How to Make Your Generator Quiet as A Cricket: Simple DIY Hacks

In this article, you’ll learn how to make your generator as quiet as a cricket using affordable soundproofing materials.

Nothing is annoying than going out camping to find out you cannot enjoy your outdoor adventure quietly due to your generator’s loud noises.

It not only disrupts your but also can cause detrimental effects on your health. (Source)

Ways on How to Make Your Generator Quiet as a Cricket

Below are some ways to make your generator as quiet as a cricket using readily available tools at home.

1. An Isolated Location

If you have a lot of space, how about placing the generator at the furthest point of your compound.

This way, you do not get to hear the noise it makes from the house.

Be mindful of your neighbors and ensure that the generator will not be disruptive to them as well.

You may have to invest in longer power chords to cover the extra distance, but this is the easiest and cheapest way to enjoy a quiet home with a noisy generator.

2. Get Firm Legs For Your Generator

Whether the generator is located close or far to the house, getting firm legs makes a lot of sense if you aim to reduce the noise your generator produces.

If the generator is not secured correctly, it will keep moving, producing even more noise when it is running.

Get some rubber feet and slid them under your generator to ensure it is balanced and stays in one place.

You can use more than four rubber feet if necessary.

These will stop vibrations and eliminate the noise created through unnecessary movement.

A soundproof mat under the legs will also make a significant difference.

3. Get A Soundproof Generator Box

This is the most effective way to make a generator quiet.

It may not work as great if you take your generator with you when you are going camping, but it will help a lot if you use the generator at home.

You can easily make a custom soundproof box for your generator.

Below are the materials needed and a guide on how to make your box.

Materials

• MDF board
• MLV
• Foam mats
• Ventilation ducts
• Green Glue

All these materials are available in your local stores.

You can also order them online and have the seller deliver them to your doorstep.

Procedure

Cut the MDF into the six pieces you need to make a box.

Have your generator dimensions in mind and add a few extra inches to accommodate the insulation.

Cut ventilation holes.

Use the ventilation duct diameter to estimate the diameter of these holes.

Make a ventilation duct in one corner of the ceiling panel and make a similar hole in the opposite wall panel.

These holes should almost be diagonal to each other.

Add mass-loaded vinyl to the panels on the inside.

Use the Green Glue to attach the MLV to the MDF.

Add a foam mats layer.

While foam mats do not help with sound absorption, they are great for sound reflection, so the sound will not quickly bounce off inside the box.

Assemble the box and use screws and Green Glue as needed.

Be sure to put hinges on the upper part of the box so opening and closing it is easier.

Add the vents and use the Green Glue to seal them.

You can add a vent duct for enhanced air circulation or add kinks to help deflect sound waves going through the duct.

If you are not the handy type, you can get the measurements and procedure and have the generator box made at your nearest furniture shop.

Just remember that without a proper air supply, generators tend to overheat.

Insist on proper ventilation and ensure that the box has at least two ventilation points.

Where you place the insulated box also matters.

A raised concrete surface will considerably reduce ground vibrations and the overall noise your generator makes.

4. Get A Quiet Muffler

The muffler you have in place may not be adequate for all the noise coming from your generator.

You should consider getting a larger, quiet muffler.

The same applies if the muffler is cracked or defective in any way.

Instead of getting another in the same size, get a bigger one to deliver better results.

While this may not make a huge difference, the change will be noticeable.

You cannot ignore that most of the generator noise comes from the exhaust and a muffler helps take care of it.

5. Install Sound Deflectors

This method is ideal if your generator is placed in an enclosed space like a shed or outhouse.

By installing sound deflectors, you will not be soundproofing anything but just making it harder for the sound to reach your ears.

Sound deflectors are readily available on the market, and they are reasonably priced.

You can choose to combine this method with others, especially if the generator noise is a nuisance.

6. Make Use Of Water

This sounds like just a simple solution, but you will be amazed by the results.

Water works very well in muffling the noise produced by the generator.

Get a bucket of water and a hosepipe and fix one end of the pipe to the exhaust.

The other end should be inside the water bucket.

The sound coming from the generator’s exhaust will travel through the pipe to the water.

By the time it is coming out, the noise will be significantly reduced.

If you are afraid that the water will get to your generator, just make a small hole in the hose.

This will prevent pressure from building, eliminating the chances of the water traveling to the generator.

7. Angle The Generator’s Exhaust Away

Turning the exhaust away from your house will help reduce the noise that gets to you.

If the exhaust is placed directly under your bedroom window, merely changing the exhaust’s direction can make all the difference.

All you need to do is ensure that the ventilation is not compromised so your generator can continue working efficiently.

8. Get Inverter Generator

The harder the generator works to produce the energy you need, the more noise is produced.

If you can do without an electronic or two, reducing your power consumption will reduce the noise.

If you can no longer stand the noise, consider investing in an inverter generator.

This variety is often quieter.

Different manufacturers have gone a step further and included quite a technology in these generators.

However powerful the generator, they run quietly and are an ideal pick if you are concerned about noise.

On How to Make your Generator Quiet as a Cricket

Above are some of the best methods on how to make your generator as quiet as a cricket.

But because they are time-consuming and time-consuming, you can easily opt for a quiet generator.

You can also check out my other recommended articles, such as the quiet air compressor.