So, I finally got the 10 gauge extension cord, the oil, the gas, the gas stabilizer etc. for my 3.5KW generator from Aldis. I tested it yesterday and things worked fine, it runs off an engine with a cast iron block, so it's not nearly as noisy as I expected.
Our house has a set of steap concrete stairs leading from the backyard down to a foyer with a door into the basement. This foyer is sheltered, and there's actually a sort of awning or canapee that prevents water from running down into it. There happens to be a cat door in the connecting door, so my plan is to run the generator in that outdoor foyer, run the cables through the cat door and inhabit the basement if things get dicey. So, my question is this: Can I store a generator like this over the long term in the kind of sheltered foyer I've described? I could conceivably, easily enough wheel the thing on a hand truck and keep it in the basement proper and move it when I need to, but I'm superstitious about having four or so gallons of gas stored right under the living room. Would you guys suggest running this every month or so? Thanks for any ideas on this one. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]