The inverter generators are the quietest and fuel-efficient generators compared to conventional or non-inverter generators. Most of you might be wondering that both these generators run on the fuel-powered engine then how come they differ so much. To know the difference between an inverter generator and a conventional generator, check out this article.
The reason why an inverter generator is so quiet is its design and method of power generation. We will talk about this in detail later. First of all, let us understand why a generator makes noise.
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Why do generators make noise?
The generator produces noise mainly due to the combustion of fuel inside the engine and the rotation of mechanical parts. When the generator is running at half capacity, then it will also make less noise because it does not have to fight a strong magnetic field.
Now, as the load on the generator increases, it will burn more fuel to generate more thrust to fulfill the power demand, and hence the noise will also increase. The generator will produce maximum noise when it is running on its maximum power capacity.
Mechanical noise minimizing aspect of inverter generator
To minimize the mechanical noise of the inverter generator, it is equipped with advanced technology that generates power in three stages.
The inverter generator produces AC power and converts it to DC power and then again converts it back to AC power. Now because of this, it does not have to continuously run at 3600 RPM (rotation per minute) speed. The inverter generator can increase or decrease its engine speed according to its power demand, and thus it will make minimal noise.
The conventional or non-inverter generator directly produces AC power and does not adapt the three-stage power generation. Now in order to produce the 60Hz power frequency it has to continuously run at 3600 RPM so the non-inverter generator is very noisy.
Moreover, the engine used in the inverter generator is much quieter and designed with advanced technology which reduces its overall noise output to a great extent.
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Design aspects in inverter generators that minimizes noise
Now that we know their different power generation method let us understand what other design an inverter generator uses to reduce the noise production even further.
All the modern inverter generators are constructed from sound-attenuating materials and mufflers, which reduces noise even further and this feature is considered as the advantage of an inverter generator. Other than that, some high-end inverter generators are equipped with special sound-dampening technology which makes them very very quiet.
Aside from materials and mufflers, the inverter generator utilizes the advanced engineered casing which is designed to minimize the noise.
When it is better to use an inverter generator?
No one likes the noisy generator, which makes it frustrating to read, sleep, or watch movies. This becomes a severe problem when you are living in a neighborhood with limits on the noise level.
You can check with your local authorities to know the accepted noise level in your local area. Some residential areas tend to accept a higher noise level than outdoor areas such as campsite, national parks, and beaches.
Your conventional portable generator may be too loud for camping areas or beaches, so at that time a quiet generator becomes your best bet.
Also if you frequently go on hiking, camping on your RV then the inverter generator is a must-have machine because of its lightweight design, clean electricity, and less noise. If you need higher power output, then you can connect two inverter generators in parallel too.
Can you make your conventional generator as quiet as an inverter generator?
The answer would be no because the inverter generator has an entirely different mechanism than the normal generator. Even though you managed to use mufflers and sound dampening materials on your conventional generator, you will not see any good results.
The reason being is the inverter and rectifier circuit of the inverter generator, which makes a whole lot of difference.
Read More: What Size Portable Generator Do I Need?
Conclusion
The inverter generators are designed to run smoother and quietly and also they consume less fuel. But these features come at a price. Although the initial cost of the inverter generator is high but you will be saving a whole lot of money on fuel in the long run. So I would say it’s worth the price.
