How to Make Your Generator Quiet as a Cricket: 5 Actionable Tips

When figuring out how to make your generator quiet as a cricket, there are a variety of methods you can follow, from moving its exhaust pipe to investing in a specialist muffler. 

Put it on a soft, rubber surface

One simple way to quieten your electrical generator is to put it on a soft, padded surface. When you keep this unit on a hard surface or material like paving stone, concrete, or brick, the firm ground amplifies the generator’s vibrations, causing it to emit a loud, constant noise. 

Softer materials and surfaces like dirt, grass, or rubber mats absorb some of these vibrations, dampening and dulling the noise of your generator. If you’re worried that you won’t have access to these types of surfaces when you’re setting up the generator, consider investing in a rubber anti-vibration mat. You can carry this portable and thick pad with you wherever you’re traveling, so you never have to worry about finding a camping spot near a level, clean section of grass or dirt. 

You could also buy some special rubber feet to attach to the underside of your generator. That way, you can put this generator on any surface without having to worry about loud vibrations.  

Invest in a generator silencer or muffler 

When you attach a small silencer or muffler to your generator’s exhaust pipe, it dampens the noise from the unit’s combustion chamber, reducing the machine’s overall sound levels by up to 15 dBs. If you have a spare automotive muffler, you can try clamping or welding this product onto the generator to see if that works. 

Those who don’t want to invest in a generator silencer could attempt the simple yet functional DIY version of muffling: take some pieces of robust, lightweight plywood and prop these up around the sides of the noisy machine. 

This makeshift wooden box acts as an effective sound deflector system. The sound waves from the generator hit the hard surface at certain angles and ricochet back down toward the ground rather than out into the air. Simply by creating this inexpensive rectangular box, you can reduce the machine’s noise levels by over 10 dBs. 

Change the position of the unit’s exhaust pipe

Another easy tip for how to make your generator quiet as a cricket is to check the unit’s exhaust pipe. If this outlet is pointing off to the side or at an angle rather than facing directly upward, the sound waves will pass through this tube and disperse in your direction. 

Adjust this pipe, so it’s pointing upward, away from you and your friends or family. When you do this, the sound waves flow skyward and are scattered or refracted by the wind and air particles. 

It’s important to note that not every generator on the market has an adjustable exhaust pipe. When you’re deciding which machine to purchase, consider opting for a unit that allows you to move the exhaust outlet so that it’s facing vertically upward.