Noisy Water Pump

[Vernon B]

I've got one of these, its mounted within the double floor and came with the new 'van.

 

I'm yet to check that it's properly mounted on rubber bushes but assuming it is, has anyone got any thoughts about adding some form of sound insulation around it?

 

I appreciate that there needs to be some form of ventilation but these pumps are rarely used continuously for any length of time and I'd have thought that the insulation would also reduce the risk of the thing freezing up.

 

V

[MandyAndy]

It can and does drive many to distraction, including us, I know people have used the thick black foam stuff, no idea of the name of it but I think alot of it is trial and error.

 

We have learned (or learnt?) to live with it to be honest, the worst one is when you are all asleep and an airl lock develops and the pump goes off every half hour through the night. Doesn't happen often so you know it is just an airlock and nothing more serious but the steam from Andy's ears by the end of the night warms the van nicely :-D :-D

 

Good luck and if you find anything that works come back and let us know.

 

Mandy

[Brambles]

Why do you not just turn the pump off at night then?

 

 

Regarding sound insulation the rubber mounts are usually quite effective and then some convertor goes and puts on plastic pipes and clamps them to the floor or wall and they transmit the sound. Some nice flexible pipe (silicone) used as couplings inserted for the few inches either side of pump can make all the difference.

[fjmike]

Have to agree with brambles on this one, motorhome converters could do a lot better job with water pumps. It may cost in time and parts to do as Brambles suggests but would cost nothing to mount the pump onto a firmer base

 

Not sure about turning off in the night though as the flush don't work then :$

[Brambles]

So do you leave the bathroom light on as well in case you need in the night? ;-)

edit - I sound a bit rude or sarcastic - apologies.

[George Collings]

It is common for the rubber mounts to be screwed down too hard. It is flexibility thats needed including the pipework as previously suggested.

 

The occasional run at night is due to pressure leakage triggering the pump.

 

Check for external leaks but sometimes its just the rubber/ plastic valves in the pump getting tired or a bit of debris stuck in them.

 

My pumps performance fell away and began to operate more frequently until I replaced the valves.

 

Turning the pump of at night is a good idea unless like me you suffer from all day memory fade.

[fjmike]

Brambles - 2010-05-21 7:41 PM

 

So do you leave the bathroom light on as well in case you need in the night? ;-)

edit - I sound a bit rude or sarcastic - apologies.

 

Eee my bladder aint what it used to be apology accepted :-D

[MandyAndy]

I have a 10 year old little girl who uses the toilet in the night, with water turned off and no flush she would need the broom handle and the lights on to be able to hit the control panel above the door.

 

Not a quiet job I don't imagine :-D :-D

 

Mandy

[Bill Ord]

Hi,

A fix I've used in the past with noisy water pumps is to mount the pump on a sandwich made up of foam between two layers of ply wood. I got this idea from a fellow traveller who'd had it done at the Rimor works in Italy when he complained of noise. You could look at using building insulation board. The standard rubber mounts just don't do the job and if the pump is in tension on the pipe mounts you have a guarantee of transmitting noise, trial and error is the only true way to get a quiet pump if it really bothers you, most of us just live with it.

 

Bill Ord

[Vernon B]

Thanks for the comments/suggestions - I feel a project coming on.

 

V