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drillagent's avatar
drillagent
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014

Water Pump Too Loud?

We're getting ready to head home for Thanksgiving and decided to take the new to us 5er. Yesterday I pulled it into the Auto Craft shop so I could sanitize the fresh water tank. We've never used the water pump because the two times we've camped with it so far, we had water hook ups. The campground we're going to has shut off their water for the winter.

So I filled the fresh water tank IOT sanitize the system and used the water pump for the first time to sanitize the lines. Wow, was the pump loud. I kept the water hose hooked up so I could easily pump fresh water in after the bleach set a while. After putting fresh water in, and while the pump was running, I took the hose off and the pump sound change. Sounded like it was straining until I took the hose off. It was still loud and frankly, the water pressure isn't the greatest.

Is this normal? If I leave the pump on, will it shut down if no water is running and start back up when a faucet is turned on, or do I have to turn it on each time I want water? It sounds like I'm choking a cat, like it's about to burn out or something.

24 Replies

  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Nov 30, 2014
    I reduced the noise of my TT's water pump substantially by just putting the insulating foam tubing around the pipes near the pump. One of the pipes in particular was vibrating against against the TT's wall.
  • drillagent's avatar
    drillagent
    Explorer
    Nov 30, 2014
    Dad was with Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 4 (MCB 4 Seabees) in DaNang, I Corps. So I did a lot of reading about it as a kid. After my own two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, I've seen enough 500lbs CAS that I can imagine what an Arc Light must have been like. Not to mention the mortars shot at me and the155 flying over my head.
  • alfredmay's avatar
    alfredmay
    Explorer
    Nov 29, 2014
    Drillagent and SkiSmuggs,

    I am pretty impressed that there are two other people on this thread who know what an arc light is when referring to Vietnam.


    Fred

    Alfred M. May
    A/1-506 INF
    101 ABN
    Northern I Corps
    RVN 1970 - 71
  • drillagent's avatar
    drillagent
    Explorer
    Nov 29, 2014
    Well, I finally figured out why the pump kept running and sounding weird. Actually, my father figured it out. Never too old to get schooled by your parents. But I sure feel stupid about it. Seems there's a switch by the hose connection that you flip to "Fill" when you want to fill the water tank. And you flip it to "Normal Use" when you're connected to the water line. I thought you only use that selection when you have the hose hooked up. Nope. Dad walked right over and flipped it to Normal Use and the pump stopped. Then he looked at me at went "Duh". Gee, thanks Dad.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Nov 26, 2014
    Yes, leave the water pump "on" when you are normally around the RV. Don't just turn it on when you want water to run. Drive you crazy fiddling with that.

    Yes, they are loud. Various things can help with that such as padding the water pipes going through walls (use those foam cut hot water pipe insulations) and add extra coils of pex tubing to the water pump as described in its owner's manual.

    After you have done what is reasonable, just grin and bear it really.
  • Dutch_12078's avatar
    Dutch_12078
    Explorer III
    Nov 25, 2014
    A rocket scientist at Georgie Boy Mfg decided the ideal location for the water pump in our Landau was in a cabinet next to the bed. There was no way either one of us was going to sleep through it running during a middle of the night bathroom foray, so I relocated it to the wet bay, and added flex hose loops for vibration isolation. Now we can't tell if it's running except when the coach is absolutely quiet, and then it's just a faint hum. I also installed the pump where it's easily accessed for service, and can be changed out in about 10 minutes if needed.

  • Taxman2004's avatar
    Taxman2004
    Explorer
    Nov 25, 2014
    Do a lot of boon docking in a class A. Had to replace an 8 year old shurflow water pup because it leaked. New models are quite a bit quieter than the ones from ten years ago.
  • SkiSmuggs's avatar
    SkiSmuggs
    Explorer
    Nov 25, 2014
    drillagent wrote:
    alfredmay wrote:
    The pump makes noise and most people just live with it. But you can quiet them to some degree.

    1) Pumps are loud... some louder than others. If you want to spend money you can purchase a quieter pump. Or purchase an accumulator tank but it will not reduce the noise the pump makes but it will reduce the number of times the pump makes the noise. A Shurflo pump silencer kit has flex hoses that keep the vibration from being transmitted to the RV pipes. The kit is sold in RV stores and Amazon

    2) Pumps vibrate and that vibration is transmitted to the floor of the RV and the vibration noise adds to the overall sound. You can reduce some of this vibration by taking a small carpet square or a rubber mouse pad and mounting the pump on this. Just use longer screws.

    3) You can make a small cover for the pump out of a cardboard box lined with sound reducing foam.

    Best of luck and thanks for serving.

    Fred
    A/1-506 Infantry
    101 ABN
    Vietnam 70-71


    Thanks for all the help. I'll let it run longer this weekend. I'll also try to find access to it. I may have to remove a panel in my basement to get to it. I'll just follow the sound of choking animals and vibration of an arc light raid.

    I haven't heard an arc light or the term in 44 years. 5th Mech, I Corps

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