New pump noise

[Tom E]

I recently replaced my 44 year old well pump with a new Goulds J5 convertible deep well jet pump. The pump seems to run pretty smooth but is pretty noisy. It seems to transmit vibration through the copper discharge pipe. This seems strange because if you put your hand on the pump when it's running it feels smooth but if you grab the 3/4" copper pipe going to the rest of the house there is a pretty significant vibration. The first thing I tried was to put rubber vibration pads under the feet of the pump. That didn't work. I notice there are bolt holes in the pump feet. Do you think lagging the pump to the concrete floor would help? The old Goulds pump when it was running good a few years ago was much quieter. Even toward the end when it started making more noise from the impeller the sound didn't travel through the pipes like this one. I didn't change much with the new installation. I pretty much just swapped out the pumps. Any suggestions?

 

[Valveman]

A flexible pipe like poly pipe or a hose on the discharge will help more than rubber feet. Sometimes the pipe is just the right length, like an antenna, to cause a resonance frequency. Shortening or lengthening the pipe usually helps, but a short piece of rubber hose is best. Those flexible Stainless Steel braided hoses like on the back of a toilet or water heater works well.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

Poly is not very flexible so I advise to use a braided rubber hose between the pump and the tank Tee. Also don't reduce the pump outlet before the Tee. Use larger pipe between the pump and Tee to reduce the noise created by friction.

 

[Tom E]

Thanks. I don't have much room to work with as far as flexible pipe is concerned. Yeah I know the joints are sloppy but they don't leak.

 

[Tom E]

44 year old pump. This thing was quiet before it started to go.

 

[LLigetfa]

I would use a proper tank Tee that has a larger diameter path to the tank and then come off the Tee with 3/4" to the house. The tank would buffer any pulsing so the noise should be absorbed and the pressure switch should work better.

 

[LLigetfa]

44 year old pump. This thing was quiet before it started to go.

The regulator probably helped to buffer the noise.

 

[Tom E]

Yes the new Goulds AV22 pressure control valve recommended by Goulds for the j5 is much smaller and lighter then the regulator that was on the old pump. The noise is a amplified vibration of the pump running not the water flowing. Today I did a mickey mouse fix that has actually helped quite a bit. Where the pump is the ceiling is only about 5 ft. I put a wood brace from the top of the pump to the joist in the ceiling consisting of a 1.5" wood dowel with a lag bolt in one end. I put the wood end on the pump and backed off on the lag bolt to tighten it up against the ceiling joist. The vibration and noise in the pipes is almost completely gone. It also might be because the old pump I took out was much heavier then the new pump.

 

[Valveman]

It also might be because the old pump I took out was much heavier then the new pump.

Ding, ding, ding! I think we have a winner. A heavy pump doesn't need to be braced to the ceiling. Plus, the bearings in that old pump were probably first rate American made, which you won't see anymore. Sad we have become such a throw away society. All pumps should last 44 years. But manufacturers make sure that doesn't happen these days.

 

[Tom E]

The old Goulds pump was rated in all aspects the same as the new Goulds pump. The old pump was not only much heavier but the bearings had lube ports where you could oil them. Like most things, not just pumps, the older stuff was built to last. Unfortunately most companies figured out that making things that way would cut into their profits. Even though they have even more capability now to build things that last there is no incentive to do so.