operating a mep-003 in the rain

[coyote62ny]

will it damage any parts on a 003 by running it in the rain without anything covering the gen set. i live in ny and we are supposed to get hit by sandy. the electric co. is calling people leting them know we may be with out power for days. i dont have any building to run the gen set in or a way to cover it while its running. yes the gen set is grounded and hooked to a transfer switch. any advice would be helpful. thanks in advance for any help.

 

[doghead]

It will be fine in the rain.

Up here(North of Syracuse), were going to get less than an inch of rain. Don't get too hyped up.

Wind(40-50mph) and power outages...

 

[Isaac-1]

You should be fine in normal rain, I might be a little concerned about hurricane force blowing rain getting inside the control box and connection box, etc.

Ike

 

[coyote62ny]

im only 50 miles north of binghamton they say we could get 2 to 4 inches of rain here. you guys north of syracuse wont get as much as we will. we are under a high wind and flood warning starting tomorrow. thanks for the help.

 

[derf]

The genset is weather resistant. Mind the electrical, though. Things like proper grounds become very important when you're standing in a puddle of water.

 

[coyotegray]

These generators were designed to run under harsh conditions.

Run it..

 

[islandguydon]

You will have no issues running the unit in the rain, snow or hail. The weight on the skids keeps the unit in place so the wind is not a factor. Good luck and don't forget a little extra fuel is always a progressive move. Check the oil..

 

[Isaac-1]

Like they said these were designed for harsh conditions, however it is amazing where water and debris can get when the wind speeds get up over 100 miles per hour, not that your likely to see that in a cat 1 hurricane. It is also possible for strong winds to blow into the cooling duct outlets directly against the flow of the cooling fan causing causing over heating, the odds are against it, but most good generator installations manuals suggest not pointing the cooling system towards prevailing winds for that reason.

Ike

 

[coyote62ny]

thanks for all the info guys. i was concened about the control panel getting water in it so i have a tarp fastened behind the control box and bungies to hold it down over the gauges. just in case. will keep you posted on how it goes if we have a power outage. thanks again.

 

[Speddmon]

Don't worry about the control panel. Even with the strongest winds, it will stay dry.

Don't believe me, drop the panel cover and look at the way it was designed. The panel overlaps an angle bracket on all 4 sides of the cover by at least 1/2". The worst that can happen is water get's behind the cover and drips down the angle bracket inside the panel. From there is will drain out the bottom...they are not sealed tight for just that reason. So unless you have a gauge or component missing from your cover, your electrical components will be fine.

 

[bsorcs]

Just make sure you have enough fuel for that puppy before the you-know-what hits the fan. Luck!

 

[coyote62ny]

i can get fuel from a farm 1 mile away for 3.29 a gallon any time i need it so im good as far as fuel goes. you guys have been very helpful with this post and i thank you . great site and always someone to answer questions.

 

[Harleyd315]

I have had my 003 running outside now for close to 10 hours, so far so good. The only problem I had was trying to keep it close to the garage under the overhang, seems thats an area that always collects leaves. The first hour or so the machine shut down because leaves had collected on the blower screen. Didn't matter which way I turned the gen cause the leaves were blowing like a cyclone.

 

[washingtonmountains]

i can get fuel from a farm 1 mile away for 3.29 a gallon any time i need it so im good as far as fuel goes. you guys have been very helpful with this post and i thank you . great site and always someone to answer questions.

Are you one of the 6000 customers out in the oneonta district for NYSEG or did you luck out and not halfto run it?

 

[Keith_J]

The gauges may not be as waterproof as they were when new. Best to cover the instrument panel with a tarp.

The rest should be fine.