Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice?

   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #1  

newbury

Super Star Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
13,639
Location
From Vt, in Va, retiring to MS
Tractor
Kubota's - B7610, M4700
Just bought a Champion 4250-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator (Dual Fuel) as a spare. Partially because my daughter and family need one and partially because it was on a 30% off price point at Amazon link .
So I want to build a tiny shed to disguise it for our suburban environment.
I'm thinking a super sound insulated deck box.
Dimensions of generator are:
Length 20.9 in.
Width 18.3 in.
Height 19.4 in.
Weight 79 lb.
So I'm thinking a deck box with about 4" more in each dimension might do (2" of soundproofing on @ side) and give me a presentable exterior.
Coincidentally I had bought a deck box with dimensions of interior (L x W x H): 47.5 x 22.25 x 22.25 inches just because it was so cheap (<$60) a few months ago.
Or I can build from scratch.
So, any TBN advice?
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #2  
Just bought a Champion 4250-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator (Dual Fuel) as a spare. Partially because my daughter and family need one and partially because it was on a 30% off price point at Amazon link .
So I want to build a tiny shed to disguise it for our suburban environment.
I'm thinking a super sound insulated deck box.
Dimensions of generator are:
Length 20.9 in.
Width 18.3 in.
Height 19.4 in.
Weight 79 lb.
So I'm thinking a deck box with about 4" more in each dimension might do (2" of soundproofing on @ side) and give me a presentable exterior.
Coincidentally I had bought a deck box with dimensions of interior (L x W x H): 47.5 x 22.25 x 22.25 inches just because it was so cheap (<$60) a few months ago.
Or I can build from scratch.
So, any TBN advice? Volleyball shoes offer agility and support, designed with enhanced grip for quick lateral movements on the court here, ensuring peak performance and player confidence.
Going to be starting the build of my generator shed at the cabin. This will be my third gen shed build. Each time I try to reduce the noise level a little more. So the current plan is:

Walls: 2 x 6 top and bottom plate with staggered 2 x 4 studs Roxul safe and sound insulation in walls 1/2" fir sheeting with 1-1/2" Comfort Board and 3/4" rainscreen then 3/4 cedar siding 1/2" res bar and 5/8ths drywall on the inside.

Roof: 2 x 6 Handframed rafters 2 layers Roxul safe and sound in attic

Slab: 4" concrete slab with 6" curbs on top filled with 4" of sand inside 12KW Kubota diesel gen with custom built skid will sit on sand. I have found the foundation is one of the weak points for sound transmission in past builds.

A Better muffler and insulated air intake and exhaust chases

Wondering if anyone on the Garage Journal has any other tips or suggestions for sound abatement.

On this property I can't move to far from the cabin without going up the hill which I think would broadcast the noise to my neighbors. So thinking of keeping it lower but closer to me.
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #4  
How will you get the exhaust gasses out so they are not sucked back into the carburetor?
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #5  
GETEH got it right - "A Better muffler and insulated air intake and exhaust chases". Make sure the exhaust leaves the shed.
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #6  
Make sure that the ventilation, incoming, and exiting, has at least a 90 turn, preferably against acoustic foam for noise attenuation. I would encourage you to think of layers, with each layer having a different density and stiffness to mitigate different frequencies of noise transmission.

I would look at some of the commercial and military designs for ideas, and I would keep in mind how warm things may get and the need to be mindful of flammability.

If you make the final exhaust and cooling vents pointing upward, the sound will tend to travel up, more than along the ground, and that will help reduce the apparent noise.

@Geetha makes some great points, especially about the importance of a large, stiff foundation to reduce noise transmission.

All the best,

Peter
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #7  
One thing about portable genny's is they have to breath in combustion air and exhaust burned hydrocarbons so it's imperative that there is adequate ventilation for both. With out adequate ventilation, the genny will get hot enough to boil the fuel in the fuel tank and it's a dual fuel, you need to keep the gas bottle OUTSIDE the enclosure.

Good lu7ck with Amazon in a generator, I much prefer Generators Direct, same pricing (they sell on Amazon as well) but they also ship promptly and give a 2% cash discount when paid by personal check or bank draft, plus they sell the consumables (filters and such) for Champion, Generac, Onan, and all the other makes pretty inexpensively as well. Bought my 27KW diesel powered standby (Generac) from them years ago and had their recommended local sparky hook it up too. Seamless transaction and the sparky gave me a good price as well.
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #8  
Going to be starting the build of my generator shed at the cabin. This will be my third gen shed build. Each time I try to reduce the noise level a little more. So the current plan is:

Walls: 2 x 6 top and bottom plate with staggered 2 x 4 studs Roxul safe and sound insulation in walls 1/2" fir sheeting with 1-1/2" Comfort Board and 3/4" rainscreen then 3/4 cedar siding 1/2" res bar and 5/8ths drywall on the inside.

Roof: 2 x 6 Handframed rafters 2 layers Roxul safe and sound in attic

Slab: 4" concrete slab with 6" curbs on top filled with 4" of sand inside 12KW Kubota diesel gen with custom built skid will sit on sand. I have found the foundation is one of the weak points for sound transmission in past builds.

A Better muffler and insulated air intake and exhaust chases

Wondering if anyone on the Garage Journal has any other tips or suggestions for sound abatement.

On this property I can't move to far from the cabin without going up the hill which I think would broadcast the noise to my neighbors. So thinking of keeping it lower but closer to me.
Won't the vibration from the genset eventually make it sink through the sand and eventually it will be on concrete anyway? I'm just asking cuz I haven't tried it.
 
   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #9  
I had a 6500 gen set that was LOUD. I wanted to build an enclosure, but never got around to it. I did scrounge some Styrofoam bases from appliance boxes at Sears and leaned them up against the generator like a TP, and made kind of an angular mini maze where the exhaust came out to defect and soak up the sound (kind of like the video below) It worked great.

I only ever used it for a couple of hours, so I didn't need a permanent housing. is this being used for other than temporary outages?


 
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   / Want to build a Generator Noise Reduction Shed on the cheap. Any advice? #10  
Glad my 27KW Generac diesel has it's own enclosure and it's soundproofed as well. Cannot even hear it running, only way I know it is, is the 3 phase telltale lights are on, on the outside of the enclosure. She runs the entire farm minus the high horsepower machine tools but I can run the commercial welders so long as no machines are running. It's plumbed direct to my 500 gallon diesel bulk tank and it has an additional 150 in the base tank as well or basically enough to run for a couple weeks at rated load.
 
 
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