Gas and diesel generators have a shared and massive flaw. They are extremely loud.
When times are good, and you’re using it during a temporary power disruption, this is only an annoyance. When we find ourselves in a SHTF situation, a loud generator signals to everyone around us that we’re an excellent target for looting.
The best option is to use a solar power system, but these have a high initial cost to get set up, which leaves many preppers relying on generators for emergency power until they can afford to upgrade to solar.
I have a 3000-watt generator, which was my first emergency power option before I upgraded to a solar-powered battery bank. For those of us who have generators, it is a good idea to have ways to silence or suppress the noise they make when we need them in a SHTF situation.
First Steps
The best way to silence a generator is to buy the quietest generator you can. Inverter generators are often the much quieter option, and if you’re looking to buy a generator, you should consider the rated decibels in your decision.
The problem with inverter generators is that they are also more expensive, so you may need to settle for a cheaper and louder generator.
Water Muffler
You can use a flexible exhaust pipe in which you place the open end into a bucket of water. This helps to reduce the noise that is caused by the exhaust pipe.
If you do this, the generator must be higher than the water to avoid the generator sucking water back up through the pipe and into the engine.
Location, Location, Location
Where you place the generator is a significant factor in how much noise you and those around you will be subjected to.
Ideally, you want the generator to be as far from the house as possible and in a location with enough objects around the generator to block the sound waves from travelling too far. If you put it right up against the wall of your home, the wall will amplify the noise in one direction, which is not what you want.
Related: If You Have This On Your Property, Hide It Immediately
Placing the generator on a soft surface is also a great way to absorb some of the noise that is created.
In a perfect world, you would build a dedicated shed for the generator, which is totally soundproof. Building a shed like this has complications around routing the exhaust to the outside and providing enough clean air to the inside.
For most of us, building a simple baffle box is the most cost-effective option for silencing a generator.
Building a DIY Baffle Box
A baffle box is a small enclosure that fits over your generator and is lined with soundproof materials. The exhaust is routed outside, and clean air can flow in. The advantage of these boxes is that you can place the generator in a good position and then place the box over the generator to deaden the noise.
Expectation vs Reality
A baffle box will not eliminate all the noise, but it will reduce the decibel level to a point where the sound is manageable. The box I am going to detail here is the most cost-effective box that you could construct, but I will also give you some additional options that you can consider, but they will come with added costs.
Materials
You’ll need only a few materials easily found at the local hardware store for a basic baffle box. You’ll need to source more specialized items if you want an improved version.
Related: DIY Solar Water Heaters To Cut Down On Energy Bills
For this build, you’ll need:
- MDF Boards
- Soundproofing wall boards
- Nails
- Glue
- Flexible exhaust pipe
Instructions
1. Start by measuring your generator.
2. Once you have the overall outside dimensions, add the thickness of the sound proofing and a few inches all around to get your inside dimensions to which you’ll cut the MDF boards. It is easiest to sketch everything out on paper to ensure you make no mistakes.
3. Cut the MDF boards to size. Assemble the boards to make a box with an open bottom.
5. Cut or drill ventilation holes at the top and bottom on the opposite side of the baffle box.
6. Make a cutout to fit the flexible exhaust hose. You’ll need to consider that the hose will get hot, and you may need to add some fireproof insulation around the pipe to prevent any issues with the hot pipe touching the MDF.
Depending on how you want to place the box on the generator, you may need to cut a slot to fit over the exhaust hose instead of only a hole.
7. Notch an area at the bottom to allow extension cords to be run under the side of the box.
8. Line the inside with soundproofing.
9. Attach the exhaust hose.
10. Start the generator and place the box overtop.
Testing
The decibel level of my generator was around 78 decibels. With the baffle box installed, the decibel rating fell between 68 and 72.
The difference was enough that if you were to stand on the street in front of my home, you would not be able to hear the generator in my backyard.
Related: How To Repurpose Old Items Into New Projects For Your Backyard
Improvements to the Baffle Box
If you want to improve on this design, there are many ways that you can accomplish this. The first is to use multiple layers. You can use rigid foam with a layer of expanding spray foam in between.
A better option is to use materials designed specifically for soundproofing.
The inside of the MDF box should be covered with Mass-loaded vinyl (MLV), a flexible sheeting that blocks sound waves from getting through. On top of that would be acoustic panels, and all the seams would be sealed with acoustic sealant.
This option is the best but will also increase your baffle box’s cost from less than a hundred dollars to several hundred dollars.
You could also include doors to access the pull start, fuel tank, and control panel.
If you’re planning on relying on a fuel-driven generator for your grid-down power needs, then it may be a worthwhile investment.
However, suppose you’re like me and only have a generator for short-term backup power during short-term outages. In that case, a simple baffle box may be all that’s required.
The best option for backup power is solar-charged battery banks. Since this option is often costly, most preppers usually start with a gas generator.
If this option is the one you’re taking, finding a way to keep your generator as quiet as possible will be essential. To this end, a combination of the quietest generator you can buy and a baffle box will be the best bet to keep your portable power a secret.
You may also like:
Better Than Aspirin: The Plant Every Prepper Needs In Their Cabinet
Do You Know Why You Should Never Put a Tall Fence Around Your House? (Video)
Concealed Carry Mistakes You Have To Avoid At All Costs
No matter what we do gas, diesel, solar with battery back up. The night time use of these generators used, light intensity from light bulbs will be a giveaway.
We can hide light with heavy curtains on the windows.
One careless night we open a door to see who the intruder is prowling. We just let the neighbors know we got light and preps inside. It will take a few days for some nosy neighbor to be more brazen in their actions of no goodness.
Even candle light or flashlights indiscriminately used at night can provoke a response.
As said mentioned before many live in suburban neighborhoods more so than in the country. When Bidenomics and or the digital dollar currency surveillance evolves we will have new circumstances to deal with.
How many preppers will be able to really bug out in our current crisis right now? The preppers of today are not the same mindset mode as the early 1970 survivalist thought. Or the true prepper survivalist of the Great Depression and the 1800 Go West Pioneer’s mindset. Each era has a different set of problems yo solve for those generations.
Yes prepping for food, clothing and shelter remain a constant weaved thread that we have in common.
The pioneers did not have modern generators to light the night. They have kerosene lanterns, candles and campfires.
The 1970 survivalist may have had a large clunky surplus generator for lighting. Their circumstances were somewhat different than ours of today.
People had different social manners, more willing to help than kill for common disasters.
Today we have unvetted illegals, terrorist flooding our country, Mexican cartels peddling dope, fentanyl and human slavery for sex and whatever. They also have automatic weapons supplied by the USA Fast and Furious, South American paramilitary, Chinese partizans and other groups willing to sell weapons to anyone.
In today’s world we have more hazardous pitfalls to navigate in the so called SHTF world and the last Swan Event we may live through.
So recheck those night light preps carefully my friends.
Even in the country folks live in smaller towns or communities. We are past the Little House on the Prairie lifestyle of 1800’s. No matter what some armchair survival experts has said we are not totally going back yo the pilgrim days or the pioneer days.
Our preps will be more like the first Mad Max movie where we will be in a hybrid like environment. And not the Hollywood clown show that is purported as the Hollywood villains roam the vast wasteland for fuel.
With what we have today generators will be the least of our survival.
We have illegals, there are nests of radical Muslims, MS13 that kill victims with machetes, they like slow death, torture.
The jails and prisons will empty into the streets.
This only a taste of what we and the liberals will face, have our own human terror version of a Jurassic Park intensity wrapped in the Walking Dead trip.
In reality our situations will be like the charles bronson death wish movie series, mostly the first movie.
Are we ready for what comes next?
**Recently NY Female Gov Hookcum, says she want a bill to pass for mandatory Covid type encampments. Like FEMA camps. Basically what one world war 2 Demoncrat president did to the Japanese of internment camps. She will do that to her NY residents whether or not they have visible symptoms. 🙁
Yes the bureaucrats work for us in theory. The Demoncrat voters hate the idea, but still vote these scum back into office, insanity for sure. **
NY & CA States are the test beds for liberal scams on conservatives.
Hey let’s get Mikey, he’ll eat anything in front of him. So goes liberals.
Who runs the political show of Biden and CA gov Gavin Newsom?
Well the paymaster for the two puppets, the Chinese master is coming to town.
We must California cleanup the homeless poop mess pronto.
These politicians are exposed, dirty streets for you, but clean street for thee. The news media is fairly quiet. If San Francisco can clean up the poop and homeless encampments for their Asian bosses.
Why can’t they keep the streets clean 365 days a year for the local Americans, ha, ha!
we have a good generator but i know that it is only going to buy us some time. we have weather related power outages every year here on the Gulf Coast but seldom more than a few days.
in a true grid down , it’s never coming back situation, and we will know if it happens, it will give is time to salvage our food from the freezers and get it canned or eat it up.
frozen pizza over a campfire?
everyone here has generators so it will not be noticed. i have built an EMP box for mine, i hope it works if needed. let’s hope we never need it.
Problem is that they are AIR COOLED engines. that Quiet box will not work it will it will keep the heat from escaping and cause the engine to overheat needs air , possibly a fan in front of it to blow off the heat . I would run the exhaust pipe outside and into one of those little Honda car mufflers and maybe the generator in the garage
Got to make sure you have Heavy cardboard for the doors and windows and plenty of duct tape and lights go out before checking outside
I think the biggest use for a generator is not for lighting. It’s for refrigeration and water pumps.
A small solar panel, easier to hide, recharge a small tool battery that could be used at night for a light. In a grid down situation, everyone doesn’t have to be alone in their rooms before bedtime. I remember many times when I was a kid we gathered in one room, talked, read etc. I have four LED very bright lights, each about a foot long that I ordered for $20 for the set. They operate from 12 VDC to 80 VDC. I use my 18 VDC Ryobi battery to light them up.
One concern with large solar panel systems is most of the time is how visible they are and may encourage some to come to check you out.
Maintaining a generator’s quiet operation involves a few key considerations. First and foremost, invest in a generator specifically designed for quiet performance. Place the generator on a stable and sound-absorbing surface, such as rubber pads, to minimize vibrations and noise transmission.
These quiet generators, are these within the price range for the low income people like fixed income senior?
Have looked at the natural gas or propane generators being advertised on TV commercials. Generac home backup generator might be the solution to being a quiet generator. Have not seen one working in person to know for sure.
The big box stores have them priced in the $$ thousand of dollars.
The average buyer needs to have that generator installed by a professional for insurance purposes in case of fire hazard.
Prepping is not a cheap hobby for most of us on fixed incomes.
The Generac is a great generator but it is NOT quiet. Mine is natural gas and it has been a life saver but in an SHTF situation you could hear it from a block away
My Generac generator runs on natural gas and is on a lease program for 10 years. The plumbing was the most expensive part that was over $2000. My monthly lease is under 200 and that includes all maintenance and repairs. It can also go with the house if I sell.
The people across the street from me have a Generac whole home system. It fires up on it’s own once a month for about 15min. and comes on within a few seconds of a power outage. It is not as quiet as people think. It is about as noisy as a riding lawnmower.
Cameras and a shitload of guns and ammo. Hiding is only TEMPORARRY. Learn what and how to combine chemicals and how make and use booby-traps. That way you can take as many of them with you as you can when you go. I’m too old and fat to run, but I still have my knowledge. No better combination that a bad guy and a cloud of RED MIST, that USED to be him.
“Are they within the price range for low income people?”
You’d better make sure they are. Go without some other things and put back the funds until you can afford one. If $1000 for a generator is out of your budget, almost anything else you need for survival very long will be too. You won’t last long.
Prepper Miss Prepper,
Welcome to the club we live in Bidenomics, paycheck to paycheck reality. Some of us had medical expenses to pay for as healthcare insurance costs have increased.
Maybe us Americans are better off all crossing the open southern border to collect our $200, don’t go to jail, Monopoly money.
Illegals get a free ride, why not us too?
solar power is quiet if a person can do it. it’s quiet but takes up a lot of room on a property and it’s not cheap if you plan on running more than a few light bulbs.
I find it humorous how the digital dollar operates on block chain technology. Which is run on banks of computers of a fiat money system all electronic, easy to be erased fortunes.
What are the backup power sources for this technology if we are totally on electronic technology: solar, gas, propane powered generators to keep the currency alive
All are subject to fail at some point in time. Lack of maintenance and limited fuel resources to maintain our present lifestyle.
I am curious, asking the preppers here, how many have gone back to shopping at TARGET stores or comeback to drinking BUD LIGHT beer?
Approaching retirement quickly, and worried about that very thing…..all my savings erased in the blink of an eye!
I’ve not shopped at Target and wouldn’t drink Bud Light on a good day, so I’m one who is sticking to the boycott….even if it wasn’t much of a sacrifice for me! 🙂
Years ago before the internet went public a curious movie called “The Net” showed how geeks and rogue government officials can erase an individual’s identity. Then replace their whole background history completely. The movie villains made her into a criminal for the local law enforcement to take to prison.
The other issues with all total digital control like “the Minority Report” movie people are subject to precognition crimes of virtual surveillance.
The alphabet agency scoops up the innocent because of say in the updated version of the movie, we have Artificial Intelligence monitoring.
Keep using your smartphones, an electronic dog leash collar tracking our locations, why?
Being inclusive in woke mode, the digital currency can be wiped out, no trace, no hard copy of our finances is gone forever.
Worst then the Great Depression was last century.
Isn’t technology swell?
All this is why I practice “Combat” pistol shooting every week. And shoot “Combat” Pistol & Rifle Competiton’s – every mo. for 10+yr. ie Shooting and moving or while moving. Use of “Cover”, etc. Slow-Fire, Range- “Bulls-Eye” Shooting like everyone does is ok for sitting in your home. But for “Real World Threats” – More Training and practice is needed. ie (Shooting and moving, and more). If you wait until it happens to Get Trained – You may be “Sucking Air” – literally. I recommend – for Pistol Training – Look for an IDPA match near you. They are held in all 50 states. Also look for a 3Gun match near you – call the nearest gun club and ask.
In Blue States going to the gun range is getting cost prohibitive. Range fees, ammo, gas to travel to the range. For most of us a shotgun will do in a pinch.
Has anyone tried the MantisX or similar electronic gun target devices?
Practice is always a good idea and plan, however if you do not have a trained team supporting you. You are not likely to survive the first encounter of a prior military or similar trained fire team of bandits. One that knows how to lay down a base of fire and maneuver on you.
That is part of life’s challenges we take everyday.
At least we can take a few out as we defend our stuff out numbered.
Senior citizen are not going to do all that stuff. People 18-45 may want to roll around in the dirt in position to fire at the target. Paper targets don’t hit or shoot back.
Senior citizens need simple methods to terminate the criminals. A shotgun is probably the most practical tool.
A pistol requires accurate concentration long distance. Short distance 5-15 feet are good enough to point and shoot. Seniors may get those hand shaking tremors that the 20 year old doesn’t.
The weapons training is designed for a younger group of shooters. Seniors need a shooting course that takes old age into consideration. Simple shooting techniques for their shortcomings as we age.
My home is totally solar powered. DYI. I do own 3 generators. All gas. 1400w, 9k, generator welder. Hardly ever used. Home has been solar for over 5 years. First Well is on commercial power. That keeps me legal in my area. 2nd well is set up to be used with a manual winch that I can set up when needed. The well is just 65 ft with water standing at 38 ft underground. It’s an underground river. When the flow was measured pumping at 10 gallons per minute couldn’t drop the level. Many wells around me are 300 ft dry holes. I’m prepared now to set up solar and a 12v submersible pump. My wire feed welder can run on either 110v or 220v. My camp solar generator that my son and I built would actually run that for 1 hour on 6 hours of bright sunshine. I can add to that.
I live in a small rural community of about 200 people. Many homes are going DYI or commercial solar. I still have 20 more panels, 270w Canadian made, bought with 3 years use in beautiful shape. Made a bid on the lot. Added delivery and came in at a nice $45@ here ready to use.
Batteries have been the biggest investment but well worth it. I have enough to run everything without sun for 3 days. I’m in a 300 sun day area. If it snows I sweep then off. There is still some power produced even on cloudy days. It’s a 12 inch per year annual precipitation area so never cloudy for too long.
I’m considering a move to 10 acres about 20 miles away. The well is much deeper so I’ll need to produce and store 220v power for that well. But it’s more secluded and I love the spot. It’s nice to have options.
I used an ice chest turned over the 1400w generator which kept it quiet enough to not be very noticeable on my current 3 acre place with close neighbors. A wall of trees helps with privacy. The 9k generator has a good muffler. That helps but it’s still far from quiet. I’ll have a stainless steel foam insulated shed at the new place where can keep that 9k generator. It was tiny a railway storage shed. It has a ground level vent. Even if some noise escapes I’ll be remote enough not to be too worried about using it. But I’m thinking of a way to run it on solar and putting in another battery bank. I probably won’t be using a gas generator at all.
I cook and can half the year on my gravity fed pellet stove. The other half of a year I use a propane stove. I’m thinking of setting up an outdoor sheltered kitchen. If needed I’ll cook there year around. My pellet stove can also burn 3 ft sticks or chunks of wood. In my home I keep a 3 gallon pot of water on top and a heat activated fan. When I move I may not set it up as my primary heat. If … I may set it up again for cooking and heat and figure out a way to cool the area in summer. Still planning my move.
Somethin I did not read in the article that has really helped with generator noise at my place is the generator, itself. I have a 20 year old 3500 watt generator and it is loud. I have added a motorcycle muffler to it and from that the exhaust goes into a steel trashcan baffle.
Recently it broke down and I had to have power. So, I dipped into the canopy fund to buy a new generator. 3500 watt Predator from Harbor freight. Actually, it is not a ‘generator’. They call it an inverter. It is MUCH quieter. AND it has a ‘low power’ like switch. It runs the RV just fine. And when something heavy, like the microwave is used, it steps up to meet the demand. But here is the really sweet part of that little itty bitty switch … Running laptop, cell phone / charger, UV-5R charger, power tools battery chargers x4, a few LED light strips and a couple of fans … I can fill up the 2.5 gallon tank at 5PM and run non-stop until 7 to 9AM, depending upon how much I used the microwave and if I connect the laptop to the large monitor screen or not.
So … if you are in a situation where you need to be sound cautious, make sure you look at the ENTIRE solution, not just a box to address the issue, after the fact.
All sounds great
watch the heat , noise , container
as fuel in a closed enviornment creates an explosive enviornment
absulutes : ventilation , fire profroofing , transfer of heat away from gen.
best to use asbestus based heat insulations ( high temp auto blankets )
look at the storage requirement for the fuels , temps to ignition and circulation of air around the enviornment
it would be a shame to have your gen. catch fire , burn up from miscalculation especially under marshall law or lock downs, or gov controls which is coming soon
the villiage idiots who are the puppets will soon hand over your countries to the evil one who is going to enslave you all to his will and bidding .
They live for self, ego , lust , nothing more . so your just another expense
Blah, Blah, Blah.
A closed box as illustrated will cause genset overheating. Fuel burned in genset results in (optimally) 1/3rd heat absorbed in engine aircooled or waterooled by radiator and fins, 1/3rd of heat in exhaust and 1/3rd turned into mechanical output that can be electricity.
Bubbling exhaust into water makes an acidic toxic brew. Some muffling effect.
Best exhaust and engine muffling is large and labrythine. Cast concrete and thick earth stops low frequencies and clunking sounds. Good luck with 3600 rpm gensets.
Seems to me that cell phones are the biggest TROJAN HORSE ever pulled on anyone, let alone the world’s population. And that they expect to control us and every aspect of our ‘little lives’ through these devices. The ‘smart’ phone isn’t so smart when it enslaves us. If we ALL were to turn them off and put them down and go back to analog, they couldn’t control us or manipulate us half as well. The national Emergency announcement should have been a big warning shot across our bow… “hello.”
I’m thinking of getting an Above phone, but don’t know if it’ll be that much more secure. For now, with mine, I have Location and microphone turned off. I made a case of EMF proof cloth that prevents a signal from going through, but sadly that discharges the phone! Wondering if that was intentional in the build of the phones…
Cell phones cause harm to the environment, people, and pets, as well as sperm count, so what’s to like about them? Convenience… what did we do before we had ’em? Analog’s the way to go in my book.
I’ve stocked up on Alum Foil and Blue masking tape to tape around the seems of my shutters, and my glass doors. I wanted to have a bunch of cardboard but I’d need so much because I have tons of windows and glass doors on my house that I didn’t have enough room to store it all. I assume I’ll put the dull side outward but it will still probably shine in a wierd way. I have wood shutters on all my windows so I just need to cover the cracks around the edges, but my glass doors are a different story and I worry about glass breaking. so I have some boards and long screws, and battery screw shooter and drills to screw the boards over the doors but it’s only a band aid at best. The best thing is to be not noticed, unfortunately I also have a green house that can be seen from the street, so I don’t know what I’m gonna do but sit by the window with my gun and pray.
I would think if you want quiet you need to go underground with it.
I had thought of running a long pipe from the muffler port to the woods beside me ( there are no neighbors to one side of me or to the rear of my property) and that should keep things to a minimum noise level.
Of course I only need my generator for keeping the refrigerator, well and septic tank going and with the right disipline of keeping the refrigerator door closed and flushing of toilets, I could limit or plan run time on the generator.