Noisy H2O Pump

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

BruceinFL

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2005
Posts
3,205
Hi Y'all,
The water pump in my new coach sounds like a jackhammer inside, especially at night when duty calls. Any suggestions about how to quiet it down?
Thanks,
 
They are supposed to have at lest 3-4 inches of flexible line on either side of the pump inlet/outlet but few RV manufacturers bother to do that.  The flex is supposed to help some with the noise.  And sometimes they are mounted to a piece of wood that acts as a nice sound board. Some additional rubber under the mounting feet or a different mounting position can help sometimes.

Then there is always the option of purchasing one of the newer computer-controlled pumps that are variable in speed and pump only what the actual flow demand requires rather than full bore on, then off.  They are said to be much quieter under most circumstances. A bit pricey, but not out of sight.  I've thought about getting one myself, but then we finish our boondocking stay and the problem falls back to low priority again [G]
 
BruceinFL said:
Hi Y'all,
The water pump in my new coach sounds like a jackhammer inside, especially at night when duty calls. Any suggestions about how to quiet it down?
Thanks,


Another factor is that there are TWO (or possibly more) different designs to water pumps used in RV's.  One is the centrifical pump, it runs, or not, and when it runs it's basically a water fan or more precisely a water blower, Works just like the blower on your furnance or the heater/AC blower on your car.

The other is a diafram pump... It works... Just like a jackhammer
 
Bruce,

As Gary suggests, the addition of some flexible hose will help.  I bought some high pressure water hose which I used to replace the rigid pipe attached to my water pump.  However I placed three coils in the hose rather than making a straight connection.  The coils act as a buffer.

It might also help to place some rubber between the pump and the wood florr, if that's the way the pump is mounted.  Then check to see if any of teh ridgid pipe may have come loose along the system, where it might be vibrating against a wall.

Let us know what you find, and if the flexible hose solves the problem.
 
Thanks you guys,
My pump is a ShurFlo diaphram pump. I will check the lines and the mounting.

Those new variale flow 5.7 gpm pumps are big bucks...are they worth it?

 
BruceinFL said:
Thanks you guys,
My pump is a ShurFlo diaphram pump. I will check the lines and the mounting.

Those new variale flow 5.7 gpm pumps are big bucks...are they worth it?

Yes the Aquajet is.  Haven't heard any good reports for any of the others.  Aquajet  is about $150.00
 
BruceinFL said:
Thanks you guys,
My pump is a ShurFlo diaphram pump. I will check the lines and the mounting.

Those new variale flow 5.7 gpm pumps are big bucks...are they worth it?

Remember my earlier reply where I said that the other kind of pump (Diaphram, I mispelled it though) works like a jack hammer?

Here is how they work.. The pump consists of a few basic parts.. There is a chamber, one wall of which is a flexable diaphram, and a pair of check (usually reed cause they are the smallest) valves.... There is a spring, a switch and an electromagnet.

When the pressure is low the diaphram extends into the chamber... The switch closes, the electromagnet pulls against the diaphram pulling it up against the spring and increasing the volume of the chamber,,, This pulls water out of the tank (I was going to say "Sucks" but alas, multiple meansings)  When the diaphram has been pulled enough the switch opens and the magnet releases it.  The spring is now free to push the water out the outlet... as it does so the volume of water in the chamber is reduced and the, Im' going to say Piston here cause it's easier to type.  moves into the chamber... Closing the switch and causing the magnet to pull it out again.


Here is how a jackhammer works......

Air is injected into the cylinder, pushing the piston out against a spring... When the piston is far enough out the valves switch over and the air is allowed to escape to the outside (inlet is cut off here) causing the piston to retract back into the hammer and again switching the valve so that air again enters the chamber..

Same thing exactly but with air instead of water


So it's no wonder your pump sounds like a jackhammer.... IT IS a jackhammer
 
Back
Top Bottom