Building a Generator Box for Quiet Off Grid Power
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- Опубликовано: 23 дек 2024
- In this video, I build an indoor, noise cancelling, insulated generator box inside the garage at my off grid cabin in the woods. After trying many different designs, I finally manage to build a box that will allow the generator to run without getting too hot, while simultaneously cancelling the noise produced from the generator, leading to a much more quiet and pleasurable off grid power experience.
Thanks for watching!
The Generator-Line Enclosure Exhaust System:
generator-line...
For more content, check me out on Instagram:
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/ agentstrongman
I made a few more modifications to the box, here's that video:
ruclips.net/video/FU2TVn7QMYc/видео.html
I hate to be wet blanket but what about carbon monoxide it is not a good idea to put a generator that's producing carbon dioxide or use that heater inside a controlled area is known as carbon dioxide poisoning the carbon dioxide is nothing you can smell it just sneaks up on it all the sudden you're not on the ground and you can't figure out why you can't move and about 30 minutes or 40 minutes after that you did I just thought I'd throw that out to let you know what's going on if you want to build a water rain proof for walls of environment should do it outside is there any work just as well outside with a boxer and build something built on the side of your garage that's why you're supposed to use treated
Drill hole in the center of the hole from the interior wall and cut the hole from the outside of the structure.
Those manufacturers have to cover everything otherwise somebody will take him to court and say well you said this might be okay Honda so we did it and they sued them the same is happening with all medical devices that's why everything medical costs so much money it has to be run through the wringer otherwise the government will wrap it up in red tape. Good job though I would hire you to do work on my home.
@@johnsmccullough9431 Right except it's Carbon Monoxide (CO) that is the issue here, humans breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2) from our lungs -- and CO2 is not deadly except in high quantities. The Carbon Monoxide (CO) from a generator is deadly at very low concentrations in the air. And CO detectors have built in delays so do not notify in real time. Better to wear a real time CO personal monitor. Better yet, do as you suggested and get that deadly thing outside where you don't have to worry about explosive gasoline fumes either. Diesel might be less dangerous explosion-wise, but has even worse exhaust fumes.
You sound so smart calling the Water Heater a "Hot water heater". Why heat hot water?
Great video. Three things,
One, the reason why the door bounces open is not being air tight you have an open pipe going outdide. It is because your hinges are binding on the foam you added for sealing after you put the hinges on.
Two need a bigger inlet pipe. It will cool the box off as well as breathe better.
Three, there are exaust extensions for the generator. Would make better seal.
Oh, one more thing, to make it even quieter, put the tray on foam pipe insulation (pool noodles).
Give'm hell brother 😂.
Also, the intake and exhaust are too close together which may result in entrainment of the air (the exhaust can be drawn back in). Simplest fix would be to extend the intake around the corner.
And I don’t expect the duct tape to substitute well for the sill plate, but I don’t expect it to matter because it’s not on an exterior wall.
You forgot about propane water heater, 13:55 😂
I did laugh when he said air tight with 2 GIANT holes outside
I wouldn't have put it on that steel pan in the first place. He should've gotten isolation pads. Or just cut a section of horse stall mat
I only have a couple minutes here but first, GREAT video! Thank you for taking the time to describe & show us your methods & process. Here are a couple of suggestions..
1) Rather than having two 4" exits for air and only one, smaller 2" entrance, consider turning the fan around. Doing so would create a positive pressure in the sealed box. And, if you also seal off the 2" pipe, that would force all the incoming air out through the generator as exhaust gas and generator cooling air.
2) I found with my installation that a significant portion of the generator noise comes from lower frequencies transferred through the generator frame to the concrete floor. I experienced a significant reduction in the throbbing sound by placing the generator on a couple of garage floor mats originally purchased to reduce leg & foot fatigue. You might be able to put a floor mat under the tray.
3) I believe the reason your door doesn't fully close has more to do with the hinges being installed before you stapled the foam seal in place rather than the box being airtight.. after all, the box seems to be well vented to the outside..
4) Honda sells an external, extended run gas tank kit. I believe the extended line that comes with the kit would, or be modified to, allow the additional tank to be installed & filled just outside the shop.
5) There are also after market kits available that would allow the EU2000 to run on either propane or gasoline. That would allow you to tap into the hot water heater's fuel supply.
6) You might want to eventually rotate your hot water tank to make it easier to service the controls.
Have to run. Just thought you might benefit from a few of my demented thoughts.. 😋
Again, thanks for the video! Best regards, Dennis
Running a generator on propane drops it power output. It works but with just 2000 watts your on the low end of power already. Propane doesn't go stale like ethanol gasoline does. It's best to burn ethanol free gasoline($$) if it's available. I have a fuel injected Honda 7000 I plug into 180* disconnect on my power pole during power outages. I burn only ethanol free gasoline in it and haven't had any problem running it.
positive pressure in the box may cause a carbon monoxide issue in the shop.
putting the generator on top of a anti-vibration pad is a great idea
Need cooling air in and hot air out (forced)
a little tip for everyone trying to insulate and/or soundproof... lightweight (low mass) materials don't block sound transfer. they only insulate heat. if you want to block sound, you need to block vibrations, which is done by having mass. i would remove the foam and fill the walls with sand.
Could use rockwool
That is a fantastic idea. I’m going to use that. Ty
Hmm..that is interesting. Is that why I can't hear thru my bedroom walls with only air. Or I barely hear vehicles going by my house. Sound travels by air frequency vibration. Anything blocking that "blocks sound." I must have flunked physics .
Actually, the best sound barrier is alternating layers of air and mass (with minimal points of contact between the wafers). You are forcing the sound waves to transition between solid and air and solid and air.
It sounds very quiet as is, the only thing I would have done is put another layer of 5/8 drywall on the outside of the box.
Hey man. It's a nice looking contraption you built there. Don't take this the wrong way but I think you way over complicated things there. You should of maybe built a lockable cage type box, and have it outside. That's how commercial type or home generators are done. You can't, for insurance reasons, have a gasoline powered item inside a building. It would of cost you ten percent of what you spent there. You wouldn't have to worry about any venting or temp issues being outside. Better to build with 100 percent fire proof materials outside. There are fireproof insulation material as well if you wanted to keep the noise down. I was a mechanic for 35 plus years and I've actually built similar setups for guys with semi trucks and campers, to help make them quieter. Good luck in your future endeavors, your gifted with creativity!!
As a perfectionist and a rookie builder, I can appreciate your commitment to satisfy your ideas while not getting flustered doing it. Also you articulate every step very well.
Diego, do not give up on your dream of a house in the wilderness... I live in the state south of you, and I had a house build on some land a timber company put up for sale. It was a very stressful period in my life, but the county permits where not the issue. My biggest headache and issue was with the builder. They drove threw the neighbor's gate, they lied to me, they stole from me, and the story goes on.... But as I now sit overlooking a valley surrounded by trees and wild life... it is so very worth it. Make it happen, you will be happy once it is done.
Diego you rock. You're smart for doing what you like and how lucky you are not to be stuck in an awful corporate job!
Good to see you use a carbon monoxide detector. Years ago I did a similar project. I used a larger external fuel tank, and extended the engine exhaust pipe using a self sealing flex pipe to a wall thimble. Since I had a detached garage that was insulated I had the generator out in the open with a sealed intake from outside. In a hour or so the engine heat went from 30 ° f to 72° f in warmer weather I used a temperature control room ventilator to keep the garage at a 70 degree setting or at least outside temperature. Next step was to convert the gasoline engine to LPG. With this I extended my oil changes from 100 hours to 200 hours. And the oil was still honey colored. I now use natural gas from a drilled gas well and change oil at 400 hours. Approaching 4056 hours on the engine. So maybe at 5000 hours I will do a engine rebuild.
I really appreciate your fabricating video . How you showed trial and error . Sometimes it’s not easy but your persistent you follow through when you finished it. That’s good work.
I absolutely loved your tenacity and pursuit for excellence and had a good laugh as well. When you said future videos, people will be wondering what the deal with the box is😃 great work.
Diego if you enlarge your air intake the small black pipe to a bigger size the outside and inside air temp will equalise. Keep up the good content 👌
18:40 don't you think the air can escape out through the 6" and 2" holes in the wall? The door is fighting you because the hinges are binding due to the seal.
Diego, I love all your videos, you are a very smart man, you are not lazy at all, I know nothing about what you are doing,all I can say is, to me you are doing a good job. Keep up the good work. God Bless you
After watching your video, I now have a box around my generator. So much quieter.Thanks Diego!
Your hot water heater should be on a stand to get it up off the floor. If I remember right, I think 18" tall. Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and will flow like water across the floor.
A water heater stand would be the CODE way it should be done. Please check this out with your city or county code enforcement office (or a plumber). And please 47:48 have a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall nearby if you continue to refill the generator inside your garage or shop. Outside is much safer than inside next to a gas hot water heater!
And any fumes detected by your water heater will blow the thermocouple. Most need to be replaced before the pilot will stay lit. ... so no hot water!
You heat your hot water?
The door isn't pushing back because it's such a tight seal. There are two big holes in the back of the box. It's pushing back because you built the box WITHOUT the foam. You're pushing against the foam you stapled on the door opening after putting the hinges on. Had you put the foam on first, it would have closed easier. That being said...Nicely done!
Saved my texting digits!😅
Awesome project, my only question is why not put the "generator doghouse" on the outside of that same wall. The only additional things you would have needed are some type of weatherproof roof and a small slab of concrete for it to sit on outside of the living space. You could also plumb in an additional 10-gallon gravity feed fuel tank in the attic area
Box opening from the top would make everthing waaaay easier !
My thoughts but why not make it capable of opening up/folding up. Being gasoline, I would build it separate from a building, but I know it is more secure inside. I would have it placed much farther from any gas or electric source of ignition. Gasoline vapors would even scare me being that close to a generator inside an enclosed space. 😊 much more ventilation for me... maybe a system of baffles with more forced ventilation. I enjoyed your project. I have plans to build a more portable version that can also ride a platform behind my vintage class "c" and supplement solar when needed. Picked up some ideas from you, but also some concerns to address. Be careful, brother!
Why didn't he purchase a Honda quiet generator?
@@tuberstitious If gas vapors escaping that tank then manufacture should stop making them. By everyone's arguments on here thinking gas going to explode because of hot water heater or anything else for that matter most not leave their house too afraid sky will fall on them. By their argument they should be more worried about generator itself causing the source of ignition. 57 years building and never seen a generator blow anything up because of gas fumes and I use them every day and have similar set up at camp. I did get generator finally that runs off propane like everything else in the camp. Lights cooking dryer hot water refrigerator and generator all on propane
Very energetic project, but I think a little bit misguided. In my opinion, the proximity to the water heater is a valid issue. Barricading the fresh air intake to the water heater is a separate, but equally valid concern. I don’t have experience operating gasoline fired appliances inside or in a confined space. Never tried it, because it is contrary to any training or experience operating gas-fired (natural or LP) that I have. The basic rule that your setup violates is the amount of combustion air intake that you are providing. With fuel gases, you typically need at least 6 times free combustion and make up air as exhaust.
I saw a few other comments that I agree with that include your choice of noice canceling medium. Not that it isn’t working, but there are more efficient means.
The other was a suggestion to turn the fan around and use it to force fresh air into the space. An engineered design for this would likely have an open grill for a “return air” application. Otherwise, a much larger opening in your exterior wall.
Last comment concerns that you have a baffle interfering with your exhaust. The end result is you are likely recirculating your exhaust into your intake since it’s so small and there is no real separation between the two outlets. I think most serious reviewers would agree that pushing your exhaust as far away from the outlet as possible is the best configuration. Typically accomplished by raising the output out of the breathing area.
I have concluded that this is intended as an auxiliary power setup and might be intended for sparing use. I applaud your efforts, I just think that you should look at some more safety concerns. And step-dad was on point!
He already proved that there is no exhaust fumes getting back into the cabin, also exhaust fumes do not explode! Diego has done an outstanding job with his project!
If people didn’t steal stuff he wouldn’t have to do this in the first place so longer prison sentences and more and larger prisons is really the true answer! Let’s keep these losers behind bars and Diego could put his generator outside where it belongs!!!
Holy cow! It just didn’t need to be that complicated!!
Leave him alone guys,his a pro builders!
Diego I love your videos and how much patience you have, watching you I learn a lot, God bless you and I hope every young man was like you;)
Some other future upgrades could be firstly convert the generator to propane so you can tie into the water heater propane line and never have to refuel, secondly add a blue tooth starter, and thirdly the autoswitch already mentioned is a great idea. Well done DIY project!
What's the point of a bluetooth starter on a pull start generator?
For the fan, you can also put one on the supply and pressurize the space to force the exhaust out. Since it is sealed, this would work well.
I have just started watching your channel and love your content! I was born and raised in Longview, WA and spent my summers on 10 acres on the Coweeman river which is the next river valley to the south of the Toutle river. I climbed Mt. St. Helens in August of 1979. Two of my college buddies climbed to the Dogs Head and camped until early morning and then climbed the north face to the summit. On May 18th I was housesitting for my parents in Longview. I worked at the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant across the Columbia River in Oregon and was called in to help reduce the ash fallout f4rom the eruption. Watching you and Al make the hike to the Johnson Observatory brings back a lot of memories of me revisiting the mountain. Keep up doing your great content. I am about to embark on an off grid cabin build on 80 acres up in northern Washington just off the Mt. Baker Highway. I have 3 spring fed lakes with Beaver,Trout, and Dolly Varden. I'm looking to leave the same legacy for my grandchildren.
I just found your channel and so far I love what I see! I spent two years in an RV off grid just south of Fairbanks, AK and we had to build a similar box to keep our generator warm enough in winter. Of course, once the snow melted, we had to open it up to let it the air flow to keep cool enough. The biggest game-changer was setting up a bigger 20 gallon fuel tank on top so we didn't have to go outside as often to fill it up in the -20° and colder weather. I keep thinking about how I would build a better box for when I get my cabin built.
Great Job! Love when you can use your mind to piece together off the shelf parts into something that you have in your mind that accomplishes something that you need that you cant just buy already together from a store. I done this myself, quite a few times over the years. I was worried when I saw the exhaust pointing down towards the intake, but your carbon monoxide readings are 0 so, excellent. Glad you have your step dad to bounce things off of. he came up with some valid points, glad you were able to work around those points.
I also like DIY, so I enjoyed watching your work.
I was thinking, if the lid of the box containing the generator was on the top instead of on the front side, you can reach it from the top and wouldn't it have been possible to secure the generator firmly in place without having to pull it out to refuel? That would have made it easier to install the exhaust duct.
Great Idea!!
The phrase..don't give up because where there's a will, there's a way was created for you!!😂
I admire your building and engineering skills. As I was thinking about what I would do differently, the very next step you covered it.
As always, awesome video. Love seeing your projects.
I love your persistence. Get it to a point then tweak it. Repeat. Better than getting stuck and not moving forward
Really enjoyed the video. I especially like the way you weren't afraid to show the things you tried that didn't work.
Was actually looking forward to this one when it was hinted in the previous video
Nice job. Gassing up can be a pain. I have that same generator bought in 2010. I used it to power photography set ups where we had laptops and printer to sell photos at softball tournaments. I connected the generator gas cap to a 6 gallon plastic boat tank and an Evinrude gas hose (with squeeze bulb). The hose connects to the gas cap with an Evinrude fitting and sucks the gas out of the 6 gal tank. Runs all day and never runs out. It reduces the number of times needed to refill.
In Dominican 🇩🇴 We build the generator box far away from the house, 10ft-20ft. Made of concrete blocks and steal doors, you can add insulation or whatever, and a 24" flood wall on the door entrance. It's more secure and safe in a case of fire 🔥 and hurricane season.
I admire your determination with this project. I get your mind racing. Always trying to find better solutions. Well done🇨🇦🥓
Working on a similar project but then a tiny shed outside, which makes ventilation much easier. And I agree with an earlier comment that your air-intake should be bigger, at least 4" diameter. What I did differently: use for your framing metal studs instead of lumber and non-combustible cement-board instead of drywall. And on the outside I went for Hardy boards instead of wooden clapboards.
Your feed just popped up today and I'm glad it did. Thanks for the great videos.
Al has an interesting disposition. The something goes wrong rather then getting mad or bothered he laughs. Good way to live
1) excellent editing (I'm a filmmaker)
2) We all learn from mistakes and by not editing them out you encourage comments which help us all
3) "Macgyevering" IS a typical DIY strategy
4) "Going down the $$$ rabbit hole is also not unusual BUT
5) Its often just fun trying to make things work even though one has little experience
6) Consider a thermostat controlled fan.
Love your music selection. And of course I love your channel. It’s nice to live vicariously through your channel. You’re doing things I wish I could.
My advice would be to rotate your fan. Use the fan to draw air into the box helping force air through the generator and out the generator exhaust pipe faster. Plug up the 2" pipe so it doesn't allow air to escape through it. That should increase airflow through the generator. I also like the idea of sound dampener under the generator tray like a gym floor mat or any rubber material to dampen sound vibrations.
Overall i love your ideas. I want to copy some of your ideas at my farm for a generator box. ❤❤❤
very nice video and project! you gave me some perspective on some ideas I have been kicking around.
I am planning a build for my honda generator and mounting on my travel trailer. I found aluminum generator boxes on ebay. When the door is open, there is clear access to the front and top of the generator. Sound defining foam will be used on all the walls and anti-vibration mat on the floor. I am going to try to make a additional low restriction muffler out of a small aluminum box or tube and attach it to the outside of the generator enclosure. For ventilation, I plan to put an intake fan on one side, and an output fan on the exhaust side.
Congratulations... excellent.. regards from Athens Greece!😊
Instead of exhaust set up for the fan
Get it to pump in fresh air. ..... That way your gen will breathe better and ambient out side air will be brought into your box .....
You did good !
that was my main thought too... remove the flapper from the intake vent, turn the fan around and let it breathe... the little 2 or 3in abs pipe has almost no cfm rating, it's NOT designed for moving air..... the more air you bring into the box, the better that gen will run, within reason... it's struggling as it is
Great job. Looks amazing. Keep up the amazing work. God Bliss everyone and everything. Have the greatest day ever, love and peace.
interesting project. Thanks for sharing. Also, have you thought about having the door open from the top rather than your current location.
Whoa! Great job
That's the cutest little thing of a generator. Mine sounds like a 1970s Chinese tractor with the flu and only powers like 3 light bulbs. And LEDs. LOL.
Hey buddy, for added safety with the open flame of the water heater just put the fan to work while you're refilling the generator tank, this way all the fumes will go outside and they shouldn't concentrate with the hazard to reach that flame.
Thanks for sharing, Diego!
I have built several of the generator sound reduction boxes. Mine took a very different direction as one would expect. Thankfully we all have our own ideas. Mine are made of landscape timbers and the amount of wood keeps the sound inside quite well. Also mine are outdoors so all of the safety features that you have added are not needed. If you want I will send some photos to you so you can understand how I was thinking at the time. Mine are about 30 years old and they would work just fine if I still needed them.
I do believe that your box is significantly quieter than mine.
Let me know if you would like me to send some pictures or even a short video. Also I would send them directly to you so others will not need to see them.
I like what you are doing and it is quite refreshing to see that others are on a good track when it comes to solving life problems.
Al in Virginia
Great build! Way to adjust along the process to your liking in order and fix issues as well.
Nice place you have there! As some have said, nice choice in music and great to see someone living their dream! It would be nice if that remote temperature monitor had a threshold you can set that would trigger an alarm to get your attention.
Well I think I can say we could be friends… Stellar choice in music and I am building a quiet box for our backup generator Nice job 👍
Some people are just not very good engineers. Your attitude and drive are stellar though!
I live in rural NW Montana. We get regular power outages and I have my 2 trusty Honda 2200’s and a big Champion 9500 to get me through extended outages. I’ve always considered building a nice soundproof box but honestly haven’t really needed one. Then the YT algorithm threw you my way and literally couldn’t have been more perfect to suck me in lol. Great job and some awesome ideas, thanx! A fun enough vid to get my new sub :^) 👍🏻🇺🇸
threw vs through
@ As in, I threw a ball, I threw a rock, I threw my back out or got through extended outages, I drove through the tunnel… lol
@@ibMoose2u As in "algorithm through you my way..." . Threw.
@@vashon100 Well color me embarrassed. I stopped reading my post after my 2nd sentence. It was a typo and fixed :^)
Gratulacje za chęci i działanie. Za dużo myślenia i kosztów poniesionych. Pudło super, ale zamiast blachy dałbym prowadnice do szuflad. Dodatkowo zamiast rurek stabilizujących cztery podstawy pod pralkę antywibracyjne za 10$. Zamiast wentylatora wystarczy 10x10cm wentylator od komputera plus regulator temperatury z automatycznym załączaniem wentylatora z szaf serwerowych za 8$. Poza tym raz jeszcze gratulacje za zapał i działanie a nie siedzenie i narzekanie na świat.
Nice one, thanks for sharing.... Small tip when using solvent weld on plumbing pipes.. Always "butter" the pipe on its outside and not the inside of coupling or elbows. This way, excess solvent weld will be outside and not on the inside. And can be wiped off.. If there is an excess bead on the inside after joining your pieces together. Over time, in a plumbing situation, debris can build up on the inside "ridge"and cause a blockage further down the line. .Not important in this scenario. But worth remembering if you do a plumbing fix..... Love the channel btw. Trial and error are just another way of saying, "Experience gained"
Great video. The water heater needs to be 18 inches off of the ground. The reason is the gas fumes will get up into the pilot light or burner when the water heater cycles. Gas is heavier than air so it falls to the ground. It will eventually make its way into the water heater regardless of that barrier you put up. I would fix that before I did anything else as it is very dangerous. Get some 8x8x16 blocks. Put the holes facing up and top off with patio blocks to get the 18 inch height. It also will protect you should the gas line leak on the water heater as the gas is also heavier than air.
Great video. There are exhaust silencers that will cut another 10 dB off. Also, 3/4 pipe running horizontal before exiting can help heat the space too for winter time while charging batteries. Automatic transfers switches are $15 so you don't need to play with cords. Lastly, there are fuel caps that will keep your tank full with a secondary fuel tank. This way you never pull it out except to change the oil.
Wow man just wow, your relentlessness of figuring it out was incredible sweet video, sweet project sweet detailed info just wow man!
Great job Friend ! That makes it quiet for sure, Hopefully you put it on the shady side of the shop for them hot summer days :) I have to go check out some of you other video's now !
Rock wool insulation….also, vent to low if area gets snow.
Wondering why you didn’t use a propane generator?
Make a Metal box in place of your wooden box, access it from outside with grill for air input. Gas proof seals for electrical cables. Should also be insurance safe as regards close proximity to propane tank.
RV owner for 7 years! so experience in genny placement.
Good luck from the Uk!🇬🇧
Came here for the project, stayed for the 90s tunes. You earned my sub mah dude 🤙
Looks good! Possible refinements -Dyno-mat/ insulate the drain pan for noise and residence vibration with cement. -Add angles to deflect noise inside box "noise cancelling" (somewhat like the diamond shape of the stealth bomber, add angle not a square box) -On the outside consider changing material of exhaust vents, and build with angle something with wood deflecting noise to ground, test by just taking a couple board placed like a tepee /\ to deflect exhaust noise, move them around to find the "sweet spot". I played with silencing a couple generators years ago, I get the frustration. Seems like it should be possible to make it a whisper right! I got to the point were I was going to weld a car muffler to it ! -Sorry for the ramblings. Gorgeous place it seams your cabin is located (time stamp 37:49 is a good pic) slight fog/mist toping the trees in your own backyard forest, hanging out on your back porch working on cool projects....Zac Brown Band Song "Life is good today" came to mind. Props to you Brother!
Definitely get you a diesel heater! Well worth the money
Diego Tries Hard. Amen.
That water heater could benefit from taking up that insulation all the way around it I'd say especially in the winter. My dad always kept a heater blanket around our water heater growing up. Great video though! Wow you made that gen quiet!
6 44 into the video and i'm loving that you are leaving the tunes playing, good tunes at that! Started singing along to Rooster and you cut to a scene with you singing as well lol. Here from Insta to steal ideas. My little genset is not a quiet one like the Honda so it needs lotsa help. Cheers from Ontario Canada.
Love the video man. Great to watch your ideas and problem solving. Keep it up👍
Awesome project but I was wondering what happened to the electric saw when cutting the hole couldn't you have finished cutting the hole from outside?
Very educational. I had a small Honda generator years ago and always wondered if I could enclose it in a box of some kind. Now I know the idea works. Good job. I have solar generators that I use now and then, and a 6,000w gas generator that I have yet to use, but it's there for an emergency. Thanks.
Hey dude you might want to install 2 or 3 milivolt fans to push air over the engine for cooling during the summer months. The fans Im speaking of are the ones
that is installed in computer hard drives and they use almost no power, like maybe 5 to 10 watts if that.
I saw this new Dryer flexi duct hook up. It uses two magnetic coupling. One for the wall and one of a short duct on your dryer. Both hold in the wall and the dryer out let needs to line up pretty well. Then you can just slide the dryer to the wall and it hooks up. 59$ on Ama zon." MagVent MV-180 Magnetic Dryer Vent Coupling " One thing, might bring the cool air inlet tube more in the box. This might allow more cooler air to circulate around the generator to help keep it cool. As of now it looks like your just moving air around the back of your enclosure.
If your garage ever burns down, your fire insurance will not pay. Placing a gasoline generator next to a propane hot water heater is an explosive duo. Too many garages and sometimes houses go up in flames from misplaced combustibles.
Spot on, he is not the sharpest tool in the shed (literally)!
@@DOWNUNDER.Not only that the insulation board flammable .
What do they do about cars or truck parked in the garage near water heater.
yeah he should've built it in the crawl space under the house or out side with a damn nice set of locks instead of the garage
🤣🤣🤣 this fuckin guy.
Great job! I'm just wondering why you didn't just use some old wood (2"x4" maybe), instead of buying the PVC pipe?
Good job, young man. I could criticize, but you did good. Enjoyed the video.
Hi, just finished watching this video about the generator box you made. Idea for you to keep box more to temp of outside air would be to turn the direction of airflow around to push airside air in the box. You are exhausting great but need to consider the heating up of motor. Even if you unplugged the fan I think you might lower the temp of the box. Liked the video on the box. I have subscribed and look forward to more videos. Thanks.
Forgot mention that you will need to screw the flap to the open position to make sure you have air flow in. The 2” ( I believe) you installed is not even airflow in. Same amount of air in as push out is the goal.
I was totally thinking of this as well!
loved teh fact you used what was available to you for your build project, and modified as you went..
so i subed :D
You should look into the adapter kits for that honda where you can run the generator off of natural gas and then you never have to worry about gasoline. Can just t off of that hot water heater
The sooner you realize haters gonna hate the better off you will be! Your indoor generator box is genius!! I love it!
Some people just suck!😉
Diego,
I've been enjoying your videos, but from the beginning, I've had this thought that acoustic foam panels might be a better solution than thermal insulation panels. The sound absorption is much more effective, and it has much lower thermal insulation properties.
Well edited and presented video of very outside the box inside the box thinking! I'm with your step-dad on this though -- I doubt that foam board will do much good to keep gasoline fumes out of the water heater pilot light or flame. And even worse if you forget to close the generator's fuel cap some evening. The building code has strict codes on volume of air around water heaters (something about CO buildup if not enough air) so you can't just build a tiny room around it, but one way would be to put the generator in a doghouse outdoors. This would also limit the potential exhaust fume ingress. I know that's less convenient to service in winter, but it's not just propane/LPG fumes that are a danger here but gasoline is quite volatile and shouldn't be around a flame.
If you have ever seen someone burned from gasoline you would think very hard about changing this.
By the way, your door closing resistance is not from a sealed box, you have two large holes in the back side, right? It's more likely the foam sill seal.
Overall, your innovation is amazing, just don't get killed or maimed by what you don't know about safety.
Great idea and video. How about insulating the floor inside the box.
Great video! Probably the best 'quiet' generator box vids I've seen to date. Thanks. Side note: The part where you needed to keep the generator from shifting away from the exhaust outlet....I just knew you were going to glue down some leftover scrap 2x3 on all 4 sides to the pan, so that the generator would sit/be braced inside the 2x3's. I didn't see the PVC coming. 🙂
Great video very clever. Thanks for creating!
You know I did the same thing as you did here and went, I believe, a step further. I, of course, had the exhaust ported to the outside but having an air cooled engine I needed fresh air for cooling. The box was just about the same size as yours so there wasn't a ton of room surrounding he generator. So, I made a push/pull fan system using 6" fans. I was sure that running one fan on one end of the box to bring in air and another on the opposite end to exhaust air I would have excellent air flow and cooling. Nope. I put a temperature probe in the box after starting the generator and applied a moderate load. The temperature kept climbing and climbing. I don't recall how high it got but I was starting to get uncomfortable as the temperature never stabilized. Then I noticed a difference in the sound of the generator motor. At that point I removed the generator from the box, disconnected the load and allowed the generator to cool off by running just above idle. It had overheated and I think I was minutes away from destroying my generator. The oil was burnt as well. I changed the oil and scrapped this idea astonished that the air flow I created with the push/pull fans was not enough to keep the generator within operating temperature.
Unlike you I just gave up and running the generator outside any enclosure. I felt lucky I didn't burn up my generator.
My test was done in the summer with ambient temps around 80. Perhaps in winter it would work but I am not taking anymore chances.
Great idea for a project. some suggestions: You can buy/install a muffler extension for the generator that would lead to outside instead of the 4inches vent. That way the exhaust is forced out as designed by the generator. Your fresh air intake should be higher instead of right next to the exhaust. Cool air flows down naturally.
Lookup shock isolators to reduce the vibe between the pan and the floor,, Sound will travel in a concrete pad. You knew that. 🤠Good Video!!!
Hi there. Great information. How much time before you have to refuel your generator ? Do you keep it running the whole night? Tks for sharing. Watching from Sydney Australia
Thats awesome! So many people want to do this
Nice little project, glad you figured it out,
All you needed was an exhaust extension ( Amazon ) and a small fan to bring fresh air in the box,, it would be better if you reversed that fan,
Remember, air has to come in in order for it to be exhausted.
That was awesome and good built. I like it. Beautiful good job yup. Good job generator can plug up into for a trailer home trailer for my furnace and maybe some light.
Sweet Tunes!! Motivational Music sets the Mood!
Your grunge list is awesome dude.
3:24 I know you said it was cold, but you could have just done it from the outside??
I would think that there would be a greater temperature difference in the summer when it is hot outside. That is also a very small generator. I wouldn't recommend that for anything much larger than that. The best way for making sure the engine stays within the recommended temperature range and the noise is cut down is to have the generator out side and have it behind a wall with lots of space for air circulation for keeping the motor cool. I've done this with a neighbours annoying heat pump and it works great.
Nice project.
A few thoughts...
4" outlet for exhaust driven by generator combustion outlet flow. Probably fine.
4" outlet for box air volume driven by a fan.
2" inlet for box air volume AND generator combustion intake. These two items create a negative air pressure in the box, good for preventing any combustion gases from leaking into your living space. But I wonder if you are starving the generator for air as it competes with the fan exhausting that air. Might be impacting your fuel economy and maybe even your net horsepower (and electrical output).
The Teague's thoughts on reversing the 4" fan duct would help ensure your generator is not being starved for intake air but would also create a positive pressure in the box. Probably don't have any significant threat of gases since your exhaust appears fairly snug and has no restrictions but a positive pressure box is less safe.
I've read some things on insulating machinery and the key is air volume to allow the sound waves to break up. The foam you used is fairly dense, I doubt that is the best solution. Consider mineral wool instead. Brand name of ROCKWOOL and comes in panels or batting style. It is pre-sized for 2x4 and such so your 2x3 might present some issues but my research told me it is the right stuff. It is also more expensive so I ended up using several layers of moving blankets (Harbor Freight) instead. Hung in layers so multiple layers of air and blanket, repeating. Options....
5:12 Make sure the tape is really tight because the exhaust gases might be pressed into the wall and from there into the room. There is slight over-pressure in the pipe because the exhaust gases are pushed out. The resistance of the flapper outlet adds to this. Maybe a carbon monoxide alarm would be the easiest way to ensure everything is safe.
WOW!!! This is way cool!!! Thanks for your time and great work!!! Lord's willing I will be doing this to my generation soon, but I believe I will make a bigger intake and pull the air from under my cabin, and running my out let in the ground and out to make it extremely quiet, what are your thoughts?