Posted: 9/19/2008 5:14:15 AM EDT
| I remember seeing a few enclosures built for generators, but searched and could not find them. I am wanting to build one to secure the generator, keep the noise down, and the weather out. Can I put a box fan on each end of the enclosure? Will a box fax act as a puller to pul hot air out of the enclosure? Please share your ideas and pics. |
You may have to build it, but I would put a vent low, and a fan or two high (make sure openings are closed to rain) to get better circulation. |
| I am tagging this because I was wondering the same thing, primarily to keep the noise down for the neighbors. My cheap genny is loud. I was thinking of lining three pieces of plywood with acoustic tile, hinging them together and putting them around three sides of the generator, with the open side facing my house. But I'm not sure an open enclosure like that would cut down much on the noise the neighbors hear and I didn't want my air cooled engine to overheat by making a complete enclosure. I suppose a fan might work to keep things cool but that's more complicated than I like to make things. It also introduces a new mode of failure (i.e., fan quits and engine overheats). I was also thinking of trying to upgade the muffler but wasn't sure that would work either. Right now I'm not motivated enough to spend a lot of time researching the problem, since the generator is only used rarely. |
| I would check into something like this to line it with- www.dynamat.com/products_automotive_dynaliner.html |
I built mine with metal studs and coorugated metal siding. I also put in house style vents along the bottom of it. Im sure if it was made big enough you can also put in insulation in between the studs to keep it quieter. Its a lillte ugly but who cares as long as it works.   
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| 5 minutes on google yielded this: www.soundproofing.org/infopages/generator.htm |
Chunky.... That looks good. Does the metal siding add to heat build up inside the enclosure? I live in the desert and that is a major concern. |
Where did I say this bothered me? Did you read my post above? (I was the third person who tagged this thread). Also, if you look at that link, it's a pretty damn cool solution - a box within a box that has a corner that air can get around for cooling but doesn't allow sound to come out. I think you need to wash the sand out, have a cup of coffee and chill out. edited to add: the design in that link would almost certainly need a cooling fan or the motor would overheat. |
Sorry if I miss read your statement. I read it as you were telling me to check out google. There seems to have been a lot of that on here as of late. Again, sorry if I miss read you post. |
You know ive had this setup for a year, never used it except for running it for a few minutes, Since its such a tight fit if I ever run it I would probably leave the top off, its under a window awning so rain wont go into it. Since the muffler is inside it there is alot of heat coming from it. I am thinking about running it for 10 min with top on and off using an infrared thermometer to see how hot it gets. Also I have coming from china a analog volt meter so when I install it I need to remove the enclosure so I will run it for the same time and check the temp. Nice thing is there are outlets in the unit, so I could always mount an exhaust fan in the box to help with the heat. My advice would be to build a bigger cover with soundproofing and maybe a top that can hinge up or crank up a few inches so heat can flow out. With my homemade exhaust pipes and muffler its alot hotter then stock but alot quieter, I also used header tape around the pipes to keep the heat in the pipes and out the muffler. I know alot of the new portable generators are very quiet compared to mine, and there are very tiny honda ones that are almost silent but the power output is smaller. I have mine mounted at the back of the house so that helps with the inside noise, plus a quiet model would help with looters and criminals if there was a shtf scenario. |
No problem. Interestingly enough, that link also shows how you can install a small car muffler on your generator. I wonder how much difference that would make. I really need to closely examine where the sound is coming out of my generator. edited to add: check out this link: www.alpharubicon.com/altenergy/gensetquiet.htm |
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a question for Chunky_Lover...the fittings and hoses that let you run that directly from a Blitz can ... did you fabricate that? or is there a commercial source for that? does that * replace * the normal fuel tank or is it an extended runtime for an already existing tank. Looks like a really nice solution. (seeing as how I have a couple of those steel Blitz cans in the gas rotation ) |
The gas cap was on the older gas can, the old can rusted out. I had to drill out the hole in the cap and bought a nipple from home depot, both sides of fitting have a barb connector for tubeing, and they just thread into eachother. The original one was a quick release fitting but rotted away and leaked. Like an air hose type of fitting. Then I put an external filter so if the new tanks rusts out it wont clog up the carb like what happened to it when I got it. The generator was set up for the can mount which makes it nice sine I can use any type of gas can to feed it gas as it has a pump built into the carb to suck the gas not gravity fed. |
Look at my pic above in the thread, I put a car muffler on mine, and now the only noise is coming from the valves and metal heatshield vibrating. There is no noise whatsoever coming from the muffler, just all the mechanical parts clanking. But still not as quiet as the big professional type, but I think there enclosure blocks out alot of the noise. |
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I'm concerned about the noise too. My neighbor's house is about 12' away from my electrical meter (where I would install a generator). I could install it in the backyard but then I need to run large gauge wire through the exterior wall and then through the roof of the garage in order to reach the electrical panel. Probably cheaper than building an enclosure, but I like the idea of weather proofing, noise abatement, and security of having an enclosure. I've been thinking about casting a concrete pad big enough for a generator, LP tanks, and airflow equipment. I would want the enclosure to have a security door and a roof to shed water. Stud walls with insulation as well. I've used rubber isolation feet for several compressor installs I've done and it really cuts down on the vibration but not so much the noise. I bought them at Grainger, Vibration Isolators Reducing the vibration should extend the life of the equipment as well. I would think a good car muffler would go a long way in cutting out the noise and the exhaust pipe could be plumbed to exit out the gable of the roof. The next problem to tackle is air flow. I would definitely want some sort of thermal cutoff, I know the Kohler generators have an engine overtemperature fault but I don't know if this fault kills the engine. You also need a certain airflow to the engine's intake as well. Kohler's site has some go information on the amount of cooling airflow and intake flow needed to operate their generators. Kohler Residential Generator Specifications |
Be a good neighbor and offer him a spot to plug in his cord, then he wont care how loud it is when the power goes out, give a little get a little. |
He's a she and she likes to throw her trash over the fence into my yard. I myself respect my neighbors, but she won't be getting any power from me if the grid is down. |
sorry I guess you will have to run it with the mufflers off then. |
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Im gonna tinker with this this weekend. I'll keep you guys updated if I can get to this. I have a craftsman generac that is loud as hell and is impossible to get parts locally for the exhaust. I cant run that guys audio file now, but I have seen it in the past and the car muffler made a BIG difference. |
looks like a kids toy chest |
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If I had to build my own,,,, I think I would built an underground concrete structure.. easily ventilated from the top, and much easier to insulate for sound as only one surface.. the top, would be required to be insulated.. Possibly using a pre-fab concrete structure made for another purpose, ie storm drainage would work well.. J ugg |
Just concrete cinder block above ground, its easy enough and person could tackle in a weekend, not sure what type of roof but walls can be done easily. |
in most coastal areas of the country and many others, the concrete structure will simply fill with water, and then retain it. the company i work for has deployed hundreds of thousands of CEVs (controlled environmental vault -- basically an underground or partially underground telecommunications station) worldwide, and keeping the water out is a tough job. you need to make the structure out of special cement, make provisions for high static water pressures, and finally ensure that all apertures (venting, cooling, electrical, and so on) are completely water-, insect-, varmint-, and vandal-proof. remember, the time you will really need your generator will generally not be on a sunny, 75'F day. ar-jedi      |
Pretty quite I would guess. |
The muffler is almost silent but there is alot of noise from machine, the valves and heatshields vibrate and make noise, so its a mechanical noise you mostly hear. From the street its barely noticable but you do hear something running. |
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I don't have a pic, but I ran a piece of unistrut down the side of my generator, then used unistrut pipe clamps to attach a tractor muffler from TSC (~$50). I used flexable exhaust hose to connect to the generator. Nothing fit exactally, but I built up the generator exhaust tube with aluminum tape until I got a tight fit. Some concrete blocks stacked do wonders to reduce sound |
You should see my crappy exhaust, I used threaded plumbing pipe 3/4 inch from the 2 spark arrestors threaded holes and plumbing elbows and tied it into a muffler clamp into the mufler, all without threading any pipe too.
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If you have a relatively small portable one here is a link to a decent set up that looks to be inexpensive. http://good-times.webshots.com/album/552681627qtWJmd Wish I could claim that I was this intelligent to design it, but alas, I am not. That is why I rely on reading this forum..... |
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I used to work for a large telecom. We had propane powered back up generators. They were 350 Chevy engines. The radiator/fan was connected to a sheet metal snorkel open at the bottom. Fresh air was sucked in there and louvers opened at the other end to expell the hot air. The exhaust was plumbed out the side. One should be able to make a similar setup I would think. Several muffin fans could bring in fresh air. |
You have it backwards. The fans should suck the air outside, and outside air allowed to enter via louvers and filters. This way any exhaust leaks, and hot air don't get pushed elsewhere in the building. |
Nice zombie shelter, ar-jedi!  edit: fat finger correction |