Minnesota is known for its harsh winters and snow storms that can drop a lot of snow in a short period of time. In fact, the snows in the Twin Cities can be so heavy that individuals have to hire companies to come and shovel snow off of their roofs to ensure the roofs don’t collapse.

What does this mean for your generator?

You know that a generator wouldn’t be a good option in Minnesota if it couldn’t stand up to the cold and snow. Sure, generators can be used in the summer after serious weather, but the winter can result in quite a few power outages due to snow weighing on power lines and trees. Because of the depth of snows, you will need to control the amount of snow around your generators.

So what do you need to know when it comes to keeping your generator clear of snow?

• When dealing with a heavily accumulating snow, you will want to periodically go outside with a shovel and push the snow away. If you do this at times during the storm, you won’t have to move a bunch of snow at once.
• Something some individuals do is loosely attach a burlap sack to the air intake to prevent snow from accumulating around the intake. However, the sack has to stay away from heated parts because the sack could ignite. The sack also shouldn’t touch moving parts.
• A snow hood can also help keep snow from accumulating around the generator. This is an option that you can discuss with your generator company when considering supplies. Although costlier, it can be a much less risky snow preventative than using a burlap sack.

The moment you notice snow accumulating against your generator, it is important to remove it or have someone remove it for you. That way you can ensure the intake and any exhaust vents remain free of snow. If those important components are blocked, then the generator could fail and generator repairs would be needed to get it up and up and running again.