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Something to think about regarding generators. When Hurricane Michael hit NW Florida, power was out for a minimum two weeks in Panama City and small towns immediately East. For the first two weeks, there was a dusk to dawn curfew. Those folks that were using gas or diesel generators quickly found out that the noise of those generators attracted some bad folks, and some not so bad just looking for refuge, etc. But it was attention getting.
With no power around, it is deathly quiet and DARK at night.
Lesson here is possibly go a more silent route for power production, like a solar/battery system.
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namelus, have stand by and will be getting an extension for the muffler to keep it quiet but what’s a sound box. Been reading I could put the end of muffler extension in a 5 gal. bucket filled with water buried partway in the ground. Haven’t tried it yet but what are your thoughts or anyone’s thoughts on keeping a stand by QUIET. I’m also trying to figure out how to silence the sump coming out of the house. One idea I have is to build a sound deadening box to go around the pipe outside. IF you hear it ergo, they have power even if everything else is quiet or deadened. I have a battery back up but it will eventually die, just don’t want to tip off anyone that by golly her 12 hour back up is still running the sump after a few days.
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Great point, thank you!
I also live in a high generator density region, but the OP is still something important to consider. Our plan is to basically run it a few hours to keep re-chilling the frig & freezer, then shut it off to conserve gas as much as possible.PS: Now we will consider running it late at night if the sound isn’t going to be covered by the neighbors running their own! Then any would be predator will need to be awake to hear it, wander the back roads in the dark, and then actually get to our place.
And again, now that you’ve put the idea in my head, I might just sit in the dark and guard it.
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I have to run my large generator, (12Kw Winco) if I want to use my well. I will also run it in the evening for a few lights, taking showers, checking emails on the computer… that sort of stuff, then shut it down. I have a small Honda 2Kw that runs very quietly and sips gas that I use at other times sporadically just to keep the refrigerator and freezer cold and get the coffee going in the morning. Where I live I’m not really concerned about having either of them stolen even though sound travels a good distance, especially at night. But I seldom run the noisy one at night.
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Just get inverter and battery bank… charge batteries and invert power so you only use generator to charge batteries, when you have $$$ add the solar. You can run <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>11,000</span> watt gen 3 hours a ever 3-5 day with standard appliances.
48v dc battery systems are the best for long life as they don’t stress the batteries as much.
calculate amp draw and do the math to get battery size
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I have an inverter generator. @Namelus can you provide a link/pic to the 48v dc system you mentioned?
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@mama cando a sound box is a box that covers the generator while still allowing air in and heat out. It is layers of materials meant to reduse and shatter sound harmonics. Inside layer is a perforated metal, it shatters sound waves and causes cancellation feed back, second is absorber a medium density house insulation like roc wool, third is a isolator a gap between first two layers and outside shell. You can repeat first two layers to increase efficency.. it can also be as simple as a wood box with insulation ( pink house stuff) around engine make sure you have air intakes and exhaust vents.
Plus this makes it consealable can look like more cupboard space or a planter if out side. This design when grounded can be a Faraday cage.
Running exhaust through water can cause issues if it causes too.much back pressure it can affect engine function.
Most small generators have exhaust pipes same size as motor cycles you can get used ones cheap.
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@namelus, Thank you Didn’t know/ realize about the possible back pressure on the exhaust.As for sound box, sounds as if It might be that I can build myself to put around the whole house (stationary) generator. Now I just have to figure out how to do it.Geez, just wish my dad were here, he was super about figuring out how to do things like this. He was a (published) inventor, figured out to do a portable rigging system for people that had little or no use of their legs for their cars so one could move it from car to car instead of having to buy two vehicles but his employer(major Car manufacturer) STOLE it from him and then buried it.
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I am in the North Woods and need to keep the in floor propane fired heating system working on an occasional basis to protect from freezing. Next year I may install a battery/inverter system with the possibility of future solar panels as a backup power source.
Big problem with solar panels is their display is an attractive nuisance; it signals “folks with cash” like a neon sign to passersby with a larcenous streak.
But a battery/inverter backup would be invisible at the street and would not make noise or burn gas by the gallon. How long could it run a few appliances in a power outage? That is the question. The more batteries the better, but the expense goes up with every unit.
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Getting a natural gas fuel cell if you have a natural Gas connection and you have the $$ is a thought. They are pricey but are quiet. Natural gas will take days to stop running as the pressure is built up by using compressors that run off the fuel they pump. A lot more elasticity in supply and demand.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>It looks like a ac cube most people don’t even know it’s a powere generations system.</p>
Buy good batteries and good inverters. Don’t cheap out it will cost you a lot in pain to do it twice. Batteries go surrette rolls for inverters my best luck in sma and magum. If only one choice it would be sma but they cost a ton and are vulnerable to due to tons of in fixable micro circuitry. Also look at using a product called battery equalizer it truely makes them last longer. If a sealed lead acid drill opening to pour it in do not pry off cap you will never get back on and will.have leaKS.. with drill a daub of silicone and you are done.
For one smaller system 6000 watts solar 2x 4400 inverters pure sone. 24 x 2 bold battery 1400 amh summer 3 big deep freezer 22 (sun ice) cf led lighting well and watering for animals 120 large animals 50 small medium type a small shop and large house for 10 people . You can run all.of that with 2 caveats you need to have reasonable laundry and shower control habits.
You do laundry during day and stop by 2 pm in winter and you stop by 6 in summer. The heat in house is set at 15c in rooms and 19 in main living areas. Need led lighting. Heating is done 3 ways a lag gasification boiler outside and has in slab heating for house but the pump for this sucks electricity all night.
There is a thermal mass heater in main room of building. And there is a wood Cookstove in kitchen which is on from October till may.
If dryingclothes we have a room called a drying closet. Think greenhouse for clothing hanging to dry. Other reason laundry done during day. Drying consumes massive amounts of fuel or electricit.
Also to keep costs down we have a ozone water system it allows heavily ozone water to be used as laundry wash and in kitchen. The bathrooms have one for sanitary rEason. They are special taps they put out ozone water to clean. It is very effective and cleans clothes very well.. ozone generation and pumping are heavy uses of electricity. We feel it’s worth it others maybe not. Ozone is also used to sanitize out business.
You néed a back up generator a must and it will fail.in mididdle of the night on coldest night of the year …. so be ready. Starting each month is a must along with spare parts.
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>I think it’s more important to live in a place that a generator doesn’t attract bad guys during normal times of natural disasters. If it’s that bad that quick just imagine how bad it’ll get that quick in a real SHTF event. That would be unsurvivable</p>
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