One of the questions that individuals ask when they are thinking about investing in a standby generator is how much noise the generator is going to produce. They wonder if they are going to deal with an interruption of peace and quiet within the home or business. The fact is that a homeowner is more likely to hear the noise than a business owner, depending on the size of the commercial establishment.

Nevertheless, quiet is a requirement for property owners in a situation where quiet is required.

If you are someone who prefers a generator that is quiet or you have to have a quiet generator, Generac Power Systems does offer the QuietSource Series, which is a series of standby generators that operate quieter. Cummins also has a quieter type of generator so that you are not hearing as much noise inside the home and so you can keep things quiet in the neighborhood. If you are part of a homeowner’s association, there may be rules about generators and how much noise they produce.

Keep in mind that generators are engines and they are going to produce noise. However, the decibel level is something that manufacturers are addressing with some of their newer models and a quieter run is going to result in there being a higher price. Generac has managed to reduce noise to the sound of an idling car in their Quiet-Test® feature. This also means that it uses less fuel and this translates into less emissions, so you are reducing the impact your generator has on the environment by investing in a quieter model.

But if you can’t invest in a quieter model, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to deal with the noise. There are times when the generator enclose can be improved so less noise is generated.

You can also invest in generators that give you the control you want. Since generators perform their routine “exercise” mode and they can be noisy when they do, you may want to be able to control what time of day that test takes place. For instance, you can make sure that exercise mode doesn’t kick in when the baby is napping or when your business is at its busiest point during the day. This gives you more control over the peace and quiet factor when it comes to your generator.

But what you can do is talk to your standby generator dealer about the different noise levels associated with the generators that are within your budget. That way you can choose a generator with a level of noise that is acceptable for you, your family, your business, your customers, and the surrounding neighborhood.