Water Pump shakes and rattles

[tjwoods1]

I have a new 2018 19’ Flying Cloud. Though I’ve taken it out twice before at sites using hookups - this is the first time we took it out boondocking. Hence when using water for the sink from our fresh water tank, the pump shakes and rattles obnoxiously loud. It functions just fine, it just sounds awful. Could there be something not screwed down tightly? Is this the way it’s supposed to be?

[CruizinDux]

Originally Posted by tjwoods1

I have a new 2018 19’ Flying Cloud. Though I’ve taken it out twice before at sites using hookups - this is the first time we took it out boondocking. Hence when using water for the sink from our fresh water tank, the pump shakes and rattles obnoxiously loud. It functions just fine, it just sounds awful. Could there be something not screwed down tightly? Is this the way it’s supposed to be?

Just sent you a PM.


B

[CruizinDux]

Originally Posted by CruizinDux

Just sent you a PM.


B

ummmmm, not on the 20'rs thread...here ya go. this thread also contains some other pump etc. thread discussion links


http://www.airforums.com/forums/f443...-148414-3.html


Bob

[OTRA15]

Yes, most pumps are too noisy. Fortunately there are work-arounds. Bob has pointed you in a good direction. FYI the new search function above in the blue box works great. Put in “noisy pump” and you will have enough reading for days.

Welcome to the joys of owning a work-in-progress . . . yes . . . even a new Airstream!



Peter

PS — When I get back home I will add more details about our partial solutions from the 20-footer thread.
PS2 — You should read up on sanitizing your water tank and plumbing. “Water tank bleach” should yield good results. Also, always use a new potable water hose and in-line filter like the Camco version. Your new water tank is probably OK for now, but there is a learning curve for boondocking,

[smithcreek]

Might not be the exact same for you, but the procedure I use in my FC20 is fill the freshwater tank to full, open up the rear low point drain valves located in the rear storage hatch and let the pump run full blast to clear out all the air in the feed lines and strainer. Then open the faucets, the shower and flush the toilet to clear all the air out of those lines. Then top off the fresh water tank and good to go. The big one, for my trailer at least, is the rear drain valves.

After that it's nearly silent until I get down to the last couple gallons of water in the fresh water tank, which is ok since my fresh water tank monitor doesn't work, the noise lets me know I need to fill up.

[CruizinDux]

Smithcreek, ....but should apply to our 20 . I have read a few posts alluding to this but all were pretty general.

I think I'll give this a try as I planned to do some vibration mitigation in the next week or two. This sounds like a viable path.

Thx
Bob

Originally Posted by smithcreek

Might not be the exact same for you, but the procedure I use in my FC20 is fill the freshwater tank to full, open up the rear low point drain valves located in the rear storage hatch and let the pump run full blast to clear out all the air in the feed lines and strainer. Then open the faucets, the shower and flush the toilet to clear all the air out of those lines. Then top off the fresh water tank and good to go. The big one, for my trailer at least, is the rear drain valves.

After that it's nearly silent until I get down to the last couple gallons of water in the fresh water tank, which is ok since my fresh water tank monitor doesn't work, the noise lets me know I need to fill up.

[OTRA15]

In my opinion, there should be very little (if any) air trapped at the low point drains, especially if the trailer has been towed recently with some water pressure in the lines. Any air that might have been located at those four low points would have floated up to high points in the plumbing lines [as heavier water displaced the lighter air down low], and would be released when the faucets/shower heads are opened to bleed out the air, as previously recommended by smithcreek.

Maybe this air at the low-point drains actually exists right after the trailer's water supply is filled for the first time after previously being winterized, but that's the only time IMO, especially after the trailer is towed with some water pressure in the lines.

Peter

[smithcreek]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

In my opinion, there should be very little (if any) air trapped at the low point drains, especially if the trailer has been towed recently with some water pressure in the lines.

I drain my tank at the end of each trip, so I don't do it to get rid of air after the pump, but before the pump. Long story short, the previous owner of our trailer did not use the fresh water tank and a film had developed in it that came loose when I started to use it. The most important things I learned while repeatedly filling, flushing, and sanitizing my specific trailer's fresh water system were:

-check your strainer. If it's not clean the pump will not draw water fast enough to clear the feed line and strainer of air.

-Make sure the strainer o-ring is good, it's sealed well and no air is being sucked in.

-opening the faucets in my trailer did not let the pump draw water fast enough to bleed the feed line and strainer of air. I literally went through whole tanks of water trying to figure this out. When I finally realized opening those two drain valves did the trick I have not had an issue since. Nice part is if someone is having similar pump noise issues it costs nothing to try and takes about 30 seconds.

[OTRA15]

All the low-point drain valves are after the pump, so opening them does nothing for air in the line before the pump IMO. Your advice to clean the strainer/filter before the pump, and to check the O-ring, is sound, but the pump still has to suck up the water from the tank on its own. Opening a faucet permits the pump to get its prime going on its own, without back-pressure from the air in the plumbing lines before they are filled by the pump with new water. You are doing the same thing when you open the low-point drains to help the pump get its prime, but not because they remove air before the pump, but rather they are just another "faucet" being open to allow Post-Pump air to escape. Your perception of cause and effect may be off a bit IMO.

If you drain your tank after every trip, that is a separate matter, and only mimics having an empty tank if the pump has used the last available water in it. After a trip we fill the tank with clean filtered water, and add an appropriate amount of bleach [commensurate with the time planned before our next trip].

In my opinion, a tank full of water/bleach is more hygienic than an empty tank, especially if the tank's drain valve is left open. Small critters like ants can crawl in there and die.

[tfp1953]

Greetings, I have the same Airstream and same year as yours. There was no amount of draining or filling that solved my problem. Lift up the access panel where the water pump is (under the driver side dinette seat). I wrapped all the vibrating water lines with sound deadening foam plus the ones under the kitchen sink. Then with 5 remaining tiles I wrapped the water pump......problem solve. Good Luck.
https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Acoustic...eadening+tiles

[tfp1953]

12 Pack- Acoustic Panels Studio Foam Wedges 1" X 12" X 12"

[QC TORPEDO]

Try removing the hard plastic water line FROM the pump and replace with a flexible one. It is a standard size from the local hardware store that is used under household sinks. If that does not do a total job, replace the line INTO the pump. The water pump manufacturer calls for flex lines. My '17 FC had hard lines. I replaced the FROM line and cut the noise significantly.

[rmkrum]

Also consider adding an accumulator tank--search Amazon for the following:
SHURflo 182-200 Pre-Pressurized Accumulator Tank

SHURflo also sells a nice set of flex hoses to go with this tank--the combo kills a lot of noise...there are other versions and prices of similar accumulator tanks...

[CruizinDux]

In my post #3, the link will take you to my post #33 with pics of the pump-house, in my instance under the drawer below the oven. This solved my hammer...banging...any and all noise in the pump-house which initially was the assumed culprit.

However I still get hammer...banging whatever I believe coming from under the shower, but also possibly in and around the CW/BW Back flo area behind the toilet on the DS. I pulled the SS panel off that covers some of the plumbing, flipped the pump on and slipping my hand up and into the cavity could both hear and feel vibration. Pipes are banging against 1 (the alu ext side, 2) the interior alu side, 3) possibly the back flo valve or maybe 4) the metal??vertical bulkhead.

I'll try the smithcreek solution tomorrow and likely add some 1/2" plumbing insulation and or HD ensolite that I still have. I may also scout out locations for an accumulator tank or maybe a couple of arrestors similar to ( https://tinyurl.com/y7ghe77f ) in the kit and lav with 1/2" TEE/NPT...or maybe the pump-house.

I thought about swapping out to the surflo quiet hoses, but when the mods in the PH worked so well abandoned it, but like rmkrum indicated, I have hear of success from a lot of folks with different rigs.

Has anyone with a 20 had the horizontal panel at the bottom of the shower off? That's the next horizon...accessing under the shower. The access via the rear storage is complicated by the Fiamma.

Bob

[smithcreek]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

All the low-point drain valves are after the pump, so opening them does nothing for air in the line before the pump IMO.

Maybe you missed this from my previous post:
-opening the faucets in my trailer did not let the pump draw water fast enough to bleed the feed line and strainer of air.
The pump in my trailer is variable speed. I set the pressure switch according to the manufacturers instructions so it starts quickly after a faucet is opened but never needs to run fast since the pressure never drops much. An incorrectly set pump will wait for the pressure in the line to drop significantly, then turn on and run very fast. The only way I can get my pump to run fast enough to bleed the lines and strainer before the pump is to open those drain valves in the back, which are only a few feet and one 90 degree bend from the pump.

Regardless of whether my thoughts on why/how my procedure works are right or wrong, the fact that the pump works quietly when I do it and is loud when I don't is all the proof I need to keep doing it on my trailer and recommend it to other people with a similar problem. If it doesn't help them, it's really nothing lost but a couple minutes of their time.

Don't worry, I close the petcock on the fresh water tank as soon as it's drained. No ants!

[OTRA15]

Glad it works for you.

Peter

[Milo1952]

Mine is noisy. Almost like pipes were not secured. Will check filter and add noise protection.

[PatLee]

When I owned a 2005 19’ International Bambi, my water pump was loud and noisy as you describe. . I now have a 2019 25’ International Signature, and it is a soft murmur. My thought when I first heard it was “Thank God, they improved it” - but maybe not?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Ours was much quieter after I installed different mounts.

Bob
🇺🇸

[Zymurbrian]

Bob, where did you find those mounts?