Forum Discussion

pjhansman's avatar
pjhansman
Explorer
Jun 21, 2014

VSD Pump vs. Pressure Tank

I posted this on another forum but though I would try here as well :)

I'm sure this has been discussed in the past.....but I couldn't find it.

I want to upgrade my water system.

There are a number of VSD pumps available that provide excellent volume and pressure, and apparently are much quieter than the low-end Shurflo pump that came with my 5ver.

On the other hand there is the option of putting in a pressure tank with a new/better "conventional" pump to reduce noise and the lessen the constant pump cycling.

I guess my question is....do the VSD pumps actually run quieter and with less water hammer than the regular pump, or is the pressure tank the way to go?

Phil
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Jun 22, 2014
    BTPO1 wrote:
    To reduce the noise you have to put the flexible hose on both sides of the pump,
    Not my experience. Once you aborb the vibration on the output side using flex hose, there's not much happening on the input side.
  • BTPO1's avatar
    BTPO1
    Explorer
    Jun 22, 2014
    pjhansman wrote:
    I've mounted mine on rubber and wrapped all the lines in foam. Still not at all happy with the noise. I will try the flexible line on the pump discharge....but I think there's a pressure tank in my future as well.


    To reduce the noise you have to put the flexible hose on both sides of the pump, not just the discharge side. CW sells the noise reduction kits, but I found it cheaper to get the hoses and fittings and do it myself. I can't dispute the accumulator tank, if they weren't so expensive I would have one to slow the pump cycling. JMO
  • pjhansman's avatar
    pjhansman
    Explorer
    Jun 22, 2014
    I've mounted mine on rubber and wrapped all the lines in foam. Still not at all happy with the noise. I will try the flexible line on the pump discharge....but I think there's a pressure tank in my future as well.
  • BTPO1's avatar
    BTPO1
    Explorer
    Jun 22, 2014
    BillyW wrote:
    It's easy to make the current pump run quiet by isolating its vibrations from the rest of the RV. I mounted mine on sections of rubber hose and installed flexible hoses between it and the pex lines, and also added cushioning between the nearest water lines and the walls/floor.



    X2, did that to mine and you can hardly hear it run. Inexpensive fix for the problem. JMO
  • TurnThePage's avatar
    TurnThePage
    Explorer
    Jun 21, 2014
    It's easy to make the current pump run quiet by isolating its vibrations from the rest of the RV. I mounted mine on sections of rubber hose and installed flexible hoses between it and the pex lines, and also added cushioning between the nearest water lines and the walls/floor.

    Adding an accumulator (tank) will help with the water hammer, and also allows the pump to run less frequently, which is a boon especially when flushing the toilet in the middle of the night.

    The old school pumps use less water than those newer variable speed ones, which could be important if you boondock.

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