Complete parts spreadsheet: cityprepping.tv/3wYBqpi ... Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ - start your preparedness journey: bit.ly/3xZhWlY Some of the parts used in the video: * Generator: amzn.to/3fVX3kX * Shed: amzn.to/3YnKShE * Blast gate: amzn.to/3tfETxA * Attic fan (I would recommend a bigger one): amzn.to/3WIBy81 * Exhaust heat wrap: amzn.to/3DWa6uF * Flex exhaust pipe: amzn.to/3UndAh2 * Muffler tailpipe sealer: amzn.to/3G0HkvN * Metal zip ties: amzn.to/3RAQSBo * Complete parts spreadsheet: cityprepping.tv/3wYBqpi
I remember reading a book on soundproofing when I was a kid. And they said the best way was to build a room inside of a room. Look at how quiet your little setup is, imagine if that little setup was inside a tool shed. Obviously you don't need it that quiet, these people were making recording studios
@@DaedalusHelios Good point! I have almost finished fine tuning my shed, a Suncast BMS4700 that houses a WGen 12K DF generator. I am no engineer or had any experience building or modifying something for a specific purpose. I did go to Lowe’s & Home Depot and bought large L-brackets and attached them to all of the shed walls and installed the foot of them through the shed floor into a 6” slab with concrete bolts all around the bottom of the shed walls. Also purchase two steel beams cut to the width of the inside of the lt and rt walls to reinforce the rigidity of the walls. Thinking of reinforcing the corners that join the rear walls to the side walls as well in a vertical way if that makes sense ( after all not a engineer here) So just had a freeze here in San Antonio and so far so good.!
Great build! Pro tip: When caulking the vents on the outside, only caulk the top and sides. Do not caulk the bottom. If moister does find a way in around the top and sides, it will have a means of escape at the bottom and will not become trapped.
Nope, that's only when you're worried about rot - plastic doesn't rot, so caulking entirely around the opening is the proper thing to do. This is an attempt at a sound-proof container - anywhere air can escape, so can sound.
I found it over the years the threads on the exhaust pipe are generally the same as half or three quarter inch pipe. So I always take the exhaust pipe and small muffler off and run pipe a couple feet away straight up in the air outside the building changing it to 1 in pipe after about a foot from the box and then put in a 180° curve on the top to keep rain out not only does it get the exhaust fumes up in the air and away from people it further quiets it but by about 20 decibels
This is one of the better videos I've seen & covered my rear. I "WAS" gonna use foam board but quickly changed my mind after watching. I just want to do it right regardless of costs.
Nice one Kris, Thank You! Something my Grandfather once did was use some metal struts to make a cage for the generator, then he used some strong springs and suspended the generator from the top metal struts so it was hanging. Makes a world of difference on the sound and vibration.
make sure the temp inside dose not get above 120f with derating or 100f for normal rated use. chris has a good design, two things: up size the fans to 12" the one on the back have it ducted directly to the back of the alternator (gen end for those not in the generator industry) 99% of failures your going to see is the alternator overheating and failing. they are VERY sanative to heat.
The alternator windings will quickly fail at about 150f depending on the Ins class rating. So any heat the alternator makes will be on top of the inside of box temp.
Kris this is incredible. And you are so helpful to provide all your steps and how you made your decisions! I hadn’t thought of putting my generator in something like this for using it. Wow thank you!
Very nice! I've got something similar going on except I placed the box in my basement and vented it outside via a Vortex inline fan. In the event of a prolonged outage I don't want anyone hearing/knowing that I have a generator. I realize this comes with extra risks but I've got carbon monoxide detectors nearby. 100% grey man set-up.
This actually inspires me to build something similar not for a generator, but for an air compressor for my shop. I don’t have a lot of floor space in the shop, so my thought was to build a lawn and garden shed and put the compressor in there, but it would be too far away from power and too far of a run for the air supply. This is just about perfect and I can set it up right next to my workshop, eliminating those two concerns. Thank you!
Try building and adding an intake muffler to your compressor. A lot of the noise come from the intake. I did this myself and it was considerably quieter. Many videos on YT showing different methods.
This is excellent, I can't justify the whole home backup system for like $12k right now but a ~$1k from Costco or whatever inside an enclosure like this is feasible
I have a Firman 10,000 W tri fuel generator In a box similar to yours. I live in PA and have had to use it on many occasions. I do not us the sound dampening boxes, I found.they make little difference and hold heat. Before attaching another muffler, CHECK YOUR WARRANTY! Outsourced mufflers change the compression and will cause failures it also voids most warranties. We live in a world now where people see you have something they want so they steal it. I had a welder make me two 4 ft.rebar pcs with steel rings welded on that I drove 3/feet into the.ground, cemented in and ran steel cable through with a heavy duty lock. I highly recommend hard wiring the generator to your panel by a qualified electeician. Electricians and in our area call the plug-in the "pig tail of death" many people start their generator, THEN plug it in, which is a good way to get electrocuted. You DO NOT need another box, just a simple transfer switch that prevents you from back feeding the lines. You cannot power your box until the main switch is off and then the generator breakers can be flipped on. Also, flipp the breakers to the items with the highest draw first. Once.I learned that I can now power my whole house. And make a schedule to run your generator at least every two weeks and check the oil. It is a great feeling to have this item as a.back up.
You are very welcome. We have had a lot of storms this uear and the generaror has been invaluable. I am still extremely satisfied with my set up, and most especially the Firman generator. I run it exclusively on natural gas.
Great thinking re: the rubber horse stall mats! I never would have thought of that use for them. I might pick up a couple extras when I go buy them for my barn.
Nice work. I see you watched some of my videos on building a quiet generator shed and put the ideas to work. Glad to see some of these ideas showing up in other videos in the wild. That's the beauty of UA-cam!
Great job, well done. Here’s a tip to reduce more sound. Get about an inch stand off with a piece of plywood that’s a little larger then the exhaust opening. Add the stand off and the plywood on the inside to cover the exhaust opening. This will help baffleing sound more.
This was GREAT Chris! Thank you. If you do another, or want to modify the exhaust pass-thru; A tankless water heater exhaust thimble is perfect for this job. Does the same thing your custom 'thimble' does except pre-made to route hot exhaust through combustible materials.
If you’re looking to really sound proof something, look into mass loaded vinyl. It’s what movie theaters use to make a room truly sound proof. The thicker it is, the more exponentially sound will be deafened. Air is the #1 reason sound will get though so it might be smart to build an additional box around the generator, inside the shed. Then wrapping mass loaded vinyl insides both boxes. I guarantee it would be
I put my fan down low and revered it to suck in air. Then it blow it out through the top vent to expel any gas that might had built up. Good idea to use an expoliosn proof fan as well. Bit more expensive but not as much as a new generator or house. Cool build.
Well done. I thought you did a pretty thorough job of addressing everything needed to do a build like this. I think you did a better job than most of these complaining keyboard DIYers would have done. Obviously someone can easily add or take away anything they want for their ideas. I have a old 4500 watt generator that is incredibly loud and wanted to build something for it. Ideally a little smaller and something that I could setup and move easily. Thanks for your ideas.
I have a dozen comments and suggestions, however, I won't bore you with my opinions. You showed a beginning decibel reading (79.6dba), was there a completed decibel reading? Considering, plastic, wood, and foam are all combustible materials, using *Rockwool insulation was a great choice! I use the same brand (different variations) in my house, garage, attic, and generator shed. In combination with my solar/battery storage backup system, I use two 2500-watt dual-fuel generators with a combiner box connected to our 250-gal. bulk propane tank with a factory dba rating of 53dba. Inclosed is about 45dba. "Rural Prepping" 🤠
That was fantastic! I was just starting to think about building one for mine. First I have to see if the hoa lets me have a shed outside! As always, thank you!
Love this proof of concept. Do you think anymore bafles in the intake and exhaust boxes would make any significant improvements. Also the exhaust needs to be lower sound the sound is not projecting out into the area. If you are using this during a grid down type issue its going to be a lot quiter in your neighborhood .
Superb bodging skills mate. I think its really good to develop the skill set required to fabricate functional items, especially since we might all be forced to do this kind of thing more in the future.
For good ventilation, the general rule of thumb is to have twice the area of passive INTAKE as you have ACTIVE exhaust. You can either do the math on making one hole, or (the simpler way) if you cut a 4" circular hole for the exhaust fan, cut two 4" circular holes for the passive intakes. (The shape isn't important. Just the area of the holes in respect to one another.)
@@unbr3akablonsoundcloud-tx6co better to have one fan unless there is a computer keeping them perfectly matched. Otherwise one will cause drag on the other
@@reverendprophet im building an air compressor silencer box , so it’s a little different to a generator . Will the drag still be an issue with sound maze intake and exhaust baffles if I go about this method?
I’m still not sure what u mean by drag ? Drag only happens if the fans are installed close to each other on the same side aren’t they ? Not either ends of the box
@@unbr3akablonsoundcloud-tx6co if the fan that is exhausting is pulling harder than the fan that is bringing in fresh air, it will cause strain on the intake fan. If the intake fan is blowing harder than the exhaust fan is pulling, it can cause strain on the exhaust fan. Much better, if you want to use two fans, to have them BOTH exhaust and then have twice as much passive intake.
Two things in a generator that hate heat; heads and generator windings. If you have 200F inside that compartment you have a recipe for disaster. Look for a 10-15F rise. I can see right away your fan is undersized. For me to achieve the desired temp; rise I went for a 16" AC infinity 3000 cfm fan. Sarted out at 12" 850 cfm and inside was over 125F. Another issue you have is the escape area on your compartment hoods appears to be smaller than the fan exit area opening in the compartment wall. My generator is a 5kw Honda. Yes you need to keep the propane outside the compartment. When installing insulation consider ïnsulation pins which you can find on Amzn. Saves drilling holes thro the walls.
One thing that always baffles me (no pun intended), is how these RV built in ONAN generators that are tucked inside a metal compartment would not fail after a short time. Many of them last a long time with proper maintenance.
I run the Predator 3500 just nakid in the side yard behind standard yard fences. Standing out front say 20ft away with gate closed its in the 30-40 decibel range. At the street curb you really need to listen to hear it. Neighbor next door? There are two 6x8 sheds back to back with yard fence between the generator and neighbors house. Checking it again noise level is quite low. I think your shed with a quiet inverter generator would be super low noise levels. If I have weather I leave the generator in the shed with the door cracked. Noise level is definitely lower.
you can use a prc drain cover thing (not sure what it is really called but it has a hole and is surrounded by materia, square with a round hole with slats). It lets you seal the hole and prevent critters from climbing in...easily attached to unit with adhesive. as others have said, don't seal the bottom.
From what I have heard about those sheds is to make sure you paint them with a great UV exterior paint to make the last longer in the sun. One complaint is they get brittle if not painted.
Nice Video. I think it is easier to start with a honda inverter that has below 60 decibel out of the box and then reduce that even more. In a town 60 decibel is still noisy and easy to hear.
@@CityPrepping I’m putting a condenser saver/slow start on my ac. Along with the power inlet installed to my electrical panel, I should have ac when the power goes out or brown out. I live in S california too.
I’ve thought about building those baffle boxes into the interior. Seems like there’s enough space and might be able to make more turns and cut more DBs off
Tell me, could you do a video on what we would do if we had an EMP attack on this country with the balloon, having crossed our United States from China what would prevent them from doing that and how would you survive it? Would your ham radio even work?
taking down the power grid (emp) and jamming radio are two different things. It is perfectly suited for jamming any radio frequency it wants, from cb to ham to more advanced things. If it wanted to EMP something, it could probably only focus on a specific power plant while flying overhead.
Hi, if you search on this channel a video Kris made called “how to survive the first 90 days after the collapse” you will get some valuable insights. It is not EMP specific but many of the main themes will be the same because the main factors are human nature in the reference of resource limitations.
@@termiterasin not wrong persea sounds like it'd be more the reverse though as it's easy to single out an specifically jam specific frequency devices an even whole deliberate networks of systems while leaving others totally alone while EMPs general are area effect an typically hard to control on a large scale without frying everything for miles
Nicely done! If you ever get a chance, have a look at a film set mobile generator, might give you some idea's for another build or upgrades. Expanded metal/perforated metal covering your insulation will give it support, a blower fan blowing into your air intake area will aid in cooling ... just a couple ideas. Great job otherwise, cheers!
I love these kinds of videos as a contrast to informational/news update videos. A bit out of my means personally due to the amount of materials and time and engineering prowess but nevertheless it’s a very Impressive build to watch.
I have done this several times, you are correct, the fan is too small and you should be blowing air INTO the box not exhausting air, it is much more efficient. Also a "Certified Exhaust Thimble" for combustible walls should really be used as fire codes are not a bad thing.
Chris, thanks so much for walking us through this build. A generator box is on my to do list. I want to see if we are going to put the interlock on the house or in the detached garage. Placement is key for noise as well as fumes since we don't want those coming in the house.
When I built my generator shed I purchased a back yard tin tool shed about 5x5x6 feet. I built a 4x2 frame inside it. I then filled the spaces with rock wool. Then lined it with acustic foam pannels made for generator sound reduction. I then built an air intake and a 18 inch air blower to extract hot air. The blower mounted on the side at a height of 4 feet vented into a vertical 12 inch stainless pipe which was 10 feet tall reducing to 6 inch at about 8 feet in height. Inside from the blower I built a air duct that attached to the end of the generator creating air flow over it thus removing the heat. I then mounted a 6 inch chimney cap. I then had the exhaust pipe feed out the back of the shed and onto the lower portion of the 12 inch pipe after the blower and mounted an additional mufler inside. This way the blower pushed the fumes etc up and out and does a good job of disbursing the smell. All in all 10kva generator running and all you could hear was the air blower as a slight hum just above background noise. I have since built an additional box that covers the generator inside the shed. When it is running I can not hear it from any boundry fence. I then had it connected to the house using an AMF switch so it will start if mains power is lost. I also purchased a diesel tank and pump which is in the tray of my Ford Ranger to ensure a good supply of diesel.
@@trevorrisley5419 cheers. I love good home based projects. Can't get into to much trouble in the back yard. Just finished a glass house and 8 raised garden beds so keen to get growing next seasion. Take care.
@@ronicarbine8723 I built high side hugelkultur beds and I'm planning on building more. We have to take down a couple more locust trees that are in not so safe spots and access will be easier before I build more beds. I have plans to build a greenhouse, tearing down an old dog pen that the previous owner had. I'd like to save the framing but we've had carpenter bees out there. I'm thinking about how I can add a couple of hens to this plan to help procces compost and get some bonus eggs. Lots of projects on my list
Here's a thought also and I wonder if this has been researched Chris. What about filling the walls of the shed with expanding foam? I have filled cooler lids with the foam for extra insulation since most coolers have hollow lids. I'm wondering if that would help deaden more sound but I also wonder how much that would change the heat retention.
I wonder if a pool pump box is a good option for part or all of this project. I know where I live, you can buy mini-sheds that are designed specifically to house pool pumps & supress their noise levels. We had a pool as a kid & I remember the noise was really loud when the box was open, but barely audible when closed. Might still need extra ventilation etc, but might be part of the work done, over buying a basic, generic shed to start with
Can you let me know what duct collar you used on the double wall exhaust duct pipe. It is not mentioned in the parts list, but I see it in the video. I found a couple of items on HD that might work, but I would rather know what you used. Thanks very much for the video and all the details. Great work!
Great design! I would think the air should draft into the engine / across the co2 sensor, so the sensor doesn't trip from Any residual fumes, exh. Leaks, off gassing ,etc. Tks
2:59 why you didn't use large diameter (like 4 inch) conduit for that instead of the metal? Seem like it would give a cleaner look 11:30 it would like better if the boxes for intake and exhausts were in the inside of the shed instead of the outside
at 9:41 it looks like you have some of that sound-proofing material sticking out of the exhaust hole, wrapping the exhaust pipe, but you don't talk about this in the video. Did you insert this after the springs (why not instead of the springs)?
The box idea for the air inlet and outlet is similar to the tactically quiet generator sets I used in the military. The fans that run in those are the size of a truck engine radiator fan. With all that money spent would it have been a better idea to just buy a Honda quit generator?
Nice job. Thanks for sharing. I like the motorcycle muffler. Good idea. I saw a guy who used an RV muffler. It’s odd that the rock wool made you it’s because it is not a fiberglass product . But I guess we all have different sensitivities
What’s your thoughts on this generator compared to a inverter generator?? Do you think it’s better to have a inverter generator with all the modern appliances and smart electronics?? Thanks, great video
Any dBA numbers for the generator being run normally without being in any sort of enclosure? I know you did one with in in there with nothing done yet, but the overall for the generator would be interesting to know.
Great job - good workmanship. Way more than I would do. Our HOA would never go for that permanent structure. We will have to come up with something much more portable that can move with our unit in and out of the garage. We have a gasoline engine on our generator, not propane. Any sugggestions for something more portable?
Have you tested it for a long period ? The EMT conduit connector seems like it will break, and the nuts (I believe you kept calling them "bolts") might back off unless they are double nutted, use Ny-loc's or Loc-Tite. Great idea on the springs to use as spacers to separate the hot pipe. I'm interested to see how the plastic box itself holds up over time. My generator box is 4' x 6' x 6' high, steel framed and 3/4" plywood. Thats as far as I've gotten with it. I located it near the outside plug that connects it to the manual switch gear, which in turn, feeds the 110v circuits inside our home. If we want hot water, we either run 220v from a 2nd generator, or boil it. lol We have 110v space heaters, window units, counter top cooking pans and even a 110v clothes dryer.
Is your generator 220? If so, run a double pole breaker in the breaker box and back feed the 2 110v buse bars. You will have 220v. Just be sure to turn off the main breaker in case the power comes back on.
@@mister-action1 We have 2 6000 watt generators, we need the 220v outlet to feed the switch gear plug. If we need hot water, I'll pull the wires from the load side of the breaker, tie in 220 and we'll be good. The water heater has a 2nd breaker in the closet, plus the outlet on the generator has over current protection. The switchgear prevents our equipment from reversing back down the service line.
@Effeoj nedib 6,000 will probably feed the hole house. I have 5,000 watts. It runs everything we need. My well works and the furnace also. I can run a few lights and a TV or two.
Does the 1” exhaust hose cause any back pressure or restrictions with exhausting? I saw another video where a guy had to switch to a 2” exhaust hose to allow better engine performance.
When using exhaust heat wrap you can soak it in water and it will pretty much completely stop the fiberglass shards from getting into the air or poking you.
Since it seems that hardware stores dont carry rockwool (special order now), do you think rmac thermasheet board might work? It has a lower temp threshold of about 300 degrees, but do you think that might be an acceptable alternative?
Cool idea. During the last ice storm, I could hear generators running throughout the city. With the usual noise pollution levels way down, it seemed like the sounds of generators traveled quite a bit.
I assume no issues with heat transfer to the fence through the box? I was to put one against my house and I'm terrified of a fire. I guess the rock wool does a good enough job.
Good video. Quick question: would not be less expansive and simple to just install a motorcycle muffler? In Florida for example, such enclosure would "attract" hurricane wind forces to destroy it and also damage the generator....
I wonder if you can skip creating air holes in it and build a "heat exchanger" system Like by putting one radiator on the inside and another one on the outside.
Great presentation! Subscribed! QUESTION: running a 3000 diesel generator from my 7.3L gas tank. I’d love to be able to use an under storage box, the same way you used the shed box. How do we estimate how much space is needed to be safe? I think Kilmat sound deadeners would be an awesome addition. Thanks for gettin things goin!!
Wow! I really like what you did there. I like that you payed attention to detail as well. I am the same way with the details. Going with the rock wool was key. I wouldn’t have used anything different than what you used. I do a ton of project and use a wide array of tools and devices and I can see that you used all good quality products and methods. Super super happy for you. 🧠🏆🧐
Complete parts spreadsheet: cityprepping.tv/3wYBqpi ... Download the Start Preparing! Survival Guide here: bit.ly/3xWhVwZ - start your preparedness journey: bit.ly/3xZhWlY
Some of the parts used in the video:
* Generator: amzn.to/3fVX3kX
* Shed: amzn.to/3YnKShE
* Blast gate: amzn.to/3tfETxA
* Attic fan (I would recommend a bigger one): amzn.to/3WIBy81
* Exhaust heat wrap: amzn.to/3DWa6uF
* Flex exhaust pipe: amzn.to/3UndAh2
* Muffler tailpipe sealer: amzn.to/3G0HkvN
* Metal zip ties: amzn.to/3RAQSBo
* Complete parts spreadsheet: cityprepping.tv/3wYBqpi
Hemp fireproof blocks as well bud😘Aģape
I remember reading a book on soundproofing when I was a kid. And they said the best way was to build a room inside of a room.
Look at how quiet your little setup is, imagine if that little setup was inside a tool shed.
Obviously you don't need it that quiet, these people were making recording studios
You left out the self driving nails at 11:15.
@@DaedalusHelios Good point! I have almost finished fine tuning my shed, a Suncast BMS4700 that houses a WGen 12K DF generator. I am no engineer or had any experience building or modifying something for a specific purpose. I did go to Lowe’s & Home Depot and bought large L-brackets and attached them to all of the shed walls and installed the foot of them through the shed floor into a 6” slab with concrete bolts all around the bottom of the shed walls. Also purchase two steel beams cut to the width of the inside of the lt and rt walls to reinforce the rigidity of the walls. Thinking of reinforcing the corners that join the rear walls to the side walls as well in a vertical way if that makes sense ( after all not a engineer here) So just had a freeze here in San Antonio and so far so good.!
I'd like to see screen/rough mesh on your outside wooden box! If wasps build in that, their nest will obstruct airflow...🇺🇸 😎👍☕
Man, you really be going above & beyond for your viewers. Been watching for a while now.. you're a modern day hero man, keep it up!
you can tell he's protecting himself and family .
thanks!
@@CityPrepping Can you tell us what is the db Sound Level ❓❓❓
Great build!
Pro tip: When caulking the vents on the outside, only caulk the top and sides. Do not caulk the bottom. If moister does find a way in around the top and sides, it will have a means of escape at the bottom and will not become trapped.
Nope, that's only when you're worried about rot - plastic doesn't rot, so caulking entirely around the opening is the proper thing to do. This is an attempt at a sound-proof container - anywhere air can escape, so can sound.
I'm sorry but moister and moisture are two different things.
@missyjo2475 nice English lesson but I do not think people are watching the video for that .
@@JonathanRubenstahl No, but an opportunity for you to learn.
@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb true 👍
I found it over the years the threads on the exhaust pipe are generally the same as half or three quarter inch pipe. So I always take the exhaust pipe and small muffler off and run pipe a couple feet away straight up in the air outside the building changing it to 1 in pipe after about a foot from the box and then put in a 180° curve on the top to keep rain out not only does it get the exhaust fumes up in the air and away from people it further quiets it but by about 20 decibels
This is one of the better videos I've seen & covered my rear. I "WAS" gonna use foam board but quickly changed my mind after watching. I just want to do it right regardless of costs.
Nice one Kris, Thank You!
Something my Grandfather once did was use some metal struts to make a cage for the generator, then he used some strong springs and suspended the generator from the top metal struts so it was hanging. Makes a world of difference on the sound and vibration.
Grandpa was a genius. 👍🏽👍🏽
They also make vibration reducing/absorbing pads made of rubber, foam, cork, etc you can get for a few bucks.
make sure the temp inside dose not get above 120f with derating or 100f for normal rated use.
chris has a good design, two things: up size the fans to 12" the one on the back have it ducted directly to the back of the alternator (gen end for those not in the generator industry) 99% of failures your going to see is the alternator overheating and failing. they are VERY sanative to heat.
The alternator windings will quickly fail at about 150f depending on the Ins class rating. So any heat the alternator makes will be on top of the inside of box temp.
Thanks! Your instructions are so clear, even I can do this project!
Kris this is incredible. And you are so helpful to provide all your steps and how you made your decisions! I hadn’t thought of putting my generator in something like this for using it. Wow thank you!
Very nice! I've got something similar going on except I placed the box in my basement and vented it outside via a Vortex inline fan. In the event of a prolonged outage I don't want anyone hearing/knowing that I have a generator. I realize this comes with extra risks but I've got carbon monoxide detectors nearby. 100% grey man set-up.
you realize they will see your lights on right?
This actually inspires me to build something similar not for a generator, but for an air compressor for my shop. I don’t have a lot of floor space in the shop, so my thought was to build a lawn and garden shed and put the compressor in there, but it would be too far away from power and too far of a run for the air supply. This is just about perfect and I can set it up right next to my workshop, eliminating those two concerns. Thank you!
Try building and adding an intake muffler to your compressor. A lot of the noise come from the intake. I did this myself and it was considerably quieter. Many videos on YT showing different methods.
This is excellent, I can't justify the whole home backup system for like $12k right now but a ~$1k from Costco or whatever inside an enclosure like this is feasible
The Firman Trifuel 7500 max watt generator goes on sale from time to time. They generally run for 900 and 150 off when on sale.
@@corollaae8645 thanks for the heads up!
@@corollaae8645 but not a whole home backup/standby level generator.
Excellent video. QQ; if the venting system (intake and fan to draw outward) is strong enough, could you get by without having to pipe the exhaust too?
Love this! Thank you for posting this. I'm actually planning on building out a generator shed, your timing is perfect.
Glad it was helpful!
@@CityPrepping I just finished My Muffler Silencer made from Ply-wood and Reduced Sound Level to 56 db😅
The spring idea is fantastic.
I have a Firman 10,000 W tri fuel generator In a box similar to yours. I live in PA and have had to use it on many occasions. I do not us the sound dampening boxes, I found.they make little difference and hold heat. Before attaching another muffler, CHECK YOUR WARRANTY! Outsourced mufflers change the compression and will cause failures it also voids most warranties. We live in a world now where people see you have something they want so they steal it. I had a welder make me two 4 ft.rebar pcs with steel rings welded on that I drove 3/feet into the.ground, cemented in and ran steel cable through with a heavy duty lock. I highly recommend hard wiring the generator to your panel by a qualified electeician. Electricians and in our area call the plug-in the "pig tail of death" many people start their generator, THEN plug it in, which is a good way to get electrocuted. You DO NOT need another box, just a simple transfer switch that prevents you from back feeding the lines. You cannot power your box until the main switch is off and then the generator breakers can be flipped on. Also, flipp the breakers to the items with the highest draw first. Once.I learned that I can now power my whole house. And make a schedule to run your generator at least every two weeks and check the oil. It is a great feeling to have this item as a.back up.
I’m just finishing my shed like kris . Really good comments -thank you, for chiming in with these.
You are very welcome. We have had a lot of storms this uear and the generaror has been invaluable. I am still extremely satisfied with my set up, and most especially the Firman generator. I run it exclusively on natural gas.
Great thinking re: the rubber horse stall mats! I never would have thought of that use for them. I might pick up a couple extras when I go buy them for my barn.
Nice work. I see you watched some of my videos on building a quiet generator shed and put the ideas to work. Glad to see some of these ideas showing up in other videos in the wild. That's the beauty of UA-cam!
yeh, your video helped a lot. thanks!
Great job, well done. Here’s a tip to reduce more sound. Get about an inch stand off with a piece of plywood that’s a little larger then the exhaust opening. Add the stand off and the plywood on the inside to cover the exhaust opening. This will help baffleing sound more.
This was GREAT Chris! Thank you.
If you do another, or want to modify the exhaust pass-thru; A tankless water heater exhaust thimble is perfect for this job. Does the same thing your custom 'thimble' does except pre-made to route hot exhaust through combustible materials.
If you’re looking to really sound proof something, look into mass loaded vinyl. It’s what movie theaters use to make a room truly sound proof. The thicker it is, the more exponentially sound will be deafened. Air is the #1 reason sound will get though so it might be smart to build an additional box around the generator, inside the shed. Then wrapping mass loaded vinyl insides both boxes. I guarantee it would be
I thought about MLV, too, but can it take the heat?
@@trevorrisley5419 yup it’s fireproof
@@trevorrisley5419 and heat resistant
I’ve been trying to think of a way to knock down the noise from our generator. You sir just showed me what I need to build. Thank you!
I put my fan down low and revered it to suck in air. Then it blow it out through the top vent to expel any gas that might had built up. Good idea to use an expoliosn proof fan as well. Bit more expensive but not as much as a new generator or house. Cool build.
Well done. I thought you did a pretty thorough job of addressing everything needed to do a build like this. I think you did a better job than most of these complaining keyboard DIYers would have done. Obviously someone can easily add or take away anything they want for their ideas. I have a old 4500 watt generator that is incredibly loud and wanted to build something for it. Ideally a little smaller and something that I could setup and move easily. Thanks for your ideas.
So glad you got around to this project! I know you have been buried with more urgent issues for us to address! Thanks!
I have a dozen comments and suggestions, however, I won't bore you with my opinions. You showed a beginning decibel reading (79.6dba), was there a completed decibel reading? Considering, plastic, wood, and foam are all combustible materials, using *Rockwool insulation was a great choice! I use the same brand (different variations) in my house, garage, attic, and generator shed.
In combination with my solar/battery storage backup system, I use two 2500-watt dual-fuel generators with a combiner box connected to our 250-gal. bulk propane tank with a factory dba rating of 53dba. Inclosed is about 45dba. "Rural Prepping" 🤠
That was fantastic! I was just starting to think about building one for mine. First I have to see if the hoa lets me have a shed outside! As always, thank you!
Thanks for making this vid! The exhaust wrap is a lot easier to work with if you soak it in a bucket of water for several hours first
I wonder if you could adapt this to a faraday cage when not in use
Love this proof of concept.
Do you think anymore bafles in the intake and exhaust boxes would make any significant improvements.
Also the exhaust needs to be lower sound the sound is not projecting out into the area. If you are using this during a grid down type issue its going to be a lot quiter in your neighborhood .
Well done. I'm thoroughly impressed. You've thought of everything!!
Superb bodging skills mate.
I think its really good to develop the skill set required to fabricate functional items, especially since we might all be forced to do this kind of thing more in the future.
I find your attention to detail refreshing.
For good ventilation, the general rule of thumb is to have twice the area of passive INTAKE as you have ACTIVE exhaust. You can either do the math on making one hole, or (the simpler way) if you cut a 4" circular hole for the exhaust fan, cut two 4" circular holes for the passive intakes. (The shape isn't important. Just the area of the holes in respect to one another.)
What if you had an intake fan and an exhaust fan both at the same specs ? I’m building mine that way through the same size sound maze boxes.
@@unbr3akablonsoundcloud-tx6co better to have one fan unless there is a computer keeping them perfectly matched. Otherwise one will cause drag on the other
@@reverendprophet im building an air compressor silencer box , so it’s a little different to a generator . Will the drag still be an issue with sound maze intake and exhaust baffles if I go about this method?
I’m still not sure what u mean by drag ? Drag only happens if the fans are installed close to each other on the same side aren’t they ? Not either ends of the box
@@unbr3akablonsoundcloud-tx6co if the fan that is exhausting is pulling harder than the fan that is bringing in fresh air, it will cause strain on the intake fan. If the intake fan is blowing harder than the exhaust fan is pulling, it can cause strain on the exhaust fan.
Much better, if you want to use two fans, to have them BOTH exhaust and then have twice as much passive intake.
Looks great. Question: Is there enough oxygen venting into the box to keep the motor cool and not insulated to the point where it overheats?
That’s why I need to upgrade the fan :)
@@CityPrepping Ahhh, ok that makes more sense now. Thanks for clarifying! :)
Two things in a generator that hate heat; heads and generator windings. If you have 200F inside that compartment you have a recipe for disaster. Look for a 10-15F rise. I can see right away your fan is undersized. For me to achieve the desired temp; rise I went for a 16" AC infinity 3000 cfm fan. Sarted out at 12" 850 cfm and inside was over 125F. Another issue you have is the escape area on your compartment hoods appears to be smaller than the fan exit area opening in the compartment wall. My generator is a 5kw Honda.
Yes you need to keep the propane outside the compartment.
When installing insulation consider ïnsulation pins which you can find on Amzn. Saves drilling holes thro the walls.
One thing that always baffles me (no pun intended), is how these RV built in ONAN generators that are tucked inside a metal compartment would not fail after a short time. Many of them last a long time with proper maintenance.
Very cool video! I actually have this project on my to-do list as well so I’ll definitely be referencing this video when I do!
I've been waiting for this video since you mentioned about it months ago. Well worth the wait. Thanks so much for posting!
My pleasure!
Thank you! I “went ahead” and watched this video. Liked !
I run the Predator 3500 just nakid in the side yard behind standard yard fences. Standing out front say 20ft away with gate closed its in the 30-40 decibel range. At the street curb you really need to listen to hear it. Neighbor next door? There are two 6x8 sheds back to back with yard fence between the generator and neighbors house. Checking it again noise level is quite low. I think your shed with a quiet inverter generator would be super low noise levels. If I have weather I leave the generator in the shed with the door cracked. Noise level is definitely lower.
you can use a prc drain cover thing (not sure what it is really called but it has a hole and is surrounded by materia, square with a round hole with slats). It lets you seal the hole and prevent critters from climbing in...easily attached to unit with adhesive. as others have said, don't seal the bottom.
From what I have heard about those sheds is to make sure you paint them with a great UV exterior paint to make the last longer in the sun. One complaint is they get brittle if not painted.
Nice Video. I think it is easier to start with a honda inverter that has below 60 decibel out of the box and then reduce that even more. In a town 60 decibel is still noisy and easy to hear.
yeh, Honda's are nice. This is an open frame generator (much bigger than your typical Honda) that can power some of the loads in your home.
@@CityPrepping I’m putting a condenser saver/slow start on my ac. Along with the power inlet installed to my electrical panel, I should have ac when the power goes out or brown out. I live in S california too.
I “went ahead” and liked this video. 😂
Sweet build. Been thinking about something like this for a while now
I’ve thought about building those baffle boxes into the interior. Seems like there’s enough space and might be able to make more turns and cut more DBs off
I live in bartlett and would love to come take a closer look at your setup
Tell me, could you do a video on what we would do if we had an EMP attack on this country with the balloon, having crossed our United States from China what would prevent them from doing that and how would you survive it? Would your ham radio even work?
lol an educational video regarding emp's would serve more justice it seems
taking down the power grid (emp) and jamming radio are two different things. It is perfectly suited for jamming any radio frequency it wants, from cb to ham to more advanced things. If it wanted to EMP something, it could probably only focus on a specific power plant while flying overhead.
Well worth reading "One Second After".
Hi, if you search on this channel a video Kris made called “how to survive the first 90 days after the collapse” you will get some valuable insights. It is not EMP specific but many of the main themes will be the same because the main factors are human nature in the reference of resource limitations.
@@termiterasin not wrong persea sounds like it'd be more the reverse though as it's easy to single out an specifically jam specific frequency devices an even whole deliberate networks of systems while leaving others totally alone while EMPs general are area effect an typically hard to control on a large scale without frying everything for miles
Nicely done! If you ever get a chance, have a look at a film set mobile generator, might give you some idea's for another build or upgrades. Expanded metal/perforated metal covering your insulation will give it support, a blower fan blowing into your air intake area will aid in cooling ... just a couple ideas.
Great job otherwise, cheers!
I love these kinds of videos as a contrast to informational/news update videos. A bit out of my means personally due to the amount of materials and time and engineering prowess but nevertheless it’s a very Impressive build to watch.
I have done this several times, you are correct, the fan is too small and you should be blowing air INTO the box not exhausting air, it is much more efficient. Also a "Certified Exhaust Thimble" for combustible walls should really be used as fire codes are not a bad thing.
VERY NICE!! I have the same unit assembled and ready to finish come spring thaw. I will copycat your process. Thanks!!
Chris, thanks so much for walking us through this build. A generator box is on my to do list. I want to see if we are going to put the interlock on the house or in the detached garage. Placement is key for noise as well as fumes since we don't want those coming in the house.
When I built my generator shed I purchased a back yard tin tool shed about 5x5x6 feet. I built a 4x2 frame inside it. I then filled the spaces with rock wool. Then lined it with acustic foam pannels made for generator sound reduction. I then built an air intake and a 18 inch air blower to extract hot air. The blower mounted on the side at a height of 4 feet vented into a vertical 12 inch stainless pipe which was 10 feet tall reducing to 6 inch at about 8 feet in height. Inside from the blower I built a air duct that attached to the end of the generator creating air flow over it thus removing the heat. I then mounted a 6 inch chimney cap. I then had the exhaust pipe feed out the back of the shed and onto the lower portion of the 12 inch pipe after the blower and mounted an additional mufler inside. This way the blower pushed the fumes etc up and out and does a good job of disbursing the smell. All in all 10kva generator running and all you could hear was the air blower as a slight hum just above background noise. I have since built an additional box that covers the generator inside the shed. When it is running I can not hear it from any boundry fence. I then had it connected to the house using an AMF switch so it will start if mains power is lost. I also purchased a diesel tank and pump which is in the tray of my Ford Ranger to ensure a good supply of diesel.
@@ronicarbine8723 you really dotted your Is and crossed your Ts. Great work, man.
@@trevorrisley5419 cheers. I love good home based projects. Can't get into to much trouble in the back yard. Just finished a glass house and 8 raised garden beds so keen to get growing next seasion. Take care.
@@ronicarbine8723 I built high side hugelkultur beds and I'm planning on building more. We have to take down a couple more locust trees that are in not so safe spots and access will be easier before I build more beds. I have plans to build a greenhouse, tearing down an old dog pen that the previous owner had. I'd like to save the framing but we've had carpenter bees out there. I'm thinking about how I can add a couple of hens to this plan to help procces compost and get some bonus eggs. Lots of projects on my list
Here's a thought also and I wonder if this has been researched Chris. What about filling the walls of the shed with expanding foam? I have filled cooler lids with the foam for extra insulation since most coolers have hollow lids. I'm wondering if that would help deaden more sound but I also wonder how much that would change the heat retention.
Good evening from Syracuse NY brother thank you for sharing your projects
How did you connect the 1" exhaust hose to a larger hose to fit the muffler? Great video, also. You have helped so much, thank you.
May I ask what was the total cost and how much time did it take? Thank you Kris.
I bought a shed close to his and generator you can buy the shed at home depot and generator where ever you want .
I wonder if a pool pump box is a good option for part or all of this project. I know where I live, you can buy mini-sheds that are designed specifically to house pool pumps & supress their noise levels. We had a pool as a kid & I remember the noise was really loud when the box was open, but barely audible when closed. Might still need extra ventilation etc, but might be part of the work done, over buying a basic, generic shed to start with
Nicely Done. I wonder if you put baffles inside of the boxes, if it wouldn't cut the sound down even more?
Awesome. I was wanting to make one but hadn't started the process of figuring out how. Thanks!
Would an exhaust fan mounted on top be better - like a roof vent? I'm thinking about the design similar to what is seen with the ZombieBox products.
Can you let me know what duct collar you used on the double wall exhaust duct pipe. It is not mentioned in the parts list, but I see it in the video. I found a couple of items on HD that might work, but I would rather know what you used. Thanks very much for the video and all the details. Great work!
Thank you for posting this. I may give this a try.
Great design! I would think the air should draft into the engine / across the co2 sensor, so the sensor doesn't trip from Any residual fumes, exh. Leaks, off gassing ,etc. Tks
2:59 why you didn't use large diameter (like 4 inch) conduit for that instead of the metal? Seem like it would give a cleaner look
11:30 it would like better if the boxes for intake and exhausts were in the inside of the shed instead of the outside
That’s awesome! What was the total cost for everything (except generator) from the root to the fruit? 👍🏾
at 9:41 it looks like you have some of that sound-proofing material sticking out of the exhaust hole, wrapping the exhaust pipe, but you don't talk about this in the video. Did you insert this after the springs (why not instead of the springs)?
The box idea for the air inlet and outlet is similar to the tactically quiet generator sets I used in the military. The fans that run in those are the size of a truck engine radiator fan. With all that money spent would it have been a better idea to just buy a Honda quit generator?
I'd also add seals on all the doors/lid - anywhere air can escape, so will sound.
Nice job and gentle, smooth explanation. Thanks!
I saw what you did there with the nail, I like it.
Nice job. Thanks for sharing. I like the motorcycle muffler. Good idea. I saw a guy who used an RV muffler. It’s odd that the rock wool made you it’s because it is not a fiberglass product . But I guess we all have different sensitivities
I would recommend using a patio container with a fan for exhaust. Some fit perfectly around the generator.
Did I miss the decibel read on after it was done? Great video.
What’s your thoughts on this generator compared to a inverter generator?? Do you think it’s better to have a inverter generator with all the modern appliances and smart electronics?? Thanks, great video
Any dBA numbers for the generator being run normally without being in any sort of enclosure? I know you did one with in in there with nothing done yet, but the overall for the generator would be interesting to know.
If you invest in a Cummins RS series machine (1800 rpm, liquid cooled), she is quiet right out the gate and great on fuel mileage. Not cheap though.
I know this is an old video but I would suggest making the seal for the doors and roof tighter so that sound doesn’t get out as easily
Great job - good workmanship. Way more than I would do. Our HOA would never go for that permanent structure. We will have to come up with something much more portable that can move with our unit in and out of the garage. We have a gasoline engine on our generator, not propane. Any sugggestions for something more portable?
I need a box of those nails!! Those nails are amazing. 11:14
Have you tested it for a long period ? The EMT conduit connector seems like it will break, and the nuts (I believe you kept calling them "bolts") might back off unless they are double nutted, use Ny-loc's or Loc-Tite. Great idea on the springs to use as spacers to separate the hot pipe. I'm interested to see how the plastic box itself holds up over time. My generator box is 4' x 6' x 6' high, steel framed and 3/4" plywood. Thats as far as I've gotten with it. I located it near the outside plug that connects it to the manual switch gear, which in turn, feeds the 110v circuits inside our home. If we want hot water, we either run 220v from a 2nd generator, or boil it. lol We have 110v space heaters, window units, counter top cooking pans and even a 110v clothes dryer.
Is your generator 220? If so, run a double pole breaker in the breaker box and back feed the 2 110v buse bars. You will have 220v. Just be sure to turn off the main breaker in case the power comes back on.
@@mister-action1 We have 2 6000 watt generators, we need the 220v outlet to feed the switch gear plug. If we need hot water, I'll pull the wires from the load side of the breaker, tie in 220 and we'll be good. The water heater has a 2nd breaker in the closet, plus the outlet on the generator has over current protection. The switchgear prevents our equipment from reversing back down the service line.
@Effeoj nedib
6,000 will probably feed the hole house. I have 5,000 watts. It runs everything we need. My well works and the furnace also. I can run a few lights and a TV or two.
I enjoyed the video, I have been looking at doing this same thing. Thanks for the ideas.
Great video!! Thanks for the information and perspective on this build 👊🏼🇺🇸
Does the 1” exhaust hose cause any back pressure or restrictions with exhausting? I saw another video where a guy had to switch to a 2” exhaust hose to allow better engine performance.
When using exhaust heat wrap you can soak it in water and it will pretty much completely stop the fiberglass shards from getting into the air or poking you.
Since it seems that hardware stores dont carry rockwool (special order now), do you think rmac thermasheet board might work? It has a lower temp threshold of about 300 degrees, but do you think that might be an acceptable alternative?
Cool idea. During the last ice storm, I could hear generators running throughout the city. With the usual noise pollution levels way down, it seemed like the sounds of generators traveled quite a bit.
My neighbor has a generator and he lives 1/4 mile away and I know immediately when he cranks it. Must be one of the open frame types.
WOW, AWESOME VIDEO KRIS THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING I COULD DO FOR MY GENERATOR, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US.
I assume no issues with heat transfer to the fence through the box? I was to put one against my house and I'm terrified of a fire. I guess the rock wool does a good enough job.
Good video. Quick question: would not be less expansive and simple to just install a motorcycle muffler? In Florida for example, such enclosure would "attract" hurricane wind forces to destroy it and also damage the generator....
SOUTHERN PREPPER 1 is working on an EMP video. I'll watch all the channels, just to cover the bases.
Hello Debbie...........When did you hear southern prepper were working on a emp video?
did he say when it will be up ?
I wonder if you can skip creating air holes in it and build a "heat exchanger" system
Like by putting one radiator on the inside and another one on the outside.
So did you end up increasing the size of the inlet and exhaust boxes?
Really love the build video! Is there any others in the works?
What was the final decibels? The thumb nail for next video got in the way. Thanks again!
60 dBa
@@CityPrepping thank you!
Great presentation! Subscribed!
QUESTION:
running a 3000 diesel generator from my 7.3L gas tank. I’d love to be able to use an under storage box, the same way you used the shed box.
How do we estimate how much space is needed to be safe?
I think Kilmat sound deadeners would be an awesome addition. Thanks for gettin things goin!!
What generator 3k you have ?
Very cool build! I hope you run it for like 8 hours or more straight to really test it.
Wow! I really like what you did there. I like that you payed attention to detail as well. I am the same way with the details. Going with the rock wool was key. I wouldn’t have used anything different than what you used. I do a ton of project and use a wide array of tools and devices and I can see that you used all good quality products and methods. Super super happy for you. 🧠🏆🧐
Thank you very much!
Great solution thanks for the video. Awesome.
Where or how did you connect the generator power cord that plugs in to inlet box? Thanks!
This is brilliant! I’m downloading this. Thanks, Kris.