If you love having electricity when camping, you’ll probably want to know how to make a generator quiet for camping.
Several tips and tricks can be combined to make your generator quieter.
Here, we break down several ways you can use sound barriers, fix the muffler, place your generator in the best spot, and evaluate your generator needs to reduce as much generator noise as possible.
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Table of Contents
Block the Noise
The first methods we will discuss involve blocking sound waves emitted from the generator. These are the simplest and most obvious strategies on how to make a generator quiet for camping.
1) Use anything you can to surround the generator and block the noise.
Common things to place around a generator to block the noise are sheets of plywood and drywall. But if you’re already out camping, you could make a teepee out of sticks and pad the side facing you with debris like leaves and pine needles. Heavy fabric like old draperies or sheets of foam panels are also useful to block out all sorts of unwanted noise.
Next time you go camping, consider getting a generator tent. It doesn’t reduce the sound, but you could use it to hold sound reducing items like sound blankets .
2) Move Your Generator Behind a Wall or Natural Barrier
If there is a nearby wall, placing your generator behind it might just reduce enough loud noise for you. If there is not a wall, consider any other natural barrier like a dirt mound or large tree. With the right natural barrier, this may be the best option for how to make a generator quiet for camping.
3) Build a baffle box (a.k.a. quiet box or acoustic enclosure)
This is a specially designed soundproof box for noisy generators and can be one of the most effective ways to block noise from a loud generator.
There are many different designs you can make using plywood or other building material. An important thing is to be sure the box fits your generator inside, so be sure to build it big enough if you have a larger generator. The box should be insulated with some type of foam, carpet, or other sound-absorbing material. If you build it well, a box like this can absorb a large amount of noise.
Here is a great video on how to make a simple but effective sound-proof box for a generator:
4) Buy a Zombie Box
This is a sound-dampening generator box or cover that fits over your noisy generator and keeps it from leaking noise.
Zombie Boxes are probably the best way to reduce noise levels and block sound waves of generators, compressors, industrial equipment, pumps, vacuums, blowers, electronic, medical and laboratory equipment. The best thing about the zombie box are that they are collapsible and weatherproof so they are perfect for camping!
Consider the Generator Muffler
Most of the noise is coming from the exhaust pipe or your generator may have a muffler (also called a generator silencer). It’s a good idea to make sure the muffler is working or get a new muffler. There are also several enhancements you can make to the exhaust pipe or muffler to reduce the noise. Some of these tactics are the most effective but complicated on how to make a generator quiet for camping.
5) Point the Exhaust Pipe Away from Your Campsite
This may seem overly simple but people don’t always think of it. Much of the noise pollution from a generator is being directed by the generator’s exhaust pipes or the generator’s muffler. Pointing the exhaust or muffle in the other direction will help reduce the noise in your campsite slightly.
6) Replace the Muffler if It’s not Working Correctly
If the muffler is not working properly, it will create more noise from your generator. This can be noisy at night and really bother anyone nearby.
You may need to replace this component if you are noticing increased levels of noise coming from your generator muffle or exhaust pipe.
7) Consider Installing a Car Muffler on Your Generator
There are conflicting reports as to whether this works or not and the root cause seems to be if the car muffler actually works or not. Some people have take old car mufflers from a junk yard and had a friend weld them onto their generator.
If the car muffler isn’t working properly, it won’t reduce the noise on your generator. However, if the muffler does work, it should help reduce the noise. Try the muffler first by holder it in place (wear a glove as it may get hot) before you spend time welding it on.
This is one of the more advanced tactics on how to make a generator quiet for camping but can be very effective.
8) Use a Hose to Direct the Exhaust into a Bucket of Water
The water bucket trick consists of directing the exhaust pipe into a bucket of water. As much of the noise is coming out of the exhaust pipe, the sound will be muffled by the water. You will have to find a way to fit a hose pipe to your exhaust and then simply place the other end of the hose in a bucket of water.
Just be extra careful the water doesn’t backflush into the generator by placing the generator higher than the bucket of water. Also, you can a small hole in the hose to drain any water that might make it’s way into the hose towards the generator.
Place Your Generator on the Right Surface
One of the reasons noisy generators are so loud is because they’re operating on hard surfaces like concrete. You can reduce noise by placing your generator on a softer surface or by putting something under it. It’s one of the easiest secrets for how to make a generator quiet for camping.
9) Move your Generator to Softer Ground
Soft surfaces such as grass or dirt will dampen sound waves and vibrations from the ground. Soft green grass is really ideal but do the best you can wherever you are camping. It’s amazing how much noise can be produced from vibrations against concrete.
10) Attach Rubber Feet on Your Generator
Rubber feet can help get rid of vibration and sound waves so you don’t have to worry about noisy generators while camping. This will be especially useful if placing your generator on concrete is your only option.
11) Get an Anti-vibration Mat
Use an antivibration mat to reduce the vibrations and sound waves from your generator. These mats will be especially useful if your only option is to put the generator on a hard surface such as concrete. Alternatively, any rubber mat will help reduce the vibration but it won’t be quite as effect as an anti-vibration mat.
12) Use Sound Blankets for Your Camping Generator
Sound blankets can work wonders in reducing noise levels coming from generators when it comes time to sleep or relax near them. Place them under and over the generator (but be sure they don’t make contact with very hot surfaces). This is particularly true if the blanket covers any cracks between where your generator is resting and nearby objects that amplify noise.
13) Move Your Generator Further Away
It may seem obvious but it’s worth making sure your generator is as far away as it can be from your campsite. A little distance can make a big difference!
Get the Right Generator
The final method of making a noisy generator quiet for camping is to consider buying the right generator or using it less. Consider how much power you actually need and if you might be overdoing it with your current generator. Alternatively, you might just want to invest in a newer and quieter generator.
14) Suppliment Your Power Needs with Other Sources
Do you need to run your generator so often? Consider using things like power banks for your cell phone, solar panels and chargers, and battery powered devices to lessen your need to run the generator. Also, be conservative with you energy need so you don’t have to run your generator as frequently.
15) Invest in a Quiet Generator
Modern generators generally produce less noise than traditional generators and some of the quietest generators are the Yamaha Quiet Series (QS). These generators are specifically designed with noise in mind and produce less than 75 decibels at full load while providing sufficient power output, which makes them ideal for camping. They are inverter generators too, utilizing inverter technology, so they won’t be as loud when you’re not using them to full capacity.
Final Thoughts
There are so many tips on how to make a generator quiet for camping, you will likely have to try a few of them to find the best solution for you. Many of these tips can be combined for incremental improvements in noise reduction and a much better camping trip. These are also useful if you happen to use your generator during a power outage.
Let me know in the comments if you discovered any more tips or tricks on how to make a generator quiet for camping.
Looking for how to make your camping trip as comfortable as possible? Check out these articles:
- The Most Comfortable Way to Sleep in a Tent
- 13 Best Camping Air Conditioners and Complete Buying Guide
- How to Heat a Tent | 9 Safe and Efficient Ways
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