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Well, this question comes from Joanne
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Good afternoon, Steve. Back in the spring, I set the wheels in motion to purchase a generator
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I live in Ottawa and have been faced with all sorts of storms in the last months
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I live alone and have seen 70 plus years go by. Can my generator be stored outside along the back of the house in summer and winter
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if covered by a tarp or, if necessary, a small shed-like structure
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perhaps like those used to disguise garbage cans? I'm sure I won't be able to schlep this beast by myself, especially in winter
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Well, the good news for Joanne and anyone else with a generator to deal with like this is that
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yes, you don't have to keep it in a garage or, you know, a tool shed
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that's a long way from where you need to connect it to the house. You can store generators close to where they're going to be used
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I've seen some people use tarps, but I don't really recommend that
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They tend to hold moisture around. If any moisture leaks in from a rain or even wicking up from the ground
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it can get too humid in there. And also, since the tarp covers the generator tightly
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it's a wonderful spot for mice to build nests. And when mice build nests, there's problems
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There's smell, nesting material. They love to chew on things. I would strongly recommend a small little structure like a little shed
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If you Google generator shed, there's all kinds of ideas that come up for building your own
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There's also purchase products as well. The thing that makes a little enclosure a generator shed is that the roof
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and usually the front walls can hinge out of the way because you can't have your generator sitting in a completely closed box while it's operating
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You need to be able to open it up. Another big benefit of the generator shed is that when it's open
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the generator can still be sheltered from rain and snow and all kinds of nastiness like that
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which is usually present when a power failure happens. So you can't have a generator sitting outside in the rain and operating properly or safely
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So generator shed, perfect option. Lots of people have them. I'm constantly amazed at how many people are getting generators
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and then they need to deal with problems like this. So there you go, Joanne. You're all set
