BBT-bilt generator house. PICTORIAL!

[ebinmaine 73,641]

A year or three ago we decided to invest in a generator powerful enough to run everything in the home including the well pump, AC, & electric heat and hot water. 

 

We've been hunting for a small enclosure for it but as we're all well aware many of the available products are just cheap 💩 

 

Well yesterday the BBT commenced to making one on her own. 

As usual it's almost all free/recycled materials. 

 

It turned out EXCELLENT. 

 

It'll be painted all one color. 

The huge cord will be hung inside the enclosure. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beap52 1,537]

Next question is "Whose gonna run out in the  wind, rain and lightening to start it?"   I'm personally pretty fond of the fellow in our family of two (one he and one she) will  gets the honors!

 

Mean while, two neighbors hardly blink when power goes down.  Of course their investment is a  touch more than mine. 

[ML3 1,841]

Nice setup you did. Westinghouse makes a good generator.  I have one of their small inverter generators & its been great. 

 

Heres what I did. Generator is in storage side of the she shed. Got the fresh air vents then the shutter fan to remove heat/fumes. Purchased the insulated exhaust designed specifically for this type of installation. All I have to do is quick connect to the natural gas & plug into 30a outlet installed on back of house. It all works well

[lynnmor 7,940]

You can't have too much ventilation down low, I have seen oil temperatures go extremely high if the air can't freely flow thru the generator.  My daughter has concession trailers and noise suppression is always an issue.  Directing the noise straight up instead of trying to stop it is the best way.

[kpinnc 14,927]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

It'll be painted all one color. 

The huge cord will be hung inside the enclosure. 

 

I make only one suggestion: dig as deep as you can with post hole diggers and concrete in a steel anchor to use a cable and lock (more than one is a good idea) on the generator. Even out in the country, those things grow legs and dissappear when power outages occur. Especially true of a high watt model that will carry your entire house. 

[WHX?? 52,227]

I got a .44 magnum if mine tries to grow legs ... 

[ebinmaine 73,641]

8 hours ago, Beap52 said:

Next question is "Whose gonna run out in the  wind, rain and lightening to start it?"   

 

No one.  

 

This generator has remote start. 

If the cable is already plugged in to the house all we have to do is flip the safety switch in the basement  and start it. 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 73,641]

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

You can't have too much ventilation down low, I have seen oil temperatures go extremely high if the air can't freely flow thru the generator.

 

I've had a thought of putting a fan in the little house out there.  

 

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

  My daughter has concession trailers and noise suppression is always an issue.  Directing the noise straight up instead of trying to stop it is the best way.

 

Up here many builders use there own generators even if the power is on at a jobsite. Combination of convenience and liability I suppose. 

They all use a hardboard insulation sheet to make their shelters. Noise is directed sideways, away from the work area. 

[ebinmaine 73,641]

4 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

I make only one suggestion: dig as deep as you can with post hole diggers and concrete in a steel anchor to use a cable and lock (more than one is a good idea) on the generator. Even out in the country, those things grow legs and dissappear when power outages occur. Especially true of a high watt model that will carry your entire house. 

 

3 hours ago, WHX?? said:

I got a .44 magnum if mine tries to grow legs ... 

 

 

If someone is desperate and utterly unencumbered by intelligence enough to come in this yard past our dog 🐕 and BBT 🥋  ....... 

[squonk 44,102]

Watts = Heat. The bigger the jenny and the more load you put on it, the more cooling it's gotta have.

 

I always get a big kick out of when they load bank test the big Cat jenny's at work. Like a giant BBQ! 

[CCW 1,387]

An outage requiring the generator does not happen very often so my small homemade generator shed is disassembled and screwed flat to the garage wall for long term storage.  Easily reassembled when an outage occurs. Generator stored in garage where I roll it out and run it a couple times a year.  Honda that always starts with two or three easy pulls.  It also has electric start if I want to put a battery on it.

 

[squonk 44,102]

I've lived in my home since 88. Up until this year we've lost power for maybe a total of 8 hours. And 2 of those times was when a drunk hit a pole. The 2nd one was right in front of my house! 

 

Then this month I'm in the shower getting ready for work and I noticed the lights flicker then go out. Across town a transformer exploded and the surge did some damage to the sub station so the whole village was out for almost 6 hours. 2 days later the lights go out again. This time a truck had torn the wires off of a house 2 blocks away blowing the fuse on our transformer. Then this past Sunday my wife is ready to start canning peaches. Bam the power goes out again! Another car into a pole.  This pole had 3 giant transformers on it feeding a factory and a Dollar General which had a fire start from a electric motor. 

[ebinmaine 73,641]

5 hours ago, squonk said:

I've lived in my home since 88. Up until this year we've lost power for maybe a total of 8 hours. And 2 of those times was when a drunk hit a pole. The 2nd one was right in front of my house! 

 

Then this month I'm in the shower getting ready for work and I noticed the lights flicker then go out. Across town a transformer exploded and the surge did some damage to the sub station so the whole village was out for almost 6 hours. 2 days later the lights go out again. This time a truck had torn the wires off of a house 2 blocks away blowing the fuse on our transformer. Then this past Sunday my wife is ready to start canning peaches. Bam the power goes out again! Another car into a pole.  This pole had 3 giant transformers on it feeding a factory and a Dollar General which had a fire start from a electric motor. 

 

 

Around here the power is snuffed when a mouse 🐁 sneezes three towns over.