How Quiet is Quiet?

At A-iPower, providing our customers with reliable sources of power is what we do. But we also know when the need arises, no one wants to listen to a loud generator or bother their neighbors or the people in the next campsite with noise. That’s why we put so much effort into making our products as quiet as possible.

How quiet is quiet? It’s a good question and one we regularly hear from our customers. To understand the answer, you first have to understand a little more about sound. Each of our generators has been tested and given a decibel (dB) rating, but what does that means? What are decibels? Is a certain number of decibels a lot or a little? Here is what you need to know about noise levels when running you’re A-iPower generator.

Sound is measured in two ways, frequency and amplitude. Frequency, or the pitch of the sound, is not relevant to our discussion. Amplitude, the sound’s intensity or volume, is what we are concerned with. Amplitude is measured in units called decibels. The more decibels a sound has, the louder it is.

Starting at zero, or total silence, anything up to 20 decibels is considered very quiet. For example, the sound of your own breath is 10 dB. Whispering is about 20 dB. A normal conversation or a refrigerator measure between 40 dB to 60 dB. From 60 dB to 80 dB, the level of a dishwasher or hairdryer, these sounds are not dangerous to human hearing. A garbage disposal or vacuum cleaner run between 70 dB and 80 dB. They are by some as irritating but are still not considered dangerous. An aircraft taking off, a jackhammer or chainsaw can reach decibel levels ranging from 120 to 140 dB. Not only are these sounds painful, they are actually considered dangerous to human hearing and can result in hearing loss.

With that in mind, our gas generators, starting with the 4000 Watt Portable Generator with 4,000 starting watts and 3,000 running watts output creates only 65 dB. According to the CDC, that is just slightly above the level of a normal conversation between two people sitting about three feet apart and less than the 70 dB of a dishwasher. Even our most powerful generator, the SUA12000E, which gives you 12,000 starting watts and 9,000 running watts, only registers 78 dB, which is about equivalent to running a washing machine.

Our inverter generators are also known for their quiet operation. The A-iPower 2,000 Watt portable inverter, which puts out 1,600 running watts, registers just 52 dB. That is the noise level of an electric fan or a refrigerator, making it perfect to take along on a camping trip without worrying about bothering fellow campers. Our largest inverter, the SUA3800i - 3800 Watt Inverter Generator, capable of 3,800 watts of starting power and 3,500 watts of running power produces only 63 dB, which is like a quiet conversation between two people.

At A-iPower, we design all of our generators and inverters to run as quietly as possible. Rest assured that when the need arises, you can power your life in the most comfortable, convenient, and least obtrusive manner possible.