Quieting down the water pump

[rustydiver]

The Water pump and accumulator are at the front off the boat under a false floor in a cupboard. When you run a tap, Shower, toilet it makes a lot off noise, vibrates through the floor off the boat, now today i put a few screws with some rubber under the accumulators feet to fix it down, the pump has rubber feet and screwed down, I've also put some foam in the voids off the false floor to take up the airspace making it not sound so load, while it has quieted down it still makes a noise.

Any other suggestions or are they just noisy things.

[ditchcrawler]

Is it connected with rigid pipe, if so try inserting a short length of hose on both suction and discharge.

[WotEver]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

Is it connected with rigid pipe, if so try inserting a short length of hose on both suction and discharge.

Which will also help avoid leaks on the pump connections. 

[rustydiver]

Thanks.

Its connected with some blue flexi garden type hose.

 

[rustydiver]

Not sure how much noise pumps should make. Its more off a hummm through the wood. 

So could try some new rubber feet. Its been in the boat from new 03, they may be quite hard now.

[mross]

Make sure the mounting screw are not too tight.

[ditchcrawler]

Mine is not screwed down at all, just sits in a tray for next time it leaks.

 

[Giant]

In general there are two ways that pumps and things make noise: sound carrying directly and vibration transmitting to the rest of the boat.

You can limit the direct transmission of sound by boxing it in and insulating the box. With where it's placed and the foam you've added you may have already achieved that, but if not you may find that plugging the last gaps makes all the difference.

Vibration is a matter of the rubber feet, and as you say it may be worth replacing the ones that are there.

You can get some amazing anti-vibration mounts these days. I was at a trade fair a few months ago and a manufacturer was showing off the energy-absorbing gel they use for them. You can drop a raw egg onto an inch-thick layer of the stuff from 20m up and it will stop dead without breaking.

[rusty69]

I use to have this problem. I then connected the pump up to the stereo. Everytime the pump now comes on the stereo plays " the sound of silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. Problem solved. 

However, if ever the pump leaks it plays " bridge over troubled water" 

[mross]

Probably a hard-boiled egg!

[ditchcrawler]

I like to hear mine, that way I know if it runs when it shouldnt

[Giant]

5 minutes ago, mross said:

Probably a hard-boiled egg!

Nope! They would crack it open afterwards to prove it.

 

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I use to have this problem. I then connected the pump up to the stereo. Everytime the pump now comes on the stereo plays " the sound of silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. Problem solved. 

However, if ever the pump leaks it plays " bridge over troubled water" 

Ha ha excellent 

18 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I like to hear mine, that way I know if it runs when it shouldnt

Me too that's how I noticed the PRV on the calorifier was on the way out.

[rustydiver]

Its good to hear it, which is reassuring but also good to hear the TV.

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, rustydiver said:

Its good to hear it, which is reassuring but also good to hear the TV.

Mine doesnt run that often, Only if someone draws say half a litre of water off.

[mross]

20 minutes ago, Giant said:

Nope! They would crack it open afterwards to prove it.

But the video cuts from the egg landing to it being picked up so it could be a different egg.

[rustydiver]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Mine doesnt run that often, Only if someone draws say half a litre of water off.

Her indoors decided to have a shower this morning when i was trying to watch world super bikes.

Think she should have had a bath in the marina instead 

Edited March 12, 2017 by rustydiver

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, Giant said:

You can drop a raw egg onto an inch-thick layer of the stuff from 20m up and it will stop dead without breaking.

Works with concrete too.

I tried it once and it didn't even make a dent in the concrete. 

[Giant]

1 hour ago, mross said:

But the video cuts from the egg landing to it being picked up so it could be a different egg.

I saw it done.

Here's a clip of the same trick that shows it as a continuous shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmOimiKIxDY&t=32

 

[bizzard]

And if you can't hear it and want to pull the rubber feet off and lay it loose in a tin tea tray.    I wouldn't wrap it up in insulation and box it in closely, the motor might overheat.

[bizzard]

If the pumps on flexible pipes and there's headroom in the pump box it could be suspended in midair on strings or elastic bands. Postmen scatter them about like confetti.

Edited March 12, 2017 by bizzard

[adrianh]

If you have enough space mount the pump on a separate wooden plate then stand the plate off the floor on 3 or 4 soft rubber bobbin mounts - you can get these from exhaust fitting shops/ motor factors/ ebay. Use something  say 25mm dia x 25mm long. Small fans are often mounted using this type of system.

Make sure that your flexible pipes are long enough - say 200/ 300 mm and are soft enough material.

I have found that my pump seem to get noisy if the suction filter is getting blocked or as the internal valves start to leak putting the pump 'out of balance'

[rustydiver]

There is a pre filter before the pump I expect never been cleaned. Are they easy to remove?

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, rustydiver said:

There is a pre filter before the pump I expect never been cleaned. Are they easy to remove?

If it's the round screw on type,they are not too bad to remove if access is good. Make sure the tabs are aligned before removing, as they can be quite delicate.

 

Not sure about other types 

[Neil2]

I think the problem is most pumps are fixed to the cabin floor or near to it, and the bilge of a narrowboat is a very efficient amplifier.  There's not a lot you can do about that.  I haven't tried it myself but I suspect lifting the pump and letting it stand on a substantial sound absorbent mat would help.  The problem is, as others have said, it is a noise you do want to (be able to) hear.  If there was such a thing as a silent pump I wouldn't buy it.