Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking about using a bigger muffler but was concerned about affecting exhaust flow enough to affect the motors performance. I wanted to see if someone else had done it before I tried.Precision wrote:One simple way (depending on generator) is to attach a car muffler to (or in place of) the generator muffler. This cut the sound by 75% on one a buddy owns.Nicodemus wrote:
I am thinking about possible SHTF generator applications as well as general power down emergencies. Does anyone have any ideas on considerably lessoning the noise on a generator without compromising it's performance. I am thinking in a SHTF situation (katrina or worse) there are big security risks with firing up a generator in dead silence in an urban enviroment, like everyone in the neighborhood knowing exactly what you have and approximately where you are once it's fired up.
Another idea is to get some of the hard insulation skinned with aluminum and make a generator box. The one I have has 3 sides and a top with a 3-4" opening all around the bottom for ventilation. I use this at hunting camp and am really only trying to redirect the sound away from camp. It cuts down noise by 50%+.
Of course doing both would make for greater gains.
or better yet. use the hard insulation idea. Make my 3 sided guy with the opening facing north, then make a second larger one without the bottom gap, facing it south. For arguments sake say leaving a 8" gap between the two boxes (height and width wise) but overlapping by say 50% when you slip it over top of the first one.
This should act like a double turn does for light. Muffle and direct the sound out to the south with the first box, then dampen it and deflect it back north. Plenty of air should get in for cooling and combustion and the sound levels should be LOW.
Down side is it would add 3-4' to each dimension on the storage space of the generator.
I like the box idea but I live in Phoenix, if I had to bust out the generator in the middle of the summer here I would be worried about overheating the thing. I am going to have to build a structure for it of some sort for SHTF use so it's not just running willy nilly out in the open in my back yard.
Im not asking so I can run out and bubify my wiring. The reason I asked everything I did is because I am pretty ignorant about the house electrical systems stuff and answering my questions would give me enough to use to figure out a lot more. I'll be talking to an electrician about it next week, but I trust the knowledge base here.blackeagle603
oh for pete's sake. so many words...
call a freakin' electrician, get a cutout wired in and be done with it.
in a real emergency you'll find an electrician neighbor to coach you thru safest jury rig.
