Pump noise

[RoadHungry]

O I'm not sure how much noise a freshwater pump is suppose to make but mine makes alot. As the pump is turned on and starts to build pressure is noisy but not too crazy. Then as the pressure is achieved it rattles like all hell. It's kinda obnoxious when your in a state park waking everyone else up to water for morning beverages. Any thoughts ?

[AWCHIEF]

My trailer has installed a SHURFLO brand marine pump that is virtually silent. I cannot hear it unless I stick my ear right down to area where it is installed. The only issue have with it is the location of the on/off switch. It is located where it can easily get bumped on or off.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by RoadHungry

O I'm not sure how much noise a freshwater pump is suppose to make but mine makes alot. As the pump is turned on and starts to build pressure is noisy but not too crazy. Then as the pressure is achieved it rattles like all hell. It's kinda obnoxious when your in a state park waking everyone else up to water for morning beverages. Any thoughts ?

Dispense your water for beverages the night before?

Diaphram pumps are not the quietest pumps around, but they are usually reliable. As long as the pump is still working, and still providing full pressure, there's probably nothing wrong inside the pump.

A rattling noise might be the pump coming loose from where it's mounted. Check first to see if it's securely bolted down, and if there's something else laying up against the pump that could be making the noise.

Anything else I can think of would require removing the pump and disassembling it to track down something inside the pump, so better to start with the easier things to check first.

[AldeanFan]

What pump do you have and how is it plumbed in to the trailer?

We recently replaced our pump and I can't hear it at all, the only way I know it's running is if there's water pressure.

First check that the hold down bolts for the pump and surounding plumbing lines are secure. Ours mounts on a stainlessSteel bracket if the bracket or the pump bolts are loose it will be very noisy.

Next check that the plumbing hard lines are secure, I had to add some hold downs to keep the lines from banging around under pressure. You don't want anything moving at all. - movement = noise

Next, How is the pump connected to the plumbing, ours is connected by flexible hoses. This isolates pump vibration from the PEX lines.

Finally, is your pump working properly, does it shut off as soon as you shut off the water tap, and does it hold pressure? Our old pump had a bad diaphram and lost pressure sitting, that made i alot more noisy.

Hope this helps.

[dznf0g]

I found that having the mounting screws either too tight or too loose caused noise. From the factory they were cranked down all the way so the "shock absorbing" feet were ineffective. Run the pump under water pressure and trun the mounting screws in and out for quietest operation.

Install the flexible hoses from Shurflow and route them so they do not contact the floor, or mount them with isolators. Mine is located in an area where the flexible heat ducts run, so it is easy to keep them off wood and other hard surfaces.

Mine is pretty dog gone quiet. Oh, this was with the installation of a new Shurflow variable speed pump 2 years ago.

[RoadHungry]

Thanks for all the advice. Even the obvious ones
Apparently the lines have alot of movement in them causing the vibration and noise. So gonna do some major securing and go from there. Pump is a surflo and pretty darn quite. Wish I could remove all the lines and rubber coat them with rhino lining or lineX. Thanks again folks

[Wayne&Sam]

Have you listened to the pump from outside the trailer or only inside? You might find that while it seems noisy inside, your neighbors will never hear it.

[RoadHungry]

Both. Seems equally loud. I pulled all the drawers and panels off to access as much of the water lines leaving the pump. I repositioned them to away from rubbing and vibrating as well as I could. This def helped but there still seems to be some major vibrations going on elsewhere. I'm going to secure what I can and go from there

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my water pump was noisy too. I made flexible hoses for it and it was better, but not good enough. I recently added an accumulater to my system and now my pump is very silent.

[JimGolden]

I'll echo the others above....you have to make sure your rubber isolater mounts are working. Too tight and they won't. Make sure the pump is properly suspended on the rubber "feet" and that the lines aren't hitting the floor right beside the pump, and it should quiet it down a lot. You can also make a little "box" to cover the pump with some foam in it to deaden the sound.

On my trailer, the pump is under the dinette. I can hear it if the a/c is off and I'm listening for it, but it's by no means loud or objectionable. You certainly couldn't hear it from outside the coach unless you had your ear against the skin.

I think you might have some vibration problems with the pump being too tight to the floor and the lines rubbing the floor. A little carpet foam or similar under those lines and you'd probably see a big difference.

Best of luck!

[HiHoAgRV]

Mine rattles like crazy if I have ANY air in the lines. I have to purge the bath faucet, shower, kitchen and the water heater to quiet it down.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, my water pump was noisy too. I made flexible hoses for it and it was better, but not good enough. I recently added an accumulator to my system and now my pump is very silent.

Hi, here is a picture of my water pump after I made and installed my flex hoses and added my accumulator.

[Ahab]

Nice job Bob.

[aftermath]

Wow, there has been some great advice here. I am going to look at my mounting screws and play with them a bit.

When I picked up our used trailer I was disheartened by the noisy pump. Mine is a sureflow with the variable output and was, at the time, one of the better ones on the market. I found that my issue was mainly the rattling lines. As a matter of fact, when I looked below the kitchen sink I actually saw the hot and cold lines coming through a rather large hole and they were vibrating.

I used some of that solid foam pipe insulation. It is cheap and easy to cut. I placed some there and some more in the lines that were contacting the shower stall. Most of the noise is gone. Give that a try.

[Tyvekcat]

I have ordered the sureflo tank accumulator,
(sounds like Q-36 space modulator).
Any-hoo, we'll see how this goes. The pump is under the refrigerator. Space is going to be at a premium, if the accumulator tank can be placed beside the pump. I may have to get creative on the location of the accumulator tank.
PDF instructions say it can be located anywhere on the water line.
I bought some of the pipe freeze insulator foam at Lowes to slip over the lines, to see if I can reduce vibration in the hard pex lines. will do that tomorrow.
Have a good one,