How To Prevent Portable Generator Theft

Prevent generator theft

Now on this video we’re going to show you how to lock down your generator to help. And notice I said, help prevent generator theft. Because the fact is there is no way that you can lock down a portable generator so a thief doesn’t take it, if he is determined to take it. But on this video,we’re gonna show you how to lock it down and we’re also going to show you a couple of techniques that you might not have thought of.

[WPXperVideo id=21 ]

We’re going to show you how to find the generator, if in fact a thief takes it. And we’re also going to show you how to identify the generator when you find it. This means that you can demonstrate to law enforcement and say, hey, hey, hey, hey, this is my generator and I can prove it. Real quick folks before we begin the video on how to prevent generator theft, I wanted to let you know that we decided to extend this series on portable generators. We are going to include a video on how to make an inexpensive generator cover. Our generator cover is completely portable and can easily be stored. When that video is complete, we will include it at the end of this video. If you don’t see it at the end of this video, check the video description.

Lock and cable

Okay let’s start with the lock and the cable. As I indicated in the opening, if a thief is determined to steal your generator, it’s going to be awful hard to stop him. But what you want to do is make it as difficult as possible by using a high quality lock, with a cable that is very very difficult to cut. We got this heavy-duty lock and 1/2 inch plastic coated cable that helps prevent corrosion from Amazon. And we’ll put an affiliate link in the video description in case you want to get one. This lock has enough room to allow you to loop the cable through the generator or around a tree and bring both ends into the lock, so that they can be secured.

outdoor lighting

Let’s talk about outdoor lighting for a second. Outdoor lighting is very important to prevent generator theft. And we wanted our outdoor lights to be independent of the generator. Meaning we wanted the light to still be on if the thief unplugged the generator. So we went with this solar-powered light that is permanently mounted to the side of the house. It is difficult to show in the video just how bright this light is, but it is surprisingly bright and cast light all the way across the yard. According to the manufacturer, it has 68 LEDs in there. It comes with a remote control that allows you to switch between dusk till dawn lighting, and motion sensor lighting. We picked this one up from Amazon, and here is an affiliate link  for you.

Etching

Right, you know how you turn your bicycle upside down and write your name under the seat so you can identify it? Well you want to do the same with this generator. And you want to make sure that you use an etcher like this, to permanently put your name in an inconspicuous spot. Also you want to take a photograph of the name and the serial number of your generator.

Power outlet alarm

We also wanted to put an alarm on the generator in the event it ran out of fuel, or if some thief unplugs the cord. And as it turns out, this power outlet alarm does the trick. The manufacturer says that the alarm is equivalent to an alarm clock alarm. The great thing about this particular alarm is that when the power goes off, it automatically switches to flashlight mode. We get this one from Amazon for under 15 bucks.

GPS tracking system

Okay so what if, even though you have lights, alarm, and a nice heavy cable,someone does steal your generator. Well you can find it using a GPS tracking system like this. This GPS tracking system has a very powerful magnet allowing you to hide it up inside the generator somewhere. And this way if a thief takes it you’ll be able to locate it because the system will send you a text message with its exact GPS coordinates. Then you can call law enforcement to help retrieve your generator. And you’ll be able to demonstrate to them that this in fact is your generator. Because your name is permanently etched underneath.

Well there you go folks, now you know how to protect your generator from thieves. Now if you learn something here today, I invite you to subscribe so that when we post a new video you will be notified. Thanks for watching.

Generator security on Amazon here