That might be an easier route.
Run the big noisy generator during the day just when tons of stuff must be powered. In the evening/night, use a small portable Honda or some such to run a few lights, a computer or two and the fridge or what not.
Those smaller Honda generators are amazingly quiet.
Yeah, I did some quick googling on those super-quiet Honda generators. For a 2KW unit (enough to run some lights, the fridge, and the gas furnace) it’s $1200. I paid 600 for my 7KW unit. The best comparable unit they have is a 6.5KW unit, which is FIVE GRAND.
I think I’d rather do some trial and error on a muffler than spend a $1200 - $5000 dollars on something to replace it.
Oh, something else I just noticed, most of those smaller generators only have a 120V output. My transfer switch expects 240V
We did a thread like this a few years ago and offered the same advice from the same website as you did. The OP installed the super-trap muffler and claimed it didn’t help much at all.
I think the best way to handle this situation is to buy a more expensive generator that’s already quiet. Like a Honda. Those things just purrr away and are very quiet.
Ok, I see most of what I just posted was already stated up thread. in a hurry here!
Anyway, if you build an enclosure simply plug a kick-ass fan into one of the outlets and have it blow over the generator as it runs. The cool thing is the fan will only run when the generator runs. As if I had to mention that.
By the time you build an enclosure, dick around, and end up messing up your 600 dollar built in china wonder, that 1200 dollars or so won’t sound (heh) so bad. And I suspect the really small Hondas are a bit less than that even.
Like I said you’ve got a powerful/loud one to run during peak times. Get you a tiny wisper quiet honda to run CRITICAL stuff during non peak times.
If you want to live like normal when the power is out AND expect no aggravation or noise for 600 dollars total, IMO you are expecting way too much.
Meet it in the middle - if you want power, you want it quiet, and you don’t care if it’s on wheels or not, have a look at Kohler’s line of LP-fueled residential generators. A 12 KW model will set you back about $4000, but is rated for 65 dB at seven meters away, and it self-starts in under 15 seconds. (You’ll want to upgrade your transfer switch to one that works automatically)
Sorry crazyjoe, was away from the computer 'till this morning. In answer to your question, I didn’t modify the generator in any way. The muffler points at the back of the truck box, and I use the ducted part of the fan to dissipate the heat. The temperature control is almost superflous, though. The fan ends up running almost all the time once it heats up in the box.
600 total? How about the 800 I spent getting the transfer switch wired in by a professional electrician?
And I don’t expect no aggravation or noise, I don’t need a whisper quiet generator, I simply need one that doesn’t rattle your fillings out with noise.
And as I said, the smaller generators don’t have a 240V output, so I would not be able to run much without running extension cords (safety hazard) all over the house.
Comparatively speaking, if I mess up the $600 generator after spending $100 on trying to soundproof it, I am still only looking at a pittance compared to 4 - 5K for one of these quiet generators.
The fact you spent more on the wiring/switching than you did on the generator might be the first clue as to the real problem.