Exhaust options for my 4’ x 4’ generator shed

[check]

Hello all, I have a Westinghouse 9500 standby generator (same one that Daugen has) and we built a 4‘ x 4‘ shed for it. We bought a little 6 inch exhaust fan and installed it in the shed wall near the exhaust of the generator, but I’m afraid that the generator heat just melted the plastic housing on the outside. Clearly it was not adequate. And as a result, the generator overheated and shut down. I can get one of those commercial exhaust fans with louvers with various cubic feet per minute (up to 1100) exhaust, but I’m wondering if this is a good idea.

The issue is the powerful exhaust from the generator itself. it of course gets really hot, and I am thinking of maybe cutting a bigger hole in the wall of the shed and putting a metal pipe that the exhaust can shoot itself through. however, there still is the problem of heat buildup inside the shed, and I am wondering whether it’s a good idea or not to get a 500 ft.³ per minute exhaust fan to put up near the roof of the shed. The question is, would that interfere with the exhaust from the generator going outside? we would have two competing exhausts. The first one would be the hot exhaust from the generator, and the second would be the fan up above. Would the fan up above suck the hot exhaust gas for the generator back into the shed and defeat the purpose of the Generator Exhaust Fan?

Like I mentioned, the generator is 4 x 4, with the cable and roof sticking up about another foot or so, and the roof is shingled with asphalt shingles.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Can you extend the exhaust through the wall using some flexible exhaust tubing ? Not sure if there is a 'nipple' or short tube coming off the muffler.

You can make a simple exit hole in the wall by using a larger diameter pipe to provide the shielding around the exhaust pipe. Similar to the double or triple wall furnace / stove pipe.

If you can get the exhaust out of the shed directly, then just use some vent covers on the opposite end of the shed... one low, say in the front wall, then another towards the top on the back wall.

It will surely be trial and error on the amount of venting needed. The most important factor is getting the exhaust gasses out.

 

[Fxfymn413]

In addition to an outlet for the exhaust and cooling air you need to cut a vent into the structure that will allow fresh air in at the same rate that the engine is blowing out to keep itself cool.

You can use a damper which swings in freely for the intake with a hood of some type to shield the opening. The exhaust can be routed through a damper that opens when the exhaust "pushes" on it.

 

[Rustyiron]

The generator itself is also creating heat in addition to the engine and exhaust.
I would cut away the siding and hinge the opposing walls for crossflow. A fan drawing power seems foolish to me and I'd just simulate as best as possible the unit sitting outside the way it's designed to.

 

[MossRoad]

I'd make two endwalls of the shed hinged to lift up and lock in place with a leg supporting it to keep rain out, or, put doors on each end. An inny and an outy, so to speak. No vents to build up any heat. And two walls open will allow better air flow over the engine than all 4 walls open. Kind of like a chimney cap.

Exhaust from a small engine is really, really hot. I have a Kohler 25HP engine in my machine. The exhaust exits straight back trough expanded steel. 18" back from the exhaust pipe, at full throttle, the exhaust melted the plastic controls on a tow-behind fertilizer spreader.

 

[MossRoad]

The generator itself is also creating heat in addition to the engine and exhaust.
I would cut away the siding and hinge the opposing walls for crossflow. A fan drawing power seems foolish to me and I'd just simulate as best as possible the unit sitting outside the way it's designed to.

Ha! Beat me to it.

 

[docone]

Typically on commercial installations, the intake opening is @ 1.5 times larger the the exhaust opening (Radiator cooled units).
Intake low, exhaust High, as mentioned previously. Pipe the engine exhaust out of the building, (double wall piping is best option).

 

[check]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. My current plan is to cut a big round hole on the exhaust side and fabricate a “pipe” from rolled up roofing tin. It will stick out about a foot or so, and BTW there is plenty of space for input air, because the sides do not extend all the way to the roof.

 

[bcp]

My generator shed has only two walls, on opposite sides. Works fine.in rain or snow.

Bruce

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. My current olan is to cut a big round hole on the exhaust side and fabricate a “pipe” from rolled up roofing tin. It will stick out about a foot or so, and BTW there is plenty of space for input air, because the sides do not extend all the way to the roof.

Double wall B—vent with a correctly sized exhaust pipe centered in it.