When submersible pump runs my house is noisy

[Tickridgescott]

We have a small house. 86 gallon pressure tank (about 23 gallon drawdown@ 35-55 psi). When pump cuts in the hum of the motor/water entering tank is loud throughout the house. Not terrible, but a minor annoyance. Can I do anything to quiet this? I THINK it is the tank but maybe the pipes? I am not sure. Has anyone insulated the outside of their pressure tank with good results in sound dampening?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Raucina]

The one advantage is that you will be in tune daily with the use of water and become instantly aware of any problems before they become disasters. I can hear a crisis coming in a room full of machines long before it happens because one becomes accustomed to the sound of correct operations.

Although.....some guys can stand next to a machine with the ball bearings shooting out around the room and the motor smoking without a single glitch of knowledge that something is amiss.

Anyway, maybe secure your pipes better. Pressure tanks do not make noise unless they are blowing up, and thats easy to determine.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Leejosepho]

Has this always been the case, or is this something fairly new? I can sometimes hear my own pump running, and I suspect it is from some scale or whatever causing a slight imbalance and vibration ... but it is not always there. Like Raucina suggested, you might begin at the supply line's point of entry into the house and feel for places where the pipe is vibrating and strap it to the wall or a joist or whatever.

 

[Leejosepho]

I can hear a crisis coming in a room full of machines long before it happens because one becomes accustomed to the sound of correct operations.

Although.....some guys can stand next to a machine with the ball bearings shooting out around the room and the motor smoking without a single glitch of knowledge that something is amiss.

As a former industrial mechanic now driving a fork lift in an aerosol-packaging plant, I know exactly what you are talking about there! Sometimes I give the maintenance guys an advance warning, but they usually just wait for the line to stop anyway so they can come figure out what to fix.

 

[Speedbump]

I have seen this problem a few times over the years. It's very hard to tell what pipe is causing the noise. But one thing that is for sure, there has to be a vibration causing it. Usually the pump/motor. Even though it may be ever so slight it's enough to make a pipe vibrate like that causing the annoyance. I have tried strapping, putting rubber between copper pipes and joists etc. with little success.

bob...

 

[John in herndon]

Noisy pump

Man years ago I had a submersible pump located about 100 feet from the house. It was really noisy, to the point that it nearly drowned out conversation when it started. I tried everything I could think of:
1. Mounted the tank on a rubber mat --- no help
2. Installed a fancy rubber/stainless steel braid flex section where the pipe entered the basement --- Almost no help.

I was about out of ideas a few months later when the pump quit entirely. I called the well driller on a rainy sleeting November Sunday afternoon and helped him pull the pump. We put in a new pump and the noise disappeared. The moral here is that your pump may be on its last legs. I cut the pump apart and found that the inlet screen was corroded and the pump had apparently sucked a bunch of sand causing it to go downhill rapidly.

Another possible fix is to use poly pipe between the well and the house and snake it back and forth in a wide ditch. (I have not done this but i have heard about its being used)

 

[Tickridgescott]

I figured it out. I had put a check valve in right before the tank inside the house. When I did this last summer (when hooking up my water system) I was given that advice from a neighbor. I removed it last night and now I can not even tell if the pump is on or off unless i put my ear right on the tank. WOW! A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I had bought a cycle stop valve a few months ago to install but hesitated to because of the noisy pump running. I also installed this cycle stop valve yesterday....we love it. Higher pressure, more constant pressure Stops our pump from cycling, and now we don't even hear it.

 

[Speedbump]

Glad you like the CSV Scott. I knew you would.

Did the check valve come from a big box store? Just curious because I've never heard of a check valve making noise like that before.

Sally's working on the warranty thing as we speak.

bob...

 

[Rancher]

I had bought a cycle stop valve a few months ago to install but hesitated to because of the noisy pump running. I also installed this cycle stop valve yesterday....we love it. Higher pressure, more constant pressure

Just curious, how does a CSV that works by a principal of regulating at a lower pressure than your original high pressure cutout provide "higher pressure"?

Rancher

 

[Leejosepho]

Just curious, how does a CSV that works by a principal of regulating at a lower pressure than your original high pressure cutout provide "higher pressure"?

He is probably only meaning to say the "running pressure" in his system is now greater than the low end of a non-CSV pump cycle.

 

[aperradon]

hello

hi , a friend told me it,when u hear the pump work in the house use a plastic hose betwen pump and house to kill the sound i dont know if the pipe is steel or pvc u can try a little plastic couple to try to eliminate it.

 

[Tickridgescott]

thanks bob for covering warranty on pump.

Yes... i was talking about "running pressure" Holds at 54 psi, my shut off is at 57. But it takes 70 seconds to reach shut off after the tap is closed.
It is very nice.