Honda EU20i Rain Cover?

[larrysanders]

Anyone know where I can get a rain cover for this gennie for when it's in use? I've had a look on the net and all the covers appear to be used for storage. I know they're shower proof!!

 

Thanks in advance.

[OldGoldy]

Anyone know where I can get a rain cover for this gennie for when it's in use?

Is there such a thing? I'd be bothered about overheating and likely resort to say, a folding picnic table placed over the genny (half erected thus ^).

 

The 'dining' surface is often a laminate covered hardboard, which will need to be replaced with something like a sheet of ally or polycarbonate. This then could double up as a table outside the boat for cuppas/pints/tinnys/sarnies on the towpath but only when the weather is better than it is now!

[larrysanders]

Thanks for the tip...

 

I know there is one as I've seen them a while back before I bought my generator. From memory it has flaps on the front and back which you prop open to avoid over heating and it appeared to be made from canvas. I just can't find them on the net...?

[NB Alnwick]

Anyone know where I can get a rain cover for this gennie for when it's in use? I've had a look on the net and all the covers appear to be used for storage. I know they're shower proof!!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Is it necessary? We put ours on the back step with the exhaust facing outwards - it gets wet sometimes bt the electrics stay dry - never had a problem . . .

[nb Innisfree]

Anyone know where I can get a rain cover for this gennie for when it's in use? I've had a look on the net and all the covers appear to be used for storage. I know they're shower proof!!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I saw one made by a boater, basically a tent made from plastic, open both ends with a handle on top to lift it off.

 

Sort of an oblong cake cover?

[Chris Pink]

Anyone know where I can get a rain cover for this gennie for when it's in use? I've had a look on the net and all the covers appear to be used for storage. I know they're shower proof!!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Wheelbarrow, golfing umbrella, 3' x 3' piece of 6mm mdf or plywood with prop, plywood box with open exhaust end and vent (could also be soundproofed with kingspan).

 

I would be very wary about running any generator with a textile cover.

[wiltshire_boy]

With the small genny on our last boat, i bought a very small tarp' from the market and used tent pegs to keep it in place if it was on the bank. You could always use a stick or similar as a tent pole for more air gap.

Edited December 19, 2009 by wiltshire_boy

[blackrose]

Is it necessary? We put ours on the back step with the exhaust facing outwards - it gets wet sometimes bt the electrics stay dry - never had a problem . . .

 

It's obviously up to you what you do, but positioning a generator half in/half out of the boat while it's running is not something to be recommended..

[Ads]

Honda dont make a cover for them for when in use only the storage cover that u have already found. Id just make a small box to cover it as there air cooled your need to let the air circulate around it.

 

Ads

[FadeToScarlet]

Is it necessary? We put ours on the back step with the exhaust facing outwards - it gets wet sometimes bt the electrics stay dry - never had a problem . . .

 

Where do the petrol vapours go? This isn't something I'd like to try.

 

****

 

The Honda EU20 is tougher than you'd think. A friend had his knocked into the river when it was running. After some careful disassembly and drying, it was reassembled and still works perfectly.

[larrysanders]

Has anyone ever had their generator stolen off the boat? Obviously I'd lock it down with a chain, however do you cover it up out of view when not in use?

[Chris Pink]

Where do the petrol vapours go? This isn't something I'd like to try.

 

well petrol vapour is a fluid and would behave just as if you poured water onto the back deck, you can visualise that some of it would run off the back deck onto the canal, some of it would splash down the back steps into the boat, and just like water if there was enough of it it would run further down the boat, perhaps swirling in a playful way around the paloma pilot light....

 

so colour the petrol vapour....say violet

 

now visualise the carbon monoxide in the exhaust, colour it say yellow,

 

carbon monoxide is also a liquid, not quite as heavy as petrol vapour, swirly about in a more misty way, most of it puffing out the back doors but with eddies swirling back into the boat (remember the bisto ad).

[DHutch]

Our Ex1000 runs in the rain if it raining.

- The only thing i do if its cold is make sure its bought inside shortly after it turned off so its got a be of retained heat to dry out.

 

Ours is kept well out of side when not in use and empty of fuel. Fuels kept on the back deck, out off sight also.

 

 

Daniel

[nb Innisfree]

Has anyone ever had their generator stolen off the boat? Obviously I'd lock it down with a chain, however do you cover it up out of view when not in use?

 

We store our Kipor 2kW under the locking engine board on our cruiser stern, making sure petrol tank has run dry. Petrol is stored in spare gas locker.

[NB Alnwick]

well petrol vapour is a fluid and would behave just as if you poured water onto the back deck, you can visualise that some of it would run off the back deck onto the canal, some of it would splash down the back steps into the boat, and just like water if there was enough of it it would run further down the boat, perhaps swirling in a playful way around the paloma pilot light....

 

so colour the petrol vapour....say violet

 

now visualise the carbon monoxide in the exhaust, colour it say yellow,

 

carbon monoxide is also a liquid, not quite as heavy as petrol vapour, swirly about in a more misty way, most of it puffing out the back doors but with eddies swirling back into the boat (remember the bisto ad).

 

Yes it all sounds very dangerous and we have been running our generator in this way on the back step for three years.

 

What is more scary is the fact that until the chimney of our Epping range suffered a terminal crack earlier in the year, we often had that going too - less than a foot away from the petrol generator.

 

However, fumes from the generator have never registered on our CO alarm in the main cabin at the front, or in the engine room, and I think that the design of the Honda EU20i prevents the escape of raw petrol fumes to any significant extent - so the biggest danger comes when we have to refill it with petrol. Which I usually carry out on the towpath several metres away from the boat. Some time ago I did manage to spill a about half a pint of petrol on the back deck and there is no evidence to suggest that it subsequently entered the boat.

 

Should we change our habits and run the generator on the towpath? Well that appears to be ruled out by the BW mooring conditions and, having already had our petrol can and petrol stolen from the boat, it would be a bit of a risk leaving an £800 generator sitting on the bank - so where should we run it?

 

I am not in any way suggesting that what we do is right or safe but it was what the previous owner of our boat did and it is what we see other owners doing - we need power so what are the alternatives?

[blackrose]

Yes it all sounds very dangerous and we have been running our generator in this way on the back step for three years.

 

What is more scary is the fact that until the chimney of our Epping range suffered a terminal crack earlier in the year, we often had that going too - less than a foot away from the petrol generator.

 

However, fumes from the generator have never registered on our CO alarm in the main cabin at the front, or in the engine room, and I think that the design of the Honda EU20i prevents the escape of raw petrol fumes to any significant extent - so the biggest danger comes when we have to refill it with petrol. Which I usually carry out on the towpath several metres away from the boat. Some time ago I did manage to spill a about half a pint of petrol on the back deck and there is no evidence to suggest that it subsequently entered the boat.

 

Should we change our habits and run the generator on the towpath? Well that appears to be ruled out by the BW mooring conditions and, having already had our petrol can and petrol stolen from the boat, it would be a bit of a risk leaving an £800 generator sitting on the bank - so where should we run it?

 

I am not in any way suggesting that what we do is right or safe but it was what the previous owner of our boat did and it is what we see other owners doing - we need power so what are the alternatives?

 

It's a difficult one. In an ideal world we wouldn't use petrol generators on boats at all, but the quiet diesel alternatives are out of most people's price range.

 

I knew a couple on a 70ft narrowboat and they used to run their generator half in-half out of the back doors and had done so for years. One day they were sitting watching TV when the guy realised he had fallen asleep and looked across to see his girlfriend slumped over on the sofa. The wind had changed and CO was coming through the boat so they were being poisoned.

 

He said it took all his effort to get up and drag his girlfriend outside onto the bow for fresh air. This was about 20 years ago and he didn't have a CO alarm, but nevertheless an alarm is there as a last line of defence and shouldn't be relied on to ameliorate something which we can control such as positioning of a generator.

Edited December 23, 2009 by blackrose

[NB Alnwick]

It's a difficult one. In an ideal world we wouldn't use petrol generators on boats at all, but the quiet diesel alternatives are out of most people's price range.

 

I knew a couple on a 70ft narrowboat and they used to run their generator half in-half out of the back doors and had done so for years. One day they were sitting watching TV when the guy realised he had fallen asleep and looked across to see hi girlfriend slumped over on the sofa. The wind had changed and CO was coming through the boat so they were being poisoned.

 

He said it took all his effort to get up and drag his girlfriend outside onto the bow for fresh air. This was about 20 years ago and he didn't have a CO alarm, but nevertheless an alarm is there as a last line of defence and shouldn't be relied on to ameliorate something which we can control such as positioning of a generator.

 

We do have the benefit of a couple of bulkheads between the back cabin and the main living accommodation and when running the generator we always keep at least one of the doors shut.

[FadeToScarlet]

We do have the benefit of a couple of bulkheads between the back cabin and the main living accommodation and when running the generator we always keep at least one of the doors shut.

 

Hmm. You're being very sensible about it all; it's just how different people assess the risks, I suppose. My generator is never run on the boat, and I do chain it to the boat so it's secure if I feel we're in a dodgy area. I personally don't feel happy with running the genny on the boat, and so I don't, but clearly other people have their own reasons for doing so or not.

 

I suppose that you don't run the genny on the boat through choice, but are compelled by the circumstances you described.

[larrysanders]

Hmm. You're being very sensible about it all; it's just how different people assess the risks, I suppose. My generator is never run on the boat, and I do chain it to the boat so it's secure if I feel we're in a dodgy area. I personally don't feel happy with running the genny on the boat, and so I don't, but clearly other people have their own reasons for doing so or not.

 

I suppose that you don't run the genny on the boat through choice, but are compelled by the circumstances you described.

 

 

Why don't you run your gennie on the boat? For petrol, petrol vapour reasons or is it to do with earthing the generator?

[FadeToScarlet]

Why don't you run your gennie on the boat? For petrol, petrol vapour reasons or is it to do with earthing the generator?

 

Petrol and petrol vapour. I've got the space (private land) to run the genny on the bank, and I'm not taking the chance. Yes, the risks of petrol vapours getting into the boat if I run the genny on the counter are low, but they're still there, and it seems to me silly to take a risk, however negligable, if it can be avoided.

[larrysanders]

Petrol and petrol vapour. I've got the space (private land) to run the genny on the bank, and I'm not taking the chance. Yes, the risks of petrol vapours getting into the boat if I run the genny on the counter are low, but they're still there, and it seems to me silly to take a risk, however negligable, if it can be avoided.

 

 

You may or maynot know the answer to this.. however, do you have to earth a generator if it's running on your boat. By this I mean running a wire from the earth to the bank?

[blackrose]

You may or maynot know the answer to this.. however, do you have to earth a generator if it's running on your boat. By this I mean running a wire from the earth to the bank?

 

it depends on the particular generator. Most portable petrol generators have something called a "floating earth" which perhaps someone more knowledgeable can explain.

 

However, these generators are basically designed for running a single powertool or appliance direct and not for running an entire ring mains. So with a floating earth your RCD will not trip in the event of a fault for example.

 

If you want to set it up properly you need to link neutral and earth on the generator output and then either connect the earth stud on the generator to an earth spike or to your hull earth stud.

 

If you want to do this modification you first need to check with the manufacturer that your generator has a floating earth - the Honda EU range do. Once you've modified the generator it should never be used to run appliances direct (as it now doesn't have a floating earth) and it should be labelled as such. It must be run through an RCD and be connected to earth as described above.

 

Edit: When I did this modification I linked N and E in the cable plug that goes into the generator and not on the generator itself. I then stuck a big laminated label on the cable to remind me only to use the cable with this generator and not for any other use. But then I was slagged off for not doing the job properly by a forum member called Terry Hell (who has since left). So I'm not recommending modifying the cable, but personally I don't see it as any less safe than linking N and E on the generator and then someone not realising and using it without an RCD.

Edited December 24, 2009 by blackrose

[tomsk]

it depends on the particular generator. Most portable petrol generators have something called a "floating earth" which perhaps someone more knowledgeable can explain.

 

However, these generators are basically designed for running a single powertool or appliance direct and not for rumming an entire ring mains. So with a floating earth your RCD will not trip in the event of a fault for example.

 

If you want to set it up properly you need to link neutral and earth on the generator output and then either connect the earth stud on the generator to an earth spike or to your hull earth stud.

 

If you want to do this modification you first need to check with the manufacturer that your generator has a floating earth - the Honda EU range do. Once you've modified the generator it should never be used to run appliances direct (as it now doesn't have a floating earth) and it should be labelled as such. It must be run through an RCD and be connected to earth as described above.

 

Edit: When I did this modification I linked N and E in the cable plug that goes into the generator and not on the generator itself. I then stuck a big laminated label on the cable to remind me only to use the cable with this generator and not for any other use. But then I was slagged off for not doing the job properly by a forum member called Terry Hell (who has since left). So I'm not recommending modifying the cable, but personally I don't see it as any less safe than linking N and E on the generator and then someone not realising and using it without an RCD.

 

 

Terry Hell!!!

[alan_fincher]

Yes it all sounds very dangerous and we have been running our generator in this way on the back step for three years.

 

BSS Office Advice On The Subject

 

BSS Statement - Residential boaters beware of carbon monoxide.

 

Specifically

 

Exhaust fumes from petrol generators are particularly nasty. Don’t allow any exhaust fumes in the cabin or accommodation spaces, in particular, keep generators well away from cabin openings. Be a good neighbour, don’t place your generator where other boaters could be in danger from the exhaust fumes.

 

Also

 

Don’t be tempted to place all your reliance on carbon monoxide detectors to keep yourself safe

 

I'm sure that boaters have died as a result of generators left running, in hatchways, with exhausts facing out, but can't immediately find a reference.

 

It's not something I would ever choose to do, certainly.

[alan_fincher]

More on this...

 

Not a British reference, I'll admit, but something from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

 

From this link to site

 

In 2005 alone, CPSC staff is aware of at least 94 generator-related CO poisoning deaths

 

OK, it's a big country, but nearly a hundred CO poisoning deaths related to generators in a year ? I'm surprised by that statistic.