A question I am commonly asked is "do I need to cover the motor in my wind generator?". The simple answer to that question is yes, but lets take a look at why your wind generator needs a cover or shroud.

The main reason to protect the motor is to shield it from the weather. Unless you live in a desert it is going to rain at least a couple times per year. As we know electricity and water don't really mix that well. If even a little bit of water comes into contact with your motor it might short out and could very well destroy your motor.

Although protecting it from weather is the prime reason to shield your motor from the weather the other big reason is aesthetics. Adding a cover to your motor makes it look a lot nicer.

What should you make your shroud out of though? Well, I've seen PVC pipe, double walled chimney pipe and fiberglass used. Let's take a look at how to use each of these to protect your wind generator motor from the elements and make everything look better.

The easiest way to do this is to use PVC pipe. What happens is you simply cut a line down the PVC pipe which than slips over the motor/body. You can paint it whatever color you like. This method works quite well at keeping your motor water free and your wind generator will look a lot better.

Although I've never personally used a chimney pipe, I have heard of people that have. It works pretty well because all it needs is to be cut to size and it slides right over the motor.

I'm currently working on using fiberglass for the shroud. It takes a little bit longer, but once it's built it looks fantastic. The plus side is you can make your shroud look however you like. It requires some sanding, but it looks great so I think it's worth it.

One thing I should mention is that you should also use some silicone to fill in any spaces where water can get in.

So just remember, there is a reason why we put a shroud on the wind generator. It's primarily to keep the water out, but it also helps make everything look better.

Would you like to learn how to build a wind generator? Just click the link at the left.

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