Generator is too noisey!!
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
From: North East
I have the same proble with my generator. It was free with the house I bought and after a carb rebuild kit it runs like a champ, however loud! It's a brigs engine, all the ideas about a muffler added to the system from a small car, has anyone successfully done this, and if so did it work?
Just curious. Last power outage we had was during the day on a Sunday after a flood, but in my area if a mouse *****s on the power line we loose power for hours. Dead of winter, 2AM, no alternate to my oil furnace for heat, not fond of waking all the neighbors with my generators.
Just curious. Last power outage we had was during the day on a Sunday after a flood, but in my area if a mouse *****s on the power line we loose power for hours. Dead of winter, 2AM, no alternate to my oil furnace for heat, not fond of waking all the neighbors with my generators.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,613
Likes: 2
From: Gainesville, FL
All,
Generator enclosures are common place in the industry. That means indutrial. Even the little generatos have a cooling fan. If you built a box out of plywood, lined it with styrofoam and/or **** carpet. Left one end of the box open (point this away from you) and cut two or three 3" or 4" holes in the other end and shrouded the holes with dryer vents or something, this would give you at least a 10 dB drop. The box would be larger than the generator and this would allow circulation around the genrator. I'd do it in a second. Of course, mine would be running during a hurricane. Ventilation is really not a problem.
Consider it,
KingFisher
Three of the last four hurricanes came by my way. Don't worry! The trucks are fine.
Generator enclosures are common place in the industry. That means indutrial. Even the little generatos have a cooling fan. If you built a box out of plywood, lined it with styrofoam and/or **** carpet. Left one end of the box open (point this away from you) and cut two or three 3" or 4" holes in the other end and shrouded the holes with dryer vents or something, this would give you at least a 10 dB drop. The box would be larger than the generator and this would allow circulation around the genrator. I'd do it in a second. Of course, mine would be running during a hurricane. Ventilation is really not a problem.
Consider it,
KingFisher
Three of the last four hurricanes came by my way. Don't worry! The trucks are fine.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
From: San Diego, CA
A buddy of mine took the stock muffler off of a Honda XR80 and modified it to his generator. It did quiet it down, but there is still a lot of mechanical noise. I think a combination of a sound screen and a muffler would work pretty well.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Detroit Metro Area
I just found out something real neat on the Honda portable generators. There is a 1000w, 2000 watt, & a heavier 3000 watt that have inverters inside. I boutght 2 of the 2000 watt inverter models. If you need 2000 w or less surge, use 1 unit. They have a feature that lets it run at the 3600 rpm for all out max power. But say you are only running 500 watts, the generator slows way down. If you need a bit more wattage, it speeds up a little. And on and on till 3600 rpm. So quiet it's hard to beleive. You can buy a small cables from Honda so you can connect up the 2 generators & get double the output wattage of just 1. I don't know if this is available with any other generator.
I take them with my 5th wheeler & it will easily start up the 16,000 btu ac & other stuff. The generators are not cheap but well worth it.
I take them with my 5th wheeler & it will easily start up the 16,000 btu ac & other stuff. The generators are not cheap but well worth it.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 938
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Well, one thing you can do is get an old tractor muffler. Remove old muffler, install pipe from tractor muffler onto the pipe that the old genearator muffler was hooked too. This should quiet it way down. However it will take up a little more room becasue of the large tractor muffler. The reason there so loud is becasue of the cheesy cheap mufflers they put on them. You could use a regular car muffler too, but a tractor muffler would be easier becasue of the smaller diameter pipe.
ON EDIT: Now that I think of it again, it might be a better idea to just skip the tractor muffler idea and go ahead and get a super quiet muffler made for a small car or something and just get some pipe and clamps and have at it. It should be a very simple job to adapt the car muffler to your geneartor, this should solve the noise problem, in fact I bet youll hardly hear it.
ON EDIT: Now that I think of it again, it might be a better idea to just skip the tractor muffler idea and go ahead and get a super quiet muffler made for a small car or something and just get some pipe and clamps and have at it. It should be a very simple job to adapt the car muffler to your geneartor, this should solve the noise problem, in fact I bet youll hardly hear it.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 0
From: Broussard USA
Most of the noise is not comming from the muffler as stated before, you can add a larger muffler but it will only help a little.
The best way again as said is to shield the unit, build a cover of sorts. You do not want it to close because you do need the air flow think those tri-fold blinds. just set it in front of the unit so that it blocks 3 sides and has at least a curve on top, you can glue ridgid insulation to the shield and that will help even more. You are looking to bounce the sound away, with three sides and a curved top less will make it around. I would keep it at least a foot larger on all sides.
The reason Onans are quiet are because they have sound insulation built onto the unit not just because of the muffler.
The best way again as said is to shield the unit, build a cover of sorts. You do not want it to close because you do need the air flow think those tri-fold blinds. just set it in front of the unit so that it blocks 3 sides and has at least a curve on top, you can glue ridgid insulation to the shield and that will help even more. You are looking to bounce the sound away, with three sides and a curved top less will make it around. I would keep it at least a foot larger on all sides.
The reason Onans are quiet are because they have sound insulation built onto the unit not just because of the muffler.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 311
Likes: 2
From: Nashville
The larger muffler will take care of the exhaust noise [1/2 the problem], but the mechanical noise from the lightweight, high RPM engine needs an enclosure to tame it. Every year I'm at a big festival in the Nevada desert where there are gobs of gennies, and making them quiet has become quite an art.
You CAN completely box up a genny that was born noisy, it's the only way to get then anywhere hear as quite as a good Onan or Yamaha. Qbviously, you must leave a hole [in the bottom] for an air intake, then for cooling use a small blower to vent heat out the top or high on one side.
Construction wise 1/2" plywood lined with unfaced fiberglass insulation is the cheap/easy way to go. 3/4" ply will kill even more sound [rigid = better vibration/ sound containment]. Thick open cell foam works better than fiberglass as a damping material, but unless you pony up $$ for a good grade the combination of heat and gas fumes will degrade the foam rather quickly. Remember to hinge one side + the top so you have access for gassing her up and checking the oil. Mounting the genny to the box w/ some homebrew rubber isolators will make the whole thing work that much better.
You CAN completely box up a genny that was born noisy, it's the only way to get then anywhere hear as quite as a good Onan or Yamaha. Qbviously, you must leave a hole [in the bottom] for an air intake, then for cooling use a small blower to vent heat out the top or high on one side.
Construction wise 1/2" plywood lined with unfaced fiberglass insulation is the cheap/easy way to go. 3/4" ply will kill even more sound [rigid = better vibration/ sound containment]. Thick open cell foam works better than fiberglass as a damping material, but unless you pony up $$ for a good grade the combination of heat and gas fumes will degrade the foam rather quickly. Remember to hinge one side + the top so you have access for gassing her up and checking the oil. Mounting the genny to the box w/ some homebrew rubber isolators will make the whole thing work that much better.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
i just bought a almost brand new Honda EU1000 and its super quiet!! there are 3 aviable EU 1000, 2000 and 3000 are the only stuff that is pretty quiet but VERY PRICY!!!!
Heres the link http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.asp and look for "super quiet"
YOMAN!
Heres the link http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.asp and look for "super quiet"
YOMAN!
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 311
Likes: 2
From: Nashville
Yamaha also makes some super quiet genny's that will actually best the Honda's...but just like the Honda's they're VERY $$$. The pint sized 1000 watt model is over $600 new, and a more usable 3000 watt model will set you back $1400. If you use a genny on a regular basis they're well worth the price because they'll last, save on gas, and give you very clean "safe for electronics" power.
If you don't need something hand portable, I'd consider getting a used Onan RV type generator. You can pick up a used 3-4Kw unit for as little as $1000. They use quiet low RPM engines built like a tank so they last forever, and can be set up to run off gas or propane. Only drawback is that they weight a good 100+lbs more than a portable generator, so need to be installed in your vehicle.
If you don't need something hand portable, I'd consider getting a used Onan RV type generator. You can pick up a used 3-4Kw unit for as little as $1000. They use quiet low RPM engines built like a tank so they last forever, and can be set up to run off gas or propane. Only drawback is that they weight a good 100+lbs more than a portable generator, so need to be installed in your vehicle.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 0
From: Broussard USA
Well I bought a 5600 for under 500 and it is not very loud so I see no need to spend the big bucks on the Honda or Yamaha. Again as said just build a wood box with a top and 3 sides, keep it larger by 12" or so and it will be quieter than the Yamaha or Honda units. I used to use mine all the time that way, I used door hinges with the removable pins so I could pull the pins and colaps the box. Now I have a trailer mounted unit that runs on propane and you can hardley hear it.
