s plugged into an outlet is vulnerable during a rain shower. Additionally, rainwater can gather around the machine and create a puddle, causing further damage.
2. Hail
Hail consists of frozen water droplets. While the pieces are usually small, they can grow to the size of baseballs on rare occasions. Needless to say, this type of precipitation can cause severe injuries to humans and damage your portable generator beyond repair. Hail is often a defining feature of the next type of adverse weather event.
3. Thunderstorms
Unlike regular rainstorms, thunderstorms can add hail and electricity to the mix. If your portable generator gets struck by lightning, you will likely need to replace it. Lightning strikes can also occur even if there is no precipitation. All it takes is a strong air pressure imbalance between the ground and the clouds above.
4. Snowstorms
Snowstorms are also highly problematic because the snow can completely cover your portable generator. The generator’s heat will melt some of the snow, which leads to more water-related damage. It might also be dangerous to check on your generator in the middle of a snowstorm. Do not underestimate how easy it is to get lost or stranded in a winter squall.
5. Hurricanes
Hurricanes contain all of the elements that pose a serious threat to your portable generator — precipitation, strong winds and flying debris. This is ironic, considering that many people get portable generators specifically for hurricane season in case of power outages. Still, it’s better to have an alternative power source than nothing at all.
6. Tornadoes
Tornadoes pose the same problems as hurricanes, but flying debris is a much bigger issue. According to the Fujita Scale, most tornadoes hover between wind speeds of 73-112 miles per hour on average. Your portable generator doesn’t stand a chance against tree branches and other debris flying at that speed. If you live in a mountainous area, consider yourself lucky.
7. Flooding
Flooding can be a natural consequence of most of the weather events listed above. There’s not much you can do to protect your portable generator from flood water besides turning it off and taking it inside or to higher ground. Always remember: do not operate the generator indoors. If you’re forced to take it inside, keep it turned off at all times.
8. Drought
On the opposite end of the weather spectrum, droughts can cause your portable generator to overheat and malfunction. If you keep the generator on dry grass, it might even spark a flame and lead to a wildfire. Water isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. You must also keep a close eye on your generator during dry spells.
9. Extreme Heat
Unseasonably hot temperatures can damage your generator for similar reasons. If you keep the generator running all day in the extreme heat, it’s almost guaranteed to overheat and stop working. You need to keep your generator in a moderate temperature range to prevent the chance of overheating. If it feels too warm outside, it probably is.
10. Extreme Cold
Although portable generators create their own heat, extremely cold temperatures can still cause them to freeze up and stop working. To stay on the safe side, you should move your generator out of the cold once temperatures drop below freezing. This factor is a huge disadvantage for people who live in colder climates.
[Editor’s note: I’d never fully considered just how extreme weather conditions can affect a generator. After all, they’re the entire reason for having one! Thus, it would be wise to consider the weather conditions in your area and the decide how best to protect a valuable resource.]
7 Tips for Keeping Your Generator Safe
Knowing the various threats that extreme weather conditions pose to your portable generator is critical for enacting useful protection strategies. You can’t keep your generator 100% safe, but you can get pretty close now that you know what types of weather to worry about. These eight tips should be at the top of your portable generator checklist.
1. Keep the Generator Grounded
First, you must always keep your generator grounded through a metal ground rod. Only elevating the generator to protect it from floodwater or rising snow levels won’t cut it. Failure to ground a generator often results in electrical overload, which can lead to electric shock and severe damage to the wiring.
[Editor’s note: I’ve never seen anyone actually ground a portable generator. I’d imagine it would be best, but I think this advice is mostly for permanent installations. But, it can’t hurt to ask a trusted electrician whether/how a portable generator should be grounded.]
2. Get (or Build) an Enclosure
Providing shelter is the second most important tip for keeping your generator safe. Since you can’t operate the generator inside, you need to create its own enclosure. There are several types of enclosures for portable generators, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
- Safety canopies: Safety canopies are an excellent options for sheltering your portable generator. They consist of fiberglass frames and heavy-duty vinyl fabric. They cover the generator much like a grill cover while offering plenty of ventilation for the heat and exhaust fumes.
- Metal enclosure: Steel or aluminum enclosures are common forms of shelter for outdoor generators. They do a great job protecting the generators from nasty storms and extreme temperatures, but they’re prone to rust and corrosion. They also have adequate but not excellent ventilation.
- Storage box: Storage boxes are primarily used when portable generators are turned off. If you ever need to turn off your generator for any reason, such as an extended vacation, a sealed safety box will keep it safe while you’re away.
- DIY canopies: You can create your own generator canopy with a tent, tarp or umbrella, but it likely won’t be as strong as a professionally made safety canopy. Still, they provide great ventilation and can keep your generator safe from bad weather in a pinch.
You don’t always have to keep your portable generator in an enclosed area. If the temperature is pleasant and skies are clear, it would be best to put the generator out in the open for maximum ventilation. But once the temperature drops and you see rain clouds rolling in, you should get the generator under shelter.
3. Practice Proper Maintenance
Portable generators don’t require much preventive maintenance, but some tasks are absolutely essential if you want to avoid weather-related damage. You need to stay on top of these three tasks:
- Empty the fuel tank to prevent the buildup of gum-like deposits: This type of sticky residue can negatively affect the generator’s performance. You should also let the fuel tank run completely dry instead of refueling when it’s still half-full.
- Periodically change the air filter: You’ll improve the generator’s air conditioning function and prevent overheating.
- Monitor the wattage capacity: Make sure the electrical output doesn’t get too high. The generator is already an attractive target for lightning without the additional electricity.
- Change the oil regularly. Just like any internal combustion engine, proper oil level is crucial to proper functioning.
Staying on top of these three simple tasks will keep the generator in good shape and maintain its resiliency to bad weather. Still, they won’t stop the generator from getting destroyed by a natural disaster.
4. Stock Up on Extra Fuel
If you intend to keep your portable generator running during bad weather, then you need to stock up on extra fuel. Keep the fuel in metal or plastic safety cans approved by the Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual. Store the cans in a shed away from your house in case a gas-related fire breaks out.
Although this step doesn’t directly keep your generator safe from bad weather, it ensures that you can keep operating the machine until the storm blows over. You never want to run out of fuel in the middle of an extended power outage.
5. Avoid Fuel Clogging
Fuel clogging is a common problem with portable generators sometimes caused by bad weather. If precipitation manages to get inside the fuel tank during a powerful storm, it could contribute to the aforementioned gum residue problem and clog the tank. Clogged tanks lead to less efficient fuel consumption. Remember to check your fuel tank along with the rest of the generator for signs of water damage after every instance of precipitation.
6. Install an Alarm System
An alarm system can help you detect weather-related damage fast and bring the generator inside before more damage occurs. Generator alarms consist of special sockets that trigger the alarm sound when they get damaged or disconnected. If precipitation or flying debris hits the socket with enough force, you will know about it right away. Alarm systems are also important for security purposes. Any thief who tries to move the generator will trigger the alarm and flee the scene.
[Editor’s note: I’d never heard of a generator alarm before, and certainly not one that will alert you to flying debris. Speaking of which, if there’s the potential for flying debris, maybe don’t roll out the generator quite yet, lol.]
7. Attach a Tracking Device
You should also consider attaching a tracking device as a final precautionary measure. While it won’t offer any protection from the elements, it will allow you to relocate the generator if it gets carried away by strong winds or flood waters. The generator might be severely damaged when you find it, but repairs are often less expensive than a complete replacement.
Most portable generators weigh between 70 and 250 pounds. A storm with tornado- or hurricane-level winds could easily pick up and carry the heaviest generators for long distances. Don’t underestimate the power of extreme weather.
[Editor’s note: Nah. If your generator gets carried away by floodwaters or wind, especially far enough away that you need to put a tracker on it, my guess is that it’ll be toast. Best to buy a new one.]
Keep Your Portable Generator Safe
The performance and lifespan of your portable generator depend on your responsibility and knowledge of the local climate. Although generators are durable machines for the most part, they’re still vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. Put these seven tips into action to keep your generator safe and fully functional for years to come.
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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