How to quiet my genset for home.

[Bubba1235]

Anyone ever use a larger muffler to quiet down a gasoline generator? It seems like when we lose power we end up running the genny overnight and while it's not horribly loud I'd like to see if I can quiet it down a little more.

It has the small off the shelf muffler you find on any small gas engine and I'm wondering if a bigger muffler would help and make sleeping at night a little more peaceful.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Buy a Honda or a Yamaha. I can stand one foot from my Yamaha 3KW Gen and have a conversation in a normal voice.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

I bet you could build a 3 sided insulated enclosure and have the open side facing away from the house and it would do more to quiet it down than a muffler could do.

 

[coolbri70]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

a long exhaust pipe, big muffler or 2 or 3 of them. run the exhaust to the end of the yard

 

[bigdee]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

An ATV or motorcycle muffler somewhere in the 250cc range. Run discharge pipe vertical about 6'. An air cooled engine will still be somewhat noisy but this should make a big improvement.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Who made the engine, find that out and order a muffler from them that is designed for home back up power use, or check out the size of the threads on yours and get a muffler with the same threads that is for an actual home backup generator.

I have a 10K commercial that was loud, I found a muffler that was designed for a home back up genset and put on it, and I can't hear it running at all when I am in the house.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

A muffler will change running dynamics, 3 Walls and roof with sound insulation is the ticket.

 

[calvinator]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

My other hobby is RVs. There are a bunch of threads over RV.net about making loud gensets quiet. Most conclude you really can't do it because most of the noise is from the engine operating -- not necessarily the exhaust.

As other have said, build a box with sound insulation, but keep one side open -- gensets are air cooled.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

I'll do some checking, it's a Honda engine.

If it is a Honda, the options are pretty much endless, there are quite a few very good solutions for quieting down those engines.

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Big difference on generator RV or home use . RV Will be a Horiz twin and makes KW at 1800rpm Insulated box ,Forestry Approved Muffler with about 4 ft exhaust pipe , Home are 3600 rpm screamers and need long cords so you can't hearand cheap exhaust to make that kind of KW . Y2k we used Rubbermaid shed ,Isoboard on 3 sides next to house and I Love my Onan 3000 Emerald 11 as you can't tell its running from in side RV and walk right by it till you can see exhaust pipe out back .

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

When I'm in the house in bed it's the exhaust I hear.

Point plumb exhaust strait up above roof line and use farm tractor Flap/closer for rain/birds,bees

 

[Grub54891]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Had a genny at the shack before power was installed,I put an automotive,big muffler on it. Did not help much,the unit itself was noisy from new.,got rid of it to a construction crew who did not care how loud it was.
Grub

 

[foodfisher]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Deffinately not a whiz at this but backpressure and overheat come to mind.

 

[Lyle29464]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

You will be amazed how much the sound will decrease if you put anything on the house side of the genset. A 4'X4' of 3/4 plywood or most anything.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Deffinately not a whiz at this but backpressure and overheat come to mind.

Yep by putting a non stock exhaust on your generator, you will risk ruining the unit IMO. Any warranty you had is done too. Muffler isn't the answer but the location of the generator, and 3 walls makes great sense. Maybe it isn't a quality unit and you don't mind if it gets ruined, Honda's usually are a quality product.

 

[ehenry]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

The best thing you can do is build a 3 sided enclosure. 3.5 sheets of plywood and a few 2x4's and its built. I've been in the boat you're in and tried the muffler trick. Didnt work. I found an old air fairing off of an 18-wheel tractor cab and used it, worked like a champ, until I got a natural gas standby unit. The fairing was fiberglass and light. When I needed to fuel the old genset up I just rolled it off and back on. ANother thing to think about is an extended run tank so you wont have go out and fuel it up as often.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

I agree with staying away from a restrictive muffler. Redirecting the sound energy by piping it up is a great idea but you're still developing some back pressure. You might try some lightweight 6 or 8" diameter PVC to direct the noise up above the roof or around a corner. A Honda generator can be just as loud as other brands if it's running at 3600 rpm vs the quiet type running half that.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: How to quiet my genset for home.

Having worked for a genet manufacturer, and an outdoor power equipment manufacturer I can tell you that exhaust noise AND mechanical noise are almost equal in sound power. Tuned cowl silencers AND an insulated sound dampening wall will be required. Exhaust sound relies on the exhaust velocity within a tuned chamber without adding back pressure. Simply putting a larger muffler will not give you the satisfaction.

I would start with just a tail pipe aimed in the direction away from you and the neighbors. Then take plywood with Mylar faced sound deadening foam to shield the mechanical noise.