I have a Zombie Box for my Generac GP17500E generator....yes it was expensive but so was the generator but I just wanted to make sure it was quite and protected. I live in Texas and we have had some pretty severe weather the past few years...both my generator and the Zombie Box has been a life saver.....kept our whole house running and our neighbors didn't complain about the noise.
@@Beau26102 I have ran ours during the hot weather several times with NO issues. I also go out on occasions and prop the lid for about 30 minutes just to let a blast of fresh air in. I do this for peace of mind but it's not necessary.
I have a 10 KW dual fuel generator and looking at building a cinderblock wall enclosure with rebar and concrete in the cylinders, I plan on running air intake underground with screen on the 4" intake so that I can use the 55 degree ground to cool the air year round. I thought about using fans on the air intake and also adding additional exhaust to help keep the generator cool. The regular exhaust would be connected to a separate pipe to keep all the carbon monoxide mostly out of the enclosure. I like the idea of having a remote temperature sensor in the enclosure to keep an eye on things.
Im building a hush house for my 10500w gen using patio blocks underground for cool air intake and exhausting it out the top and Will be using a gable fan higher up in ducting as to create a venture and starts to pull air also as heat rises. We use this same idea for jets during engine runs in our hush house and you can not hear the F-18s at high power
If you’re handy you can extend the exhaust into a container of water to quiet down the exhaust. Same as most inboard boats. If you enclose the generator, have the water container in a “chimney of sorts” that vents to the outside. In the winter you should replace the water with RV antifreeze or even windshield washer fluid.
I can see the benefit of getting an enclosure during emergencies. You might not want to advertise that you have power when others don't. In those cases I think the zombie box makes sense. Because who cares about a warranty if you are trying not to attract the wrong kind of attention
I have a heavy duty Gen tent for my S 14000 over 3 years and absolutely love it. It's been through tropical storm force winds and a couple of blizzards, didn't even faze it. Doesn't muffle the sound. Which is not a concern for me.
We live in the country and our only need is to deflect the noise away from our own house so 1st we point the muffler exit away from the house...2nd we lean a 4 x 8 or at least a 4 x 6 piece of plywood on the house side and 3rd we place a piece on top of the generator to protect from precipitation...
My quiet box is designed to be run primarily in the winter, so overheating is not the issue. Running a small heater in the enclosure for a few hours to warm the generator for an easier start is what I am designing, with the ability to open ends as needed for ventilation. Planning to use 2 x 4's and rigid insulation with magnets to hold together and pull apart.
I have a large doghouse type of chicken coop just behind my garage, been thinking about doing some moding work to turn it into a spot to run my generator. Then again, I could just get one of those from Amazon.. But then what would I use that chicken coop for?? 🤔 I don't want chickens, or a dog.
I built 4 walls that were 3 feet away from the generator on all sides and made a sloped roof that has a 6" opening all around the sides. It overlaps the sides 6" all around. It quietens the sound by over half. I can dismantle it and stack it next to my generator in my shop. Was cheap to build and works great.
I have a 13kw generator setup to run the whole house. I’m $1,600 in for the whole setup including a gen tent style cover. The zombie box for my setup is $2,600. Absolutely insane. The tent works just fine. Yes, I have to wheel it outside once the storm dies down, but after that it’s fine.
I have a Generac GP15000E with a Zombiebox XL enclosure. Over heating is a concern when running the unit above 70 degree ambient temp with the lid closed. To resolve that issue, I removed the stock muffler, ran 6’ of 1.5” flex exhaust pipe to outside the enclosure, reconnected the stock muffler and mounted the muffler with stand-off bolts to an adjacent stone/masonry wall.
If you’re handy you can extend the exhaust into a container of water to quiet down the exhaust. Same as most inboard boats. If you enclose the generator, have the water container in a “chimney of sorts” that vents to the outside. In the winter you should replace the water with RV antifreeze or even windshield washer fluid.
It seems like Igan could just add 4 legs to their metal frames and then you could plop it over an inverter generator. No need to set it directly on top of the generator like you would for a open frame. Sorta like a card table.
I just bought my first genny, an open frame 6.5kW unit. Was thinking of buying a second hand bike shed and adding fans, sound proofing and a thermostat.
We have a large zombie box. My wife ordered it so I’m not sure what the cost I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. Especially since it was shipped to Kauai. It works very well.
i’m going to throw my two cents in part of my personal experiences with Generators and Soundproofing has been in direct relationship with my love and lifetime Passion of Boating Marine Generators do usually have Soundproofing Cases or Boxes that work fairly well for keeping them quiet but a big difference is most of those generators or Water Cooled so i’m wondering if trying to Soundproof Air Cooled Generators in general isn’t such a great idea overall let’s face it if it was that’s what the big Generator names would use and sell they have the R&D resources like Engineering ,Money ,and everything else they need to build the best and keep their Company as being known for having the Quietest , most efficient or whatever they could use for marketing IMO. i think part of the correct Concept would be working with or around using the already very quiet Suitcase style Generator /Inverter units that already exist i personally have been using Honda Brand ones for nearly 40 years ! and i love them right out of the .box they are fairly quiet as is ,reliable ,low operating Cost, easy to find parts or info on ,and somewhat of a affordable option another fine feature is the Parelleling of multiple units being so easy to give you lots of extra Flexibilty
I completely agree Craig about it not being such a good idea sticking a generator in an enclosure. And the companies that builds these generators would void your warranty for doing so. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Wise words and well said Craig. I have seen videos of a 20kw water cooled generac and one that is air cooled. The air cooled gen is much louder. Personally I went through the brain damage of enclosing and soundproofing an air cooled open frame 5kw generator.. It sounds like a great DIY project but every part of it posed technical challenges. The enclosure is cinder block with a metal roof and metal front doors. It mimics those plastic garden sheds most people on TH-cam use. The technical challenges gave me lots of heartburn. - The generator is sold as gasoline and I wanted propane as there are not storage issues with infrequent use. That meant buy and install a propane conversion kit. - the lid was over 200# so that required gas struts and special fabricated lid hinges. Then you need a lid "prop" to prevent the lid from falling on your head if the gas struts fail. - Sound proofing was complicated as there can be no "sound leaks" to negate the effectiveness. Good absorbants and sound barriers are not cheap. Ouch! - Ventilation is a bitch. I ended up failing twice by installing undersized attic fans (no gen damage). On the 3rd try I got it right with a 3,000 cfm fan. This involved increasing the intake holes in the compartment from 12" sq. openings, then 14" then 16". I installed a remote thermometer and got interior temps to < 90F. My ambient temp. (outdoor) ranges from 68 - 82F year round. - Next is the issue of routing exhaust tubing (insulated for temp. control) through the compartment wall and installing intake and exhaust hoods (sound proofed) to bloick the noise by changing sound direction. Also need to think of putting a muffler on the exhaust pipe. - Then you need to think about "what if the ventilation fan fails and the compartment overheats?" This requires that you install a bimetallic shutoff switch conneccted to a control circuit on the generator (in my case the low oil level switch) connected in series. - Also you need to knock a hole in the enclosure and run a cable from the generator to the transfer switch and if you want to automate it with auto start then that will require another module. - Furthermore this is a multi step build and you tend to focus on the part you are currently focused on. That means it is a black hole project and you throw money at it until you cannot turn back. It ended up costing approx. 3x the cost of the generator and is only used in the rarest of emergencies since I also have a battery backup system. - I considered an alternate (Zombie box) but shyed away because they were evasive when I quiered them on the sound insulation product they used. The answer was "its proprietary". There is nothing proprietary about sound insulation. It is ubiquitous with many vendors over various products from MLV to foam to fiber insulation. My response was to move on. I have no experience with Zombie box products but it offers a solution that is not cheap but easy to assemble. - IMHO the only advantage of a gen on wheels in an enclosure is the fact that if portability is an issue, you can with some level of work; disconnect the wiring and exhaust piping and roll it out of its box and use it somewhere else. This is what you get yourself into when you comine a love of DIY projects and combine this with an obsessive, compulsive parsonality disorder. Don't get me wrong! It presented me with lots of challenges and problems to solve and did give me a sense of satisfaction but not a new meaning for life. Ask me, wiould I do it over again? Absolutely not. For all the reasons Craig gave, I would go for an off the shelf water cooled, enclosed Generac unit where whole team of engineers have been involved in the development of the product and you just build a pad and plug it in. Craig articulated this more eloquently than myself in fewer words. BUY AN OFF THE SHELF ENCLOSED GENERATOR, KOHLER, GENERAC, OR OTHER, PREFERABLY WATER COOLED (QUITER) AND LEAVE THE HEADACHES AND BRAIN DAMAGE TO OTHERS".
You are wrong big companies can do it but they won't because they don't need to. Not many people have the situation that requires quite generator and other companies not doing it so why bother
Thanks for the video! I will buy a plastic enclosure, I could build one out of wood but I'm very much a function over form guy so don't know how it would look if I built it. :)
The problem with your advice to get the quiet honda is it still won't be protected from the elements. So a generator shed is needed for every type of unit.
I’ve been running a Honda at our off-road cabin for years. If it is stored in the cold the low oil pressure shutdown will kick in after it runs a short time. After it resets it runs fine. I also put synthetic oil in it and this helped. It is in a foam lined box with a way to control the airflow for those sub zero days.
@@JanetColeman-v1i We just use a 2000 at our remote cabin. We use it to charge our batteries in the winter when we are out there. I build a box With two fans that come on one at a time. I can set the generator load on the 4 K inverter and run it at a max if 10 amp load which is about 3/4 of its continuous rated power. I’ve been running it like this for about 20 years down to temperatures in the minus 20 to 30 range Fahrenheit and it has over 1200 hour in it.
Definitely sucking out. It has the effect of drawing air across the components of the machinery and venting the heat out. That is how they do cooling fans in computer cases too.
Hi, and thank you for sharing your video! Great work-the community really appreciates the effort you put into your content. I’ve watched your video, along with many other homemade videos on building generator quiet boxes, and I think you covered the essentials well. I’m expecting my new DuroMax XP13000HX today, so I wanted to share a few ideas for improving home-built quiet boxes based on what I’ve seen online. I might even document my own build since I plan to approach it a bit differently from what’s typically out there. My “outside-the-box” thinking kicked in as I noticed a few common mistakes (just my opinion) people seem to make with their designs. So, here are my thoughts-I’d love your feedback if you have a moment. 1. Box Choice: I’ll be using a large SunCast shed as my quiet box, but for my first build, I’ll likely go with traditional 2x6 framing to compare the durability and insulation of wood framing against plastic. I will make it modular so it can be disassembled and reassembled with reasonable quickness. 2. Insulation: I’m a big fan of Rock Wool insulation; I’ll probably add R19 in the walls and cover it with Rock Wool for soundproofing. I might even layer 5/8” sheetrock over the R19 before adding the Rock Wool for extra heat resistance and sound dampening, though this will add some weight. 3. Ventilation System: Like the Zombie Box setup (though I had this idea before I saw their products!), I’m planning to add a roof vent with a fan, controlled by a thermostat and display. Lowe’s has a model for $125 that moves air at 1500 CFM. I noticed most DIY boxes skip this top vent, possibly due to noise concerns-but I’m curious to see how this affects overall performance. 4. Dedicated Intake: I’ll add a large, insulated HVAC duct from the side wall, positioned directly in front of the generator’s cooling fan to ensure it receives optimal airflow at its designed CFM (imagine a vacuum cleaner setup). 5. Fresh Air Duct / Air Intake: Another smaller insulated HVAC duct will be aimed at the generator’s air intake, providing it with an uninterrupted oxygen supply, much like the setup for #4. 6. Exhaust Management: This is the trickiest part. I haven’t fully figured out the best approach to handle the noise from the exhaust. However, with the roof fan moving 1500 CFM, it should pull out most exhaust emissions, reducing the noise to a single source. I might also add a partial enclosure around the exhaust to help direct the sound. Once again, I’d love to hear any thoughts you have on this setup! Thanks, SoundProof Guy
The fully enclosed inverter generators tend to pull all air in from a vent in the front and expel both exhaust and warmed air out the back. So I would think for these, you just need to make sure this airflow continues unimpeded and say focus on muffling compartments on either end if you want 360 degree sound dampening. Maybe you have a fan in the path of airflow to make sure things don't warm up too much. Just moving air around an open box isn't going to do it. You may also want to make sure your generator is on something that absorbs vibration as one of the sound transmission means is through the ground. I have seen some people replace the exhaust pipe with one they can screw on an extra home made muffler. The thing with these fully enclosed inverter generators is they tend to be pretty quiet already, so say backup power for your home nobody is going to complain as they can sit inside their home and not hear it at all, but what you still want is some way to get things as silent as possible for camping without taking up too much space. I mean you are out to enjoy nature at that point, not listen to the thrumb of a generator engine, even if it is pretty quiet and your neighbors at that point may be especially annoyed.
We had an air cooled Onan installed in a police district in Philly. The primary fuse out on the pole blew and the generator picked up the building load. Well nobody noticed until the gen tripped out on low oil and the lights went out. So I get the emergency call and of course it's like 3AM. I get PECO out to change the primary and go down to the mechanical room to see how bad the damages are. OMG it was so hot in that room over an hour later and this was a professional install with the right venting, exhaust to the outside and all. This detective comes in and his office is next to the mechanical room and we start BSing. He says "Oh, that is what I heard running", so I asked how long he heard it, he says "At least a couple months". I'm still not sure how that one fell through the cracks, normally if one of those generators started and ran for longer than about 15 minutes, Emergency Management was calling me to run down there and see what the hell was going on
I’m so into generators, I made a small shed to keep my generator inside from the weather, I also build a shed to hold my fuel too, my shed has solar lights if I need to refuel my generator,
I always wondered how quiet generators would be if you dug a big hole beneath a shed and put it in there. A hole that would be large enough to allow for fans and ventilation. Wouldn’t you only need to worry about sound coming out of the top of the hole at that point?
I'm in the process of building a quiet box inside a metal shed for a rocwood 9000w generator out of wood and sound dampening foam still waiting for deliveries to finish it but what has been delivered and built dampened the sound by atleast 50% still need to add sound dampening foam and the extractor fan. going to line the shed with sound dampening foam too just to help reduce the noise further.
2x6 plates for walls, 2x4 studs on 16inch centers. Stagger 16” centerson opposites sides of wall creating a gap between each side that is connected only by the plates top & bottom. Foam board on each outer portion/side of wall. On inside…. Use 1x4 length wise on top of foam boarb and line with desired matial ie drywall or plywood I used plywood & or peg board. Doubles as storage for handle tools & “longer tools” like shovels, rakes, posthole digger & etc. included also is 30 gallon air compressor @ peg board wall fir stuff not affected by heat, not commonly used but needed. Extension cords & air hoses also Generator & Air compressor mounted solid and made as a skid so I can pick up & move with tractor & forks hut can also be mounted on small trailer to move around for farm/storm use. One thing I dont see here is people taking into account shielding generators from storm. It doesnt help is generator is wiped out during storm.
For anyone looking into this.... if you dig deep enough into the generator operating specs, you'll find they are only spec'd out to operate up to 50C (122F). Thats why MFRs will cancel the warranty if they find out. An enclosed generator will make a whole lot of heat, so if you think you have enough airflow, you probably dont. Heat Kills and wears out your generator fast. Put as much airflow on your enclosure and you can to preserve your investment.
That is impressive. Good job! In my case I built a quiet box for my 5kw Honda. Could not achieve those levels but a block wall behind the generator is an added sound barrier that keeps levels very respecable for my neighbors. My neighbor in return has an elevate lot and his generator faces my house and he has no sound barrier so it blasts into my bedroom. Proof you can't choose your neighbors.
Just a tip for those building their own, set you cooking fan to blow over your generator, build an air intake with offset baffles, air flows around corners, sound not so much. Same with the venting out, build a hot air baffled box. An exhaust tip, if you can get an old metal grease barrel, baffle it as well with offset metal half circles inside, insulate it with Rockwool good for 2000 degrees .... if you have to $, keep the rock wool in place with perforated metal or aluminum. Same with the interior of your main box. I used an old top load washing machine body for mine to house my champion generator. The whole thing sits on a short base inside my aluminum shed ....with the exhaust barrel outside. Bit of work and $ but well worth the effort. My next step will be to use rockwool boards on the interior of the shed which I reinforced with 2x4 stud wall framing and a beam to support my roof ridge for our Canadian winters ....
I don't understand why this comment does not have more "likes". Your design implements some very effective sound dampening principles! Using rockwool is a great idea too, and I presume it is very effective. I have watched many videos covering this subject, but I'm fairly certain that I will model mine after your design. I find it somewhat ironic that after watching all of these videos, I found my preferred design in the comments section... You effectively condensed your concept and design into a two-paragraph description. Thank you for taking the time to share this fantastic information! I greatly appreciate it!
Nah .. just takes money to buy one so you don't have to do anything but install. If I can afford it why should I care. There are lots of things I could do that I choose to have others do. How about you come install mine ... I'll pay ya.
Just to be clear, those 7000 watt inverter generators by Honda are only rated at 5500W continuous power. They can only provide 7000w for a short amount of time.
4 ceiling tiles ,1 dryer vent connector, duct tape, can of spray paint, 2 sticks . $40 . Paint is optional for water proofing, sticks lay across the generator through the box to elevate a 1" gap for ventilation. Dryer connector can be easily crushed around the muffler by hand and ran out the side of the box.
I built my shed just like the one with the plastic box. I had a floor fan blowing through the gen and the same attic fan pulling the hot air out. For some reason, that circuit with the two fans plugged in quit. It didn't trip, it quit working. Exhaust was piped outside. The coupling at the muffler failed and the box super heated because the fans quit, ruined a brand new $1700 generator. Don't depend on fans to cool your box.
Would be much less expensive to adapt a better muffler for generators, that also redirects the exhaust through a directionally adjustable outlet. Certainly much lower risk of destroying your generator. As for running outside during wet weather, a simple, cheap, home made overhead cover is effective.
If I was building one I'd start with rubber sheets for sound proofing then use pegboard for the inside cover on the rubber with plywood on the outside with vents on both ends added dc fans with thermostat heat regulator. Leave enough airspace
I just want to build a box with casters that holds our Honda 2000 and Champion 7000. I’ll have it in the garage and will just wheel it out. I have a sub panel the Honda plugs into to run lights, power furnace,fridge , freezer, internet and TV. The 7000 hooks to the main transfer switch and can be started with a fob to run the pump and other large loads. I want the heat from the Honda to keep the Champion warm as we live in Alaska.
Video discussion about the concept, with very little user data. Even the comments talk about owning the product. How about actual measurable results and issues?
Who can tried putting inside the chest freezer and continue to drive on. While the freezer are operating also. So that it will not heated and super silent.
Idk. If my power goes out for an extended period of time, the last thing I’m worried about is the comfort of my neighbors. It would be nice to have it be a little quieter but for a temporary emergency situation I just don’t see it as something to worry about.
An acoustic enclosure made of metal is inherently flawed. I know it's to make it more durable and resistant to the elements but it's going to transfer sound far more readily than wood. You're essentially building a sound booth - no one would build a recording sound booth out of metal.
@@hanaspa I'm sure it would help but in part you're mitigating the problems of the material of the housing. You can build a much better quiet box less expensively.
@maximilianopitz8675 I'm playing with some design ideas. The concept I have is a box open at both ends, but longer than the generator itself. I'm hoping to route the exhaust out of the box and underneath my fence; this will remove heat, CO, and noise. The inside will be lined with foam acoustic tiles with a noise cancelling profile. DeWalt makes a 650 cf/m fan which has an IP54 rating against rain, which I'll hang inside the enclosure, so air comes in one end and out the other. Finally, I'll set the entire box on top of a large rubber/rug doormat to absorb noise on the ground underneath. At least, this us the plan :)
im confused, the average generator that does 6200 running wants does 65-72 db. These are 10-20 year old generators. None of these solutions seem like a significant difference.
Every 10db represents a perceived double in volume so a reduction of 10db might be quite dramatic. Still I don't think any of these solutions are worth the money. Time to roll my own I guess.
You are very pos. on Zombie Box. I walked away from them because when I called support and asked what insulation material they used I was told it was proprietary. Insulation material of all types is readily avialiable so I moved on. Other reviews of ZB have been critical of noise levels being higher than they expected.
Heat is the major issue, have to share a dangerous issue not talked about with these storage units. When you have a generator that goes from cold morning conditions and you have a full gas tank as the generator heats up the tank will get super pressured and when taking the cap off to check fuel level the fuel will come out like a geyser, so be careful. This happened to me and was near disastrous results with gasoline in my eyes. Not a good idea, they need much more air flow than any of these videos show. You might think insulating all around them to make them quiet is a good idea, but I caution against this withtout proper air flow.
Links to ALL products I recommend in the description of this video!
I have a Zombie Box for my Generac GP17500E generator....yes it was expensive but so was the generator but I just wanted to make sure it was quite and protected. I live in Texas and we have had some pretty severe weather the past few years...both my generator and the Zombie Box has been a life saver.....kept our whole house running and our neighbors didn't complain about the noise.
That's awesome man
Happy to hear that!! Thanks for sharing!
Yessir I'm in the Dallas area and currently building a generator casa lol.
No more snowpocalypse for us
Question: I'm thinking about running crypto miners 24/7 in that box...would your neighbors be OK with your gen, 24/7 365?
@@Beau26102 I have ran ours during the hot weather several times with NO issues. I also go out on occasions and prop the lid for about 30 minutes just to let a blast of fresh air in. I do this for peace of mind but it's not necessary.
I have a 10 KW dual fuel generator and looking at building a cinderblock wall enclosure with rebar and concrete in the cylinders, I plan on running air intake underground with screen on the 4" intake so that I can use the 55 degree ground to cool the air year round. I thought about using fans on the air intake and also adding additional exhaust to help keep the generator cool. The regular exhaust would be connected to a separate pipe to keep all the carbon monoxide mostly out of the enclosure. I like the idea of having a remote temperature sensor in the enclosure to keep an eye on things.
Im building a hush house for my 10500w gen using patio blocks underground for cool air intake and exhausting it out the top and Will be using a gable fan higher up in ducting as to create a venture and starts to pull air also as heat rises. We use this same idea for jets during engine runs in our hush house and you can not hear the F-18s at high power
If you’re handy you can extend the exhaust into a container of water to quiet down the exhaust. Same as most inboard boats. If you enclose the generator, have the water container in a “chimney of sorts” that vents to the outside. In the winter you should replace the water with RV antifreeze or even windshield washer fluid.
Doesn't the exhaust back pressure make the engine run lousy?
I can see the benefit of getting an enclosure during emergencies. You might not want to advertise that you have power when others don't. In those cases I think the zombie box makes sense. Because who cares about a warranty if you are trying not to attract the wrong kind of attention
You never know when you need one, until you need one. Great episode.
I have a heavy duty Gen tent for my S 14000 over 3 years and absolutely love it. It's been through tropical storm force winds and a couple of blizzards, didn't even faze it. Doesn't muffle the sound. Which is not a concern for me.
We live in the country and our only need is to deflect the noise away from our own house so 1st we point the muffler exit away from the house...2nd we lean a 4 x 8 or at least a 4 x 6 piece of plywood on the house side and 3rd we place a piece on top of the generator to protect from precipitation...
My quiet box is designed to be run primarily in the winter, so overheating is not the issue. Running a small heater in the enclosure for a few hours to warm the generator for an easier start is what I am designing, with the ability to open ends as needed for ventilation. Planning to use 2 x 4's and rigid insulation with magnets to hold together and pull apart.
But sometimes Power outage happened in Summer too
Wow, never even thought of magnets!
I have a large doghouse type of chicken coop just behind my garage, been thinking about doing some moding work to turn it into a spot to run my generator.
Then again, I could just get one of those from Amazon..
But then what would I use that chicken coop for?? 🤔
I don't want chickens, or a dog.
I built 4 walls that were 3 feet away from the generator on all sides and made a sloped roof that has a 6" opening all around the sides. It overlaps the sides 6" all around. It quietens the sound by over half. I can dismantle it and stack it next to my generator in my shop. Was cheap to build and works great.
I built an enclosure and put an attic fan to ventilate it. The attic fan has a high volume of air flow
I have a 13kw generator setup to run the whole house. I’m $1,600 in for the whole setup including a gen tent style cover. The zombie box for my setup is $2,600. Absolutely insane. The tent works just fine. Yes, I have to wheel it outside once the storm dies down, but after that it’s fine.
I have a Generac GP15000E with a Zombiebox XL enclosure. Over heating is a concern when running the unit above 70 degree ambient temp with the lid closed. To resolve that issue, I removed the stock muffler, ran 6’ of 1.5” flex exhaust pipe to outside the enclosure, reconnected the stock muffler and mounted the muffler with stand-off bolts to an adjacent stone/masonry wall.
If you’re handy you can extend the exhaust into a container of water to quiet down the exhaust. Same as most inboard boats. If you enclose the generator, have the water container in a “chimney of sorts” that vents to the outside. In the winter you should replace the water with RV antifreeze or even windshield washer fluid.
It seems like Igan could just add 4 legs to their metal frames and then you could plop it over an inverter generator. No need to set it directly on top of the generator like you would for a open frame. Sorta like a card table.
Thumbs up for Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #1 mention.
I just bought my first genny, an open frame 6.5kW unit.
Was thinking of buying a second hand bike shed and adding fans, sound proofing and a thermostat.
We have a large zombie box. My wife ordered it so I’m not sure what the cost I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. Especially since it was shipped to Kauai. It works very well.
i’m going to throw my two cents in part of my personal experiences with Generators and Soundproofing has been in direct relationship with my love and lifetime Passion of Boating Marine Generators do usually have Soundproofing Cases or Boxes that work fairly well for keeping them quiet but a big difference is most of those generators or Water Cooled so i’m wondering if trying to Soundproof Air Cooled Generators in general isn’t such a great idea overall let’s face it if it was that’s what the big Generator names would use and sell they have the R&D resources like Engineering ,Money ,and everything else they need to build the best and keep their Company as being known for having the Quietest , most efficient or whatever they could use for marketing IMO. i think part of the correct Concept would be working with or around using the already very quiet Suitcase style Generator /Inverter units that already exist i personally have been using Honda Brand ones for nearly 40 years ! and i love them right out of the .box they are fairly quiet as is ,reliable ,low operating Cost, easy to find parts or info on ,and somewhat of a affordable option another fine feature is the Parelleling of multiple units being so easy to give you lots of extra Flexibilty
I completely agree Craig about it not being such a good idea sticking a generator in an enclosure. And the companies that builds these generators would void your warranty for doing so. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Wise words and well said Craig. I have seen videos of a 20kw water cooled generac and one that is air cooled. The air cooled gen is much louder. Personally I went through the brain damage of enclosing and soundproofing an air cooled open frame 5kw generator.. It sounds like a great DIY project but every part of it posed technical challenges. The enclosure is cinder block with a metal roof and metal front doors. It mimics those plastic garden sheds most people on TH-cam use. The technical challenges gave me lots of heartburn.
- The generator is sold as gasoline and I wanted propane as there are not storage issues with infrequent use. That meant buy and install a propane conversion kit.
- the lid was over 200# so that required gas struts and special fabricated lid hinges. Then you need a lid "prop" to prevent the lid from falling on your head if the gas struts fail.
- Sound proofing was complicated as there can be no "sound leaks" to negate the effectiveness. Good absorbants and sound barriers are not cheap. Ouch!
- Ventilation is a bitch. I ended up failing twice by installing undersized attic fans (no gen damage). On the 3rd try I got it right with a 3,000 cfm fan. This involved increasing the intake holes in the compartment from 12" sq. openings, then 14" then 16". I installed a remote thermometer and got interior temps to < 90F. My ambient temp. (outdoor) ranges from 68 - 82F year round.
- Next is the issue of routing exhaust tubing (insulated for temp. control) through the compartment wall and installing intake and exhaust hoods (sound proofed) to bloick the noise by changing sound direction. Also need to think of putting a muffler on the exhaust pipe.
- Then you need to think about "what if the ventilation fan fails and the compartment overheats?" This requires that you install a bimetallic shutoff switch conneccted to a control circuit on the generator (in my case the low oil level switch) connected in series.
- Also you need to knock a hole in the enclosure and run a cable from the generator to the transfer switch and if you want to automate it with auto start then that will require another module.
- Furthermore this is a multi step build and you tend to focus on the part you are currently focused on. That means it is a black hole project and you throw money at it until you cannot turn back. It ended up costing approx. 3x the cost of the generator and is only used in the rarest of emergencies since I also have a battery backup system.
- I considered an alternate (Zombie box) but shyed away because they were evasive when I quiered them on the sound insulation product they used. The answer was "its proprietary". There is nothing proprietary about sound insulation. It is ubiquitous with many vendors over various products from MLV to foam to fiber insulation. My response was to move on. I have no experience with Zombie box products but it offers a solution that is not cheap but easy to assemble.
- IMHO the only advantage of a gen on wheels in an enclosure is the fact that if portability is an issue, you can with some level of work; disconnect the wiring and exhaust piping and roll it out of its box and use it somewhere else.
This is what you get yourself into when you comine a love of DIY projects and combine this with an obsessive, compulsive parsonality disorder. Don't get me wrong! It presented me with lots of challenges and problems to solve and did give me a sense of satisfaction but not a new meaning for life.
Ask me, wiould I do it over again? Absolutely not. For all the reasons Craig gave, I would go for an off the shelf water cooled, enclosed Generac unit where whole team of engineers have been involved in the development of the product and you just build a pad and plug it in. Craig articulated this more eloquently than myself in fewer words. BUY AN OFF THE SHELF ENCLOSED GENERATOR, KOHLER, GENERAC, OR OTHER, PREFERABLY WATER COOLED (QUITER) AND LEAVE THE HEADACHES AND BRAIN DAMAGE TO OTHERS".
You are wrong big companies can do it but they won't because they don't need to. Not many people have the situation that requires quite generator and other companies not doing it so why bother
Thanks for the video! I will buy a plastic enclosure, I could build one out of wood but I'm very much a function over form guy so don't know how it would look if I built it. :)
The problem with your advice to get the quiet honda is it still won't be protected from the elements. So a generator shed is needed for every type of unit.
I’ve been running a Honda at our off-road cabin for years. If it is stored in the cold the low oil pressure shutdown will kick in after it runs a short time. After it resets it runs fine. I also put synthetic oil in it and this helped. It is in a foam lined box with a way to control the airflow for those sub zero days.
I built a sound box for my honda 3000is generator 5 years ago and has been it ever since
@@JanetColeman-v1i We just use a 2000 at our remote cabin. We use it to charge our batteries in the winter when we are out there. I build a box
With two fans that come on one at a time. I can set the generator load on the 4 K inverter and run it at a max if 10 amp load which is about 3/4 of its continuous rated power. I’ve been running it like this for about 20 years down to temperatures in the minus 20 to 30 range Fahrenheit and it has over 1200 hour in it.
I am going to build one, but have one question, should I put a fan to suck in air or put a fan in the other side to suck out air and heat
I would draw the heat and air out👍🏼
@@tonyz6421 thank you, I was thinking it's better because it will draw the heat out, and air will circle across the generator from the other side
Definitely sucking out. It has the effect of drawing air across the components of the machinery and venting the heat out. That is how they do cooling fans in computer cases too.
Maybe both
Hi, and thank you for sharing your video! Great work-the community really appreciates the effort you put into your content.
I’ve watched your video, along with many other homemade videos on building generator quiet boxes, and I think you covered the essentials well. I’m expecting my new DuroMax XP13000HX today, so I wanted to share a few ideas for improving home-built quiet boxes based on what I’ve seen online. I might even document my own build since I plan to approach it a bit differently from what’s typically out there.
My “outside-the-box” thinking kicked in as I noticed a few common mistakes (just my opinion) people seem to make with their designs. So, here are my thoughts-I’d love your feedback if you have a moment.
1. Box Choice: I’ll be using a large SunCast shed as my quiet box, but for my first build, I’ll likely go with traditional 2x6 framing to compare the durability and insulation of wood framing against plastic. I will make it modular so it can be disassembled and reassembled with reasonable quickness.
2. Insulation: I’m a big fan of Rock Wool insulation; I’ll probably add R19 in the walls and cover it with Rock Wool for soundproofing. I might even layer 5/8” sheetrock over the R19 before adding the Rock Wool for extra heat resistance and sound dampening, though this will add some weight.
3. Ventilation System: Like the Zombie Box setup (though I had this idea before I saw their products!), I’m planning to add a roof vent with a fan, controlled by a thermostat and display. Lowe’s has a model for $125 that moves air at 1500 CFM. I noticed most DIY boxes skip this top vent, possibly due to noise concerns-but I’m curious to see how this affects overall performance.
4. Dedicated Intake: I’ll add a large, insulated HVAC duct from the side wall, positioned directly in front of the generator’s cooling fan to ensure it receives optimal airflow at its designed CFM (imagine a vacuum cleaner setup).
5. Fresh Air Duct / Air Intake: Another smaller insulated HVAC duct will be aimed at the generator’s air intake, providing it with an uninterrupted oxygen supply, much like the setup for #4.
6. Exhaust Management: This is the trickiest part. I haven’t fully figured out the best approach to handle the noise from the exhaust. However, with the roof fan moving 1500 CFM, it should pull out most exhaust emissions, reducing the noise to a single source. I might also add a partial enclosure around the exhaust to help direct the sound.
Once again, I’d love to hear any thoughts you have on this setup!
Thanks, SoundProof Guy
The fully enclosed inverter generators tend to pull all air in from a vent in the front and expel both exhaust and warmed air out the back. So I would think for these, you just need to make sure this airflow continues unimpeded and say focus on muffling compartments on either end if you want 360 degree sound dampening. Maybe you have a fan in the path of airflow to make sure things don't warm up too much. Just moving air around an open box isn't going to do it. You may also want to make sure your generator is on something that absorbs vibration as one of the sound transmission means is through the ground. I have seen some people replace the exhaust pipe with one they can screw on an extra home made muffler.
The thing with these fully enclosed inverter generators is they tend to be pretty quiet already, so say backup power for your home nobody is going to complain as they can sit inside their home and not hear it at all, but what you still want is some way to get things as silent as possible for camping without taking up too much space. I mean you are out to enjoy nature at that point, not listen to the thrumb of a generator engine, even if it is pretty quiet and your neighbors at that point may be especially annoyed.
hi, how many square ft did you need to heat shield the shed?
We had an air cooled Onan installed in a police district in Philly. The primary fuse out on the pole blew and the generator picked up the building load. Well nobody noticed until the gen tripped out on low oil and the lights went out. So I get the emergency call and of course it's like 3AM. I get PECO out to change the primary and go down to the mechanical room to see how bad the damages are. OMG it was so hot in that room over an hour later and this was a professional install with the right venting, exhaust to the outside and all. This detective comes in and his office is next to the mechanical room and we start BSing. He says "Oh, that is what I heard running", so I asked how long he heard it, he says "At least a couple months".
I'm still not sure how that one fell through the cracks, normally if one of those generators started and ran for longer than about 15 minutes, Emergency Management was calling me to run down there and see what the hell was going on
I’m so into generators, I made a small shed to keep my generator inside from the weather, I also build a shed to hold my fuel too, my shed has solar lights if I need to refuel my generator,
I always wondered how quiet generators would be if you dug a big hole beneath a shed and put it in there. A hole that would be large enough to allow for fans and ventilation. Wouldn’t you only need to worry about sound coming out of the top of the hole at that point?
I'm in the process of building a quiet box inside a metal shed for a rocwood 9000w generator out of wood and sound dampening foam still waiting for deliveries to finish it but what has been delivered and built dampened the sound by atleast 50% still need to add sound dampening foam and the extractor fan. going to line the shed with sound dampening foam too just to help reduce the noise further.
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out! Pics would be great info@soundproodguide.com
2x6 plates for walls, 2x4 studs on 16inch centers. Stagger 16” centerson opposites sides of wall creating a gap between each side that is connected only by the plates top & bottom. Foam board on each outer portion/side of wall. On inside…. Use 1x4 length wise on top of foam boarb and line with desired matial ie drywall or plywood
I used plywood & or peg board. Doubles as storage for handle tools & “longer tools” like shovels, rakes, posthole digger & etc. included also is 30 gallon air compressor @ peg board wall fir stuff not affected by heat, not commonly used but needed. Extension cords & air hoses also
Generator & Air compressor mounted solid and made as a skid so I can pick up & move with tractor & forks hut can also be mounted on small trailer to move around for farm/storm use.
One thing I dont see here is people taking into account shielding generators from storm.
It doesnt help is generator is wiped out during storm.
I think I'll keep looking.
104° Faranheight is the meltdown point for my generator so a constant temp of 100° is living life on the edge. How many watts is his fan??
For anyone looking into this.... if you dig deep enough into the generator operating specs, you'll find they are only spec'd out to operate up to 50C (122F). Thats why MFRs will cancel the warranty if they find out. An enclosed generator will make a whole lot of heat, so if you think you have enough airflow, you probably dont. Heat Kills and wears out your generator fast. Put as much airflow on your enclosure and you can to preserve your investment.
This problem is solvable like a peace of cake. You just put a fan system for air and that is it
Working on building one to protect it from the elements mainly snow.
Best of luck!
I built my and got DOWN to 57 decibel at 15 ft. With Proper Ventilation for a Shed
That’s awesome! You should send some pics to info@soundproofguide.com, I’d like to see what you came up with!
That is impressive. Good job! In my case I built a quiet box for my 5kw Honda. Could not achieve those levels but a block wall behind the generator is an added sound barrier that keeps levels very respecable for my neighbors. My neighbor in return has an elevate lot and his generator faces my house and he has no sound barrier so it blasts into my bedroom. Proof you can't choose your neighbors.
You should suggest a wall to them, they probably don't realize how loud it is for you.
IGAN says it does not make the generator any quieter. I’m torn as to whether I should buy one
Just a tip for those building their own, set you cooking fan to blow over your generator, build an air intake with offset baffles, air flows around corners, sound not so much. Same with the venting out, build a hot air baffled box.
An exhaust tip, if you can get an old metal grease barrel, baffle it as well with offset metal half circles inside, insulate it with Rockwool good for 2000 degrees .... if you have to $, keep the rock wool in place with perforated metal or aluminum. Same with the interior of your main box. I used an old top load washing machine body for mine to house my champion generator. The whole thing sits on a short base inside my aluminum shed ....with the exhaust barrel outside. Bit of work and $ but well worth the effort. My next step will be to use rockwool boards on the interior of the shed which I reinforced with 2x4 stud wall framing and a beam to support my roof ridge for our Canadian winters ....
I don't understand why this comment does not have more "likes". Your design implements some very effective sound dampening principles! Using rockwool is a great idea too, and I presume it is very effective. I have watched many videos covering this subject, but I'm fairly certain that I will model mine after your design. I find it somewhat ironic that after watching all of these videos, I found my preferred design in the comments section... You effectively condensed your concept and design into a two-paragraph description. Thank you for taking the time to share this fantastic information! I greatly appreciate it!
It takes a special kind of gullibility to pay as much as a zombie box for a simple sound barrier. So thankful I have more sense than that.
Tell us you can't afford it without telling us you can not afford it 😂
@@sages101 I can afford one. BUT I can make my own for 1/10 that price.
@lukebrennan5780 I was just trolling. I wouldn't buy that piece of junk! I could make one as well and it would probably work better too.
Yeah you can build a small dog house style shed and insulate it with rock wool and some fans. It'd cost 10X's less and look 10x's better.
Nah .. just takes money to buy one so you don't have to do anything but install. If I can afford it why should I care. There are lots of things I could do that I choose to have others do. How about you come install mine ... I'll pay ya.
Just to be clear, those 7000 watt inverter generators by Honda are only rated at 5500W continuous power. They can only provide 7000w for a short amount of time.
4 ceiling tiles ,1 dryer vent connector, duct tape, can of spray paint, 2 sticks . $40 . Paint is optional for water proofing, sticks lay across the generator through the box to elevate a 1" gap for ventilation. Dryer connector can be easily crushed around the muffler by hand and ran out the side of the box.
I built my shed just like the one with the plastic box. I had a floor fan blowing through the gen and the same attic fan pulling the hot air out. For some reason, that circuit with the two fans plugged in quit. It didn't trip, it quit working. Exhaust was piped outside. The coupling at the muffler failed and the box super heated because the fans quit, ruined a brand new $1700 generator. Don't depend on fans to cool your box.
What we need to build it’s an enclosure to protect from EMP attack
I am building one with a small plastic shed and 3 1/2" thermo shield insulation and a vent and fan.
I got excited by the Zombie box until I saw the hilarious price. Building my own.
Exactly!
Would be much less expensive to adapt a better muffler for generators, that also redirects the exhaust through a directionally adjustable outlet. Certainly much lower risk of destroying your generator. As for running outside during wet weather, a simple, cheap, home made overhead cover is effective.
If I was building one I'd start with rubber sheets for sound proofing then use pegboard for the inside cover on the rubber with plywood on the outside with vents on both ends added dc fans with thermostat heat regulator. Leave enough airspace
I just want to build a box with casters that holds our Honda 2000 and Champion 7000. I’ll have it in the garage and will just wheel it out. I have a sub panel the Honda plugs into to run lights, power furnace,fridge , freezer, internet and TV. The 7000 hooks to the main transfer switch and can be started with a fob to run the pump and other large loads. I want the heat from the Honda to keep the Champion warm as we live in Alaska.
Very interesting discussion, interesting design considerations.
these zombie boxes are about 1500-2500?!
Video discussion about the concept, with very little user data. Even the comments talk about owning the product. How about actual measurable results and issues?
What does stick to my electric plugs? Very quiet
Thank you
Who can tried putting inside the chest freezer and continue to drive on. While the freezer are operating also. So that it will not heated and super silent.
Idk. If my power goes out for an extended period of time, the last thing I’m worried about is the comfort of my neighbors. It would be nice to have it be a little quieter but for a temporary emergency situation I just don’t see it as something to worry about.
Exactly
If I wanted to put a generator in a box I would purchase an rv generator like Onan that is designed to be put in a small box......
Great idea!
I bought a bunch of Walmart pillows and just stacked them up 😌
An acoustic enclosure made of metal is inherently flawed. I know it's to make it more durable and resistant to the elements but it's going to transfer sound far more readily than wood. You're essentially building a sound booth - no one would build a recording sound booth out of metal.
Good point
They have a rubber coating option - what do you think that would do?
@@hanaspa I'm sure it would help but in part you're mitigating the problems of the material of the housing. You can build a much better quiet box less expensively.
@@hanaspaIt would over heat and probably turn off with rubber
@@tonyz6421 But it has an exhaust vent with fan. They claim the heat isn't increased regarding operating temps.
I'm in a very urban area and have to figure something out
I get ya! Best of luck!
@MPGunther1 I've got the same problem. Did you figure it out? What was your solution?
@@lawrencetaylor5407same tbh i pro gonna do a very big box with alot of fans and sound proofing
@maximilianopitz8675 I'm playing with some design ideas. The concept I have is a box open at both ends, but longer than the generator itself. I'm hoping to route the exhaust out of the box and underneath my fence; this will remove heat, CO, and noise. The inside will be lined with foam acoustic tiles with a noise cancelling profile. DeWalt makes a 650 cf/m fan which has an IP54 rating against rain, which I'll hang inside the enclosure, so air comes in one end and out the other. Finally, I'll set the entire box on top of a large rubber/rug doormat to absorb noise on the ground underneath.
At least, this us the plan :)
im confused, the average generator that does 6200 running wants does 65-72 db. These are 10-20 year old generators. None of these solutions seem like a significant difference.
Every 10db represents a perceived double in volume so a reduction of 10db might be quite dramatic. Still I don't think any of these solutions are worth the money. Time to roll my own I guess.
My neighbor has a generac and it’s just as loud as my portable generator 😅
ZombieBox ain't cheap, and the cheap stuff ain't good.
You are very pos. on Zombie Box. I walked away from them because when I called support and asked what insulation material they used I was told it was proprietary. Insulation material of all types is readily avialiable so I moved on. Other reviews of ZB have been critical of noise levels being higher than they expected.
Heat is the major issue, have to share a dangerous issue not talked about with these storage units. When you have a generator that goes from cold morning conditions and you have a full gas tank as the generator heats up the tank will get super pressured and when taking the cap off to check fuel level the fuel will come out like a geyser, so be careful. This happened to me and was near disastrous results with gasoline in my eyes. Not a good idea, they need much more air flow than any of these videos show. You might think insulating all around them to make them quiet is a good idea, but I caution against this withtout proper air flow.
Just bypass/disable the carbon monoxide detecting, and be done with that.
Build it
Probably just go buy a candle, I guess
Build
You showed us other DIY options but you kept talking so we couldn’t hear them.
I have the links to those very video in the description of this video so you can go see how they built it. 😊
Imagine building a quiet box for a quiet generator. 🤦🏻♂️🙄
ZB
Do nothing; the neighbors will have to understand or get over it