Generator Enclosure Box

[Raizinman]

Before the power goes out from the Coronavirus - I Just bought a 10,000 watt generator. It's rated at 78 db which means it's pretty loud. I've looked at various enclosures like the Zombie Box, but that is too expensive (more than twice what the generator cost). What are the best sound reducing/dampening materials to build a sound enclosure box with. My first thought was to build a fence around the generator and then make a 6 or 7 inch thick wall of insulation to absorb the sound, holding it in with chicken wire. I'll put a fan on one end and a vent on the other for cooling. Any other thoughts?

 

[UsandThem]

You would likely need to leave the exhaust side open, no?

My Champion generator (about the size of yours) puts out some serious heat when running. Plus, the manual says to keep a 5' clearance on all sides when running. That said, it really is noisy as hell when it's running, but I've never looked into something like the Zombie Box (which I never knew even existed before you mentioned it).

 

[Greenman]

Building the box is easy, I could put one together for you tomorrow. Getting rid of the heat is a different story. You need a lot of air moving through that box, and that air needs to keep moving after the unit stops running or you'll get a huge temp spike when it shuts down. Moving that air requires two large holes in the box. The only way I see that working is with long duct runs that act as a baffle. Maybe the zombie box isn't that expensive afterall?

 

[boomerang]

How long are you planning on running that noisy monster? I have friends with one and they run it in the morning with the AC cranked down real low to over cool the house and allow the refrigerator temperature to stabilize. Then they turn it off. They run it again in the late afternoon or early evening to cool and dehumidify the house and let the refrigerator do its thing and then turn it off.

They do that in part because of the noise but mostly because of the amount of gasoline it goes through. He says it would be impossible to keep enough gasoline on hand if he wanted to run it 24/7.

If it runs on propane I hope that you have a 320 or 500 gallon tank and that the propane company will be able to get the fuel they need to get their tanker truck to you to fill up your tank.

If you can get by with running it only a few hours a day, maybe you can put up with the noise.

 

[herm0016]

open top would reduce the noise. a box fan blowing on the generator would probably do fine. line with rock wool as its more water proof and a great sound deadner.