While generators are useful home items during power blackouts, camping, they produce buzzing noise, which can be very irritating.
Luckily, there are different ways on how to make your generator quieter as a cricket. This way, you’ll be able to make your generator quiet and get rid of vibrations and buzzing noises.
Let’s have a look at different ways you can make your generator quieter.
Top 7 Ways on How to Quiet a Generator
There are seven different ways on how you can make a generator quiet as a cricket using cheap and readily affordable materials at home. They include:
- Rubber feet
- Sound deflectors
- Baffle box
- Generator muffler box
- Soundproof generator box
- Generator away from home
- Angle the generator exhaust away
1. Rubber Feet
Rubber feet are great for helping reduce vibrations not only in generators but also in other household appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines.
One of our recommended anti-vibration rubber feet is Sellerocity Extreme Heavy Duty Rubber Pads.
Additionally, placing your generator on some soundproofing mat will help significantly reduce vibrations and unwanted noise.
2. Sound Deflectors
Sound deflectors are great and will be useful especially if your generator is kept in an enclosed space such as a shed or outhouse.
It’s important to know that a sound deflector won’t soundproof. As their name suggests, sound deflectors will only deflect the sound and as a result, very little noise will reach you.
Sound deflectors are specifically designed to deflect sound; they are cheap. This should be considered as a temporary solution. Alternatively, you can combine this hack with several other options for maximum effectiveness.
3. Baffle Box
A generator baffle box is something similar to a generator soundproof box. A baffle box helps deal with airborne noises generated by your generator.
Unfortunately, a generator baffle box won’t open completely soundproof your generator because it leaves plenty of open space that can leak unwanted sounds.
Fortunately, you’ll be able to notice a significant difference after you have designed your generator baffle box.
4. Generator soundproof Box
The first and most important step you should make to quiet a generator is using build a quiet generator box.
A soundproof generator box is highly recommended especially if you won’t be moving your generator anywhere. This is because it’ll make it heavy and quite challenging to handle.
To build a soundproof box for your generator, you will need the following materials:
- Foam mats
- Medium-density fiberboard
- A ventilation duct
- Green glue
- Mass loaded vinyl (MLV)
It’s important to note that this a quiet generator box won’t wholly sound dampen your generator because the ventilation duct will leak some noises. A soundproof box can also help quiet a noisy water pump.
Below are the steps on how you can create a soundproof generator box:
- Measure the dimensions of your generator. Add a few inches to the measurements obtained to accommodate for the soundproofing insulation you’ll attach.
- Cut the medium density fiberboard into 6 pieces as per the measurement obtained above. You can use a right-angled ruler for accurate measurements.
- Measure the diameter of the vent ducts and then cut ventilation holes in the MDF.
- One vent duct should be located at the ceiling panel and the other ventilation on one side of the walls.
- Add a layer of MLV to the inside surface of the fiberboard panel. Use green glue to glue the MLD to the MDF.
- The next step is to add a layer of foam mats. They help in sound reflection hence making it impossible for sound waves to bounce inside the box.
- Seal all the edges with green glue to ensure that no sound leaks through the edges
- Assemble your generator soundproof box and screw or hinge the panels together.
- Lastly, it’s time to install ventilation and then seal using Green Glue. The ventilation duct ensures that there’s an excellent supply of air in and out of the generator box.
5. Generator Away From Home
This is an old practice that almost everyone practices. Keeping your generator several meters away from your campsite or home will affect how loud it is from your house.
You can combine this hack with others for best results.
For example, you can use a generator baffle box and store it away from your house. This way, you’ll be able to make the generator as quiet as a cricket.
6. Angle the generator exhaust away
Generator exhaust produces more noise. In this case, you will have to set your generator exhaust facing away from your house or camping site.
This hack may not help so much but will reduce noise to manageable levels.
7. Zombie Portable Soundproof Enclosures
A ZombieBox is a portable and weatherproof generator soundproof enclosure. It’s similar to the generator enclosure above, with the only difference being that ZombieBox is sold as a whole.
If you don’t want to get your hand’s dirty building a soundproof enclosure, then the ZombieBox is the perfect one for you.
According to the manufacturer, ZombieBox can reduce generator noise by up to 99% or 5X.
8. Generator Silencer
There are different types of generator silencers. GenSilencer is a brand that makes generator silences for different kinds of generators and brands. All their products have a one year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
It’s important to note that generator silencers are easy to install. In addition, the mufflers are made to be universally fit for different types of portable gasoline generators.
9. Replace the faulty muffler
If your old generator sounds louder than it used to be, the chances are that you have a faulty muffler.
If you have a basic knowledge of how a generator works, you can inspect to see if the muffler requires replacement.
Alternatively, you can take your generator to a mechanic to check for a faulty muffler.
On Making a Generator Quiet
In conclusion, making a generator quiet as a cricket doesn’t have to be hard. Above are some of the most effective methods on how to quiet a generator.
Lastly, remember that you won’t fully sound deaden your generator. Instead, you’ll be able only to reduce generator noises to manageable levels.