In Vermont, we don’t just get “snowfall”—we get snow accumulation. As the season progresses, the snowpack builds layer by layer, turning your backyard into a frozen landscape. A generator snow stand can help alleviate the pains from all of those potential issues.

While this is great for skiing, it poses a serious threat to your home standby generator. Most generators are installed on a concrete pad at ground level. In a standard Vermont winter, that pad can easily disappear under two or three feet of snow.

When your generator is buried, it isn’t just hard to reach—it is struggling to breathe. Here is why installing a generator snow stand is one of the smartest investments you can make for your backup power system.

The “Suffocation” Shutdown

Your generator is an engine, and like any engine, it needs to breathe. It relies on a constant flow of fresh air through its intake vents to cool the engine and mix with fuel for combustion.

When a snow drift piles up against the side of your unit, it blocks these vital intake vents. This leads to two critical problems:

Overheating: Without cooling air, the engine temperature spikes rapidly.
Oxygen Starvation: The engine chokes, causing it to run roughly or stall completely.

Modern generators have safety sensors designed to shut the unit down if these conditions occur. This means that right in the middle of a blizzard—when you need power the most—your generator might turn itself off to prevent self-destruction, simply because it couldn’t get enough air.

Shoveling vs. Brushing

Picture this: It is 2:00 AM, the power just went out, and the wind is howling. You look out the window and see… nothing. Your generator is completely submerged in a four-foot drift.

Without a generator snow stand, you have to go outside in the storm and shovel a “trench” around the entire unit to restore airflow.

With a stand, your generator is elevated 12 to 24 inches (or more) above the ground. Instead of a frantic shoveling expedition, maintenance often requires nothing more than a quick brush-off of the lid. Keeping the unit above the snow line ensures that even if you can’t get outside immediately, the intake vents remain clear and the system keeps running.

Protecting Against Freeze-Thaw Damage

Snow isn’t the only enemy; ice is just as dangerous. When a generator sits on a ground-level pad, it is susceptible to the freeze-thaw cycle. Meltwater from the unit (or the sun) pools around the base during the day and freezes solid at night.

This expanding ice can:

Damage the composite or metal enclosure.
Heave the concrete pad, throwing the unit off-level.
Freeze the cabinet doors shut, making it impossible to check the oil or breakers during an emergency.

Elevating the unit allows meltwater to drain away freely, keeping your enclosure dry and accessible.

The Brook Field Solution

At Brook Field Service, we understand Vermont winters because we experience them firsthand. We know that a “standard” installation often isn’t enough for our climate. That is why we offer custom generator snow stands designed specifically for heavy snow loads.

Don’t wait until you are digging out your generator by flashlight. Give your system the room it needs to breathe.

Ready to elevate your protection? Contact Brook Field Service today to discuss adding a snow stand to your existing setup or including one with your new installation.