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How to quiet down a generator

12K views 29 replies 17 participants last post by  Capt_Jack 
#1 ·
I recently bought this Subaru / Coleman Powermate generator for home back up etc. But the 11 HP motor is a bit noisy. Has anyone done any modifications to the exhaust on thier portable generator? Andrew
 

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#2 ·
No idea. When I go to get one I will be looking at a 1,800rpm unit rather than the 3,600rpm I'm sure you have there. Big noise difference.

It would be hard to enclose it as it would overheat the unit.
 
#3 ·
i used a welder to power my house when the power went out i slipped a pretty long 2" muffler over the exhaust. it quieted it down big time but the generator itself was still really loud. i put it in my garage so no one could easily pinpoint where it was coming from. i felt liek everyone was going to come knocking
 
#7 ·
After the hurricane Ike in Houston...people who had thiers running in front of the house or on the side of the house were getting ripped off...they would bring a shitty lawn mower...start it up by the generator and then shut off the generator and wheel it away....true story..
 
#13 ·
ive seen steel wool shoved in the muffler before and a peice of wire screen on the outlet as a spark arrester to say and it work's god for a few decibels sorry if thats not spelled right
check your spelling Bobby....fiberglass gives it that old time glasspack sound...
 
#14 ·
Here's what we did when we were on those camp outs where everyone wore green...........the smaller sets were the loudest.
Or maybe it was just because they were closer to the tents.
But dig a hole so they are below ground level.
Set them in and let them roar.
Additional noise attenuation is a dicier deal........we have built a box enclosure for them , but over heating can be an issue here.................and you need to make sure that it will have sufficient air / oxygen to keep running.
Restricting the exhaust with steel wool / packing is not such a good idea if you want the gen set to live a long and happy life.
Adding additional mufflers in line will definitely work , though even a simple wall to deflect the noise towards a neighbor you don't care for can be effective.
 
#15 ·
A couple of things you can do it get a "Critical" muffler. It will be bigger and quieter than the one that came on there. Also, place a row of bushes where you plan to run the gen. They muffle sound pretty well...

Also, lock the generator to something. Theft is very common.
 
#20 ·
i used a car muffler and wlded a washer with about a 3/4" hole on the exit off the muffler. it got a lot quieter, but like said in an earlier post is that the generator itself was just too noisy. i bought a honda es3000 and probem solved. i hate it when your at the race track and the guy next to you puts his noisy ass generator on the side of the trailer that he's not going to be. so like it's huray for him and fck me.
 
#22 ·
Me too !



Mr Patel,
I'd never paid much attention until a couple buddies at the track were bitching about the loud ass generators (they have nice quiet Onans ) . During quiet time like after practice runs & national anthem , etc. , I noticed how obnoxious they are . At home I took a car muffler (with the metal baffles inside ) & fastened it to mine and was amazed at how quiet it became .
Me thinks your tractor muffler is just a straight thru & when you fiberglassed it , it became a tractor supply glass-pack .
My 2 cents-good luck --Mopar Tom
 
#21 ·
My friend suggested a resonator? Apparentlythey are used in some car applications after the muffler to quiet it down. Lots of good ideas though. I think at the end of the day you guys are right about the generator itself being a major contributor.
 
#23 ·
I got a honda es3000 this year just before Carlisle. When the security crew came through the camping area at 11:15 pm to make everyone turn their generators off, my buddy came to rant about it and noticed I still had lights and ac in my trailer. We went outside for a while and noticed that when security came by on their golf cart, it was much louder than my honda was. Man I love that generator!!!!!!!!!!
 
#25 ·
This is the expensive option.
But those Hondas are the quietest ( small ) generators I have encountered.
It really amazed me just how quiet they are.
Need more K.W.'s ?
We used 125 KW WhisperWatt sets that you could stand next to and converse in normal tones while they were running a 50 to 70 % load.
 
#28 ·
I hate to say it, but the only way is a Honda, that is why they are so expensive, they are QUIET! I have the 2000 watt one and you can stand next to it and have a conversation. Mine is accually a camoflage looking unit that I bought from Northern tools for $599. It is a Honda under the covers, but no Honda name on it, 3 years and no problems!! They can also be linked together. I have a Generac that runs my house, 6800 watts that is noisy as hell, but it is in the garage where I can't hear it, the only reason I bought the Generac is they use a pressurized oil system with it's own oil filter, good for longevity, I once used it for 3 days straight and had not one issue, Hope this helps, Newbomb
 
#29 ·
I have 2 ONAN Quiet run Diesel 12.5kw's for sale with low hours. Can mount in your race semi, in, or next to A shop or building.
ULTRA QUIET...problem solved. 7 g's each. And you are NOT going to carry one of these big muthas off.
 
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