Dealing with Submersible Pump Vibration Noise

[Dewman]

OK, so as some of you may have remembered, I am in the middle of my 2 year long transition between a 10 gallon nano, and a 30 gallon cube. But I have to do it as I can manage as time is very precious right now.

So, I ma at the step where I have done as much sound proofing as I can with acoustic foam inside the cabinet beneath. And I have padded down all the parts that touch with thin closed cell foam.

I am still getting a low pitched hum from my return pump in the sump.
It is a Quiet One 5000.
It is resting on a synthetic car washing sponge (big yellow ones) and it is zip tied to the pump. None of the hoses are hard-connected to the sump. The return hoseis clear nylon and it runs through a hole (slightly larger than the OD of the tube) throught the back of the sump.
When the water in the sump is low, it is pretty loud. When the water in the sump is good, the noise is just loud.
I cannot figure out, for the life of me, where the problem could be except that it's a crappy pump. But it was so quiet when I first got it.

I am seriously thinking of switching to an Eheim pump.

Man... will this ever end????? :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

You need to get what is called a vibration pad to go under the pump, Also you might have a crawl space under your floors, this too can lead to vibration problems. The pads come in few sizes, so best try it to see if it helps or not, in which it should.

 

[TheJGMProject]

Where can you buy vibration pads??? I would probably invest in one of those too.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

If you cannot locate them yourself, then perhaps you should ask your lfs

 

[Dewman]

I have the ultimate vibration pad installed already...

It's big and squishy and yellow and it holds my pump up off the floor of the sump a couple of inches.
It's my sponge :wink:

Seriously though, as I explained, the sound is not coming from the pump transferring vibration to the sump by touching it. I can't see how adding another piece of padding to for the pump to rest on is not going to stop the problem

I didn't mention this, but I held the pump up off the bottom of the sump and the noise was still there. Just as loud. Only it changed pitch slightly.
I think it is just a noisey pump. I have heard of really LOUD Quiet One pumps before. I thought if I insulated it enough, it wouldn't matter, i guess I was wrong.

Looks like my only other viable option is a Sedra 12000 ( also called Dolphin Pondmaster 1200) I hate to spend another $100 on a pump that may end up being just as loud...

Wish there was enough room for an external.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

I would think you find quite a difference from a sponge and a vibration pad, also on your pump, try not to have the impeller twisted in so tight, this too might be a problem, or maybe you had this pump a good long while now for these things do develop problems in time and you have to be lucky that your a pump that would last for so many years before replacement is required. I not believe that a sponge will absorb the sounds of your pump as a vibration pad should for the sponge is hollow and sounds travel through it.

Before when I moved, I needed vibration pads and I to tried this sponge thing and as yourself, it done nothing to help>

I would think that a kitchen towel would do more for you then a sponge>

Just my .02 cent worth


Also, why not think of some other pump then the one you have for your return?

 

[Dewman]

Again,
Maybe I'm not getting the point of the vibration pad, but doesn't the pump have to rest on it for it to work?
If the hum is there even with the pump suspended in the water, I do not see how setting it down on a pad would help.

I am going to try switching it out with an Eheim one of my friends have. It is rated for a few less GPH but I can at least see what kind of sound I could expect.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Vibration pads help me on three aquarium systems, and one pump I had to change for the continuous mild vibration in which case I changed the pump. Also if it can help me as well many others, why shouldn't a vibration pad help you? Also know that it will seat on the pad in the sump as its doing now on your sponge for know this that the sponge idea will not hold back the sounds for the only good thing about a sponge is that it will hold water. As well, there be a difference in both items material>

 

[Dewman]

Today I removed the sponge and suspended the pump in the water.
Sound is still there. It's new pump day...


Oldmanof thesea...
Please try to answer my question I continue to ask you.
Try to understand my line of reasoning here.

If the pump, without the sponge, continues to make the noise, even when it is not connected to the tank in any way...how can putting it in contact with the sump, even with this vibration pad possibly reduce the noise ?

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

If your getting all that much bad vibrations from this pump, it is then time to change, I cannot see that your any other choice. These pumps do go on the bum occasionally for I said it that you have to be lucky your a pump that would last for so many years. I mean at one time, I had to change one the pumps on one ER skimmer only after a short time from having it, that too was strange but it was a bit of bad luck, I only ended with a pump that was on the bum.

 

[spaulr]

You could try checking the impeller. There could be some build up that is causing excessive vibration.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

I told Dewman about checking the impeller and not to make it too tight>

 

[Dewman]

Spaulr,
I will check the impeller for buildup.
It hasn't been running for that long, but anything is possible.

Thanks

 

[shavo]

I stopped reading this thread after it was stated that the pump makes the noise supended in the water, so excuse me if I am covering old ground, the pump has a problem, I just replaced my impellar in my red sea berlin pump, not from noise but because it didn't operate anymore, my sump dried out without me paying attention and I came home from work and it didn't work, i can imagine it made noise in the process of drying out. Mechanical parts do loosen up over time and most ipellars are plastic, if something went through the pump it is possible that it may have broken something, and I used to work on large water pumps and some pumps are louder than others even of the same make and model. it is possible that something is off slightly or maybe the pump just needs to be taken apart and cleaned. or adjusted, sometimes just taking it apart and putting it back together it reseats itself and runs better or I should say not as loud. just my 2 cents worth before I go to bed.
I can't imagine it is as loud as you say unless it has a problem, or you have OCD! just kidding , hope you figure it out!

 

[Dewman]

Checked my impeller and ' Houston, we have a problem"

2 blades missing corners .

Would this be enough to make that much noise?

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Dewman, indeed it is enough that with missing or broken off parts of the impeller happens to off balances it while in operation>

 

[blackcloudmedia]

wow I must just sleep hard. My tank makes noise but it doesnt bother me.

 

[Dewman]

the noise is rough.

Imagine a hornet right by your ear....
Now imagine a 50 foot hornet, right by your ear...

AaaaaRhhhhghhhhhhh!!!!!

That is sort of what it sounds like.

 

[bleedingthought]

the noise is rough.

Imagine a hornet right by your ear....
Now imagine a 50 foot hornet, right by your ear...

AaaaaRhhhhghhhhhhh!!!!!

That is sort of what it sounds like.

:lol: You seem really sound sensitive! :lol:

BTW, I run a Mag 9.5 as my return pump and a Sedra 5000 as my skimmer pump and the Sedra is like a monster truck compared to the Mag. So you might want to give a Mag (probably a Mag 5, in your case) a chance if you choose to change pumps.

Good luck!

 

[Dewman]

I need something that pushes about 1300 GPH and maxes out at 14 head feet

The Eheim I tried was QUIET but was also much less flow than I need.
As it turns out, i do not need any other pumps for flow, I get plenty of movement with just the return pump.
It didn't look like much whn I was setting it up, before sand.

Now that I can watch things a bit, I actually had to rearrange corals to keep them in lower flow areas.