Water pump...if everyone can keep their cool!

[Vintage465]

Since my original post got closed down:(, I think I have come up with game plan! I will keep the existing 4048 SureFlo, add a couple feet of 1/2 flexible high pressure hose on the downstream side of the pump to quiet the little rascal. Also thinking I could add a small SureFlo Accumulator Tank to try and smooth out the pulses as we use the faucets on low flow to save water when we are boon docking. Then on the deluxe side of things I think I would like to add a second accumulator tank between my under sink filter and the filter faucet. Does anyone see any issues with installing a second accumulator on the dedicated filter line?

Thanks!

[crcr]

SoundGuy wrote:

crcr wrote:
Thanks for all SoundGuy and Lynnmor, appreciate it. So I'm thinking two of these compression for Pex to Barb fitting for soft braided hose fittings might just fill the bill for my application. What do you think? Am I on the right track now?

That's one alternative but as I said earlier I don't see the need to cut the PEX at all if you can disconnect it from the pump, leave the PEX connector as is, and simply connect your soft braided hose to that connector, using adapters if need be.

Thanks. I like that solution, but the pump, the Pex, and the back wall, are all in such close proximity, unfortunately, I don't think there is room to accomplish that.

[crcr]

Lynnmor wrote:
Looks good to me if that is indeed a 1/2" hose barb. Where did you come up with the part?

I googled "sea tech compression fitting for pex to barb fitting"
and here is the result. Scroll down a bit in the search results and that item is in a box, and the name of the item is:
Sea-Tech 013513-1008 Hose Barb Fitting, 1/2" CTS x 1/2" HB

The Pex tubing going in and out of my water pump has an O.D. measurement of 0.62", which is just .005 under 5/8". Question: would the above fitting be the correct compression fitting for this diameter Pex tubing? And from the description is that indeed a 1/2" barb?

[Lynnmor]

Looks good to me if that is indeed a 1/2" hose barb. Where did you come up with the part?

[SoundGuy]

crcr wrote:
Thanks for all SoundGuy and Lynnmor, appreciate it. So I'm thinking two of these compression for Pex to Barb fitting for soft braided hose fittings might just fill the bill for my application. What do you think? Am I on the right track now?

That's one alternative but as I said earlier I don't see the need to cut the PEX at all if you can disconnect it from the pump, leave the PEX connector as is, and simply connect your soft braided hose to that connector, using adapters if need be.

[crcr]

Thanks for all SoundGuy and Lynnmor, appreciate it. So I'm thinking two of these compression for Pex to Barb fitting for soft braided hose fittings might just fill the bill for my application. What do you think? Am I on the right track now?

[SoundGuy]

crcr wrote:
Below is a pic of my water pump. As you can see, no soft braided hoses on mine, unfortunately! So would those existing fittings to the Pex pipe likely be barbed? If so, then taking out a section of Pex and putting in a loop of soft braided hose would be pretty straightforward.

If you want to replicate what the factory has done you'd need the special tool designed to properly clamp those Oetiker clmaps. You can avoid all this by instead using compression fittings such as those offered by Sea Tech or Sharkbite. Just cut the PEX where you want to and install the fitting - done. However, if once disconnected there's enough play in that PEX shown in your pic to allow moving the PEX out of the way I'd just leave it all as is and use a set of adapters to connect to a length of soft wall braided hose. You can buy pump silencer kits from Shurflo and Valterra that consist on this braided hose already terminated with 1/2" fittings but they're only 3' long each. My own experimentation indicates you want at least 15' on the pump output to adequately quell all the vibration and thus noise, that's why I used a 25' length of fresh water hose instead.

[Lynnmor]

PEX fittings have a special barb. 1/2" hose should be used with a 1/2" hose barb fitting slightly different than the PEX. That said, hose is often connected to a PEX barb and most of the time it works. I have used PB to PEX adapters, but that is only slightly better.

[crcr]

SoundGuy wrote:

crcr wrote:
I've done several things to quiet down our water pump. I mounted it on a piece of 1/4" plywood with dash cover carpet material glued to both sides. Then I put water pipe foam insulation on the pipes around the pump. This has quieted it down quite a few notches, but to quiet it more, I am thinking to put in a soft vinyl tubing loop on the outlet side of the pump (almost all of the vibration in mine is on the outlet side, not the inlet side). My pipes are all hard Pex, and connections are secured with some kind of steel clamp that is obviously put on with some kind of special tool, thus the clamp, if removed, cannot be re-installed.

I am thinking of cutting the Pex tubing on the outlet side and installing a soft vinyl loop. My question is, should automotive-style screw clamps, used on heater hoses and so on, be adequate to hold the soft vinyl tubing over the Pex pipes without leaks? What is the typical pressure of these RV water lines when the lines are pressurized by the pump?

Anything is possible but a trailer manufacturer will usually use soft braided hose from the FW tank to the pump intake and if they give a **** at all then another piece from the pump output before it interfaces to PEX that distributes water throughout the trailer. In any case, the connections to the pump, if they're threaded, are standard 1/2" NPT (National Pipe Thread) so there shouldn't be any need to cut the PEX at all. Shurflo makes barb to 1/2" NPT adapters as well as 1/2" NPT to 3/4" GH (garden hose) adapters which would allow you to use braided fresh water hose. In my case I cut the 3/4" GH fittings off the hose I used because at the time I wasn't aware of the 1/2" to 3/4" adapters, otherwise I'd have used them.

Shurflo Fittings

Never use a band clamp on PEX, it's sure to leak. If you're really convinced you need to cut the PEX then use compression fittings that just slide on to the PEX and create a 1/2" NPT fitting on the end.

Thanks for all that info. Appreciate it! Below is a pic of my water pump. As you can see, no soft braided hoses on mine, unfortunately! So would those existing fittings to the Pex pipe likely be barbed? If so, then taking out a section of Pex and putting in a loop of soft braided hose would be pretty straightforward.

[SoundGuy]

crcr wrote:
I've done several things to quiet down our water pump. I mounted it on a piece of 1/4" plywood with dash cover carpet material glued to both sides. Then I put water pipe foam insulation on the pipes around the pump. This has quieted it down quite a few notches, but to quiet it more, I am thinking to put in a soft vinyl tubing loop on the outlet side of the pump (almost all of the vibration in mine is on the outlet side, not the inlet side). My pipes are all hard Pex, and connections are secured with some kind of steel clamp that is obviously put on with some kind of special tool, thus the clamp, if removed, cannot be re-installed.

I am thinking of cutting the Pex tubing on the outlet side and installing a soft vinyl loop. My question is, should automotive-style screw clamps, used on heater hoses and so on, be adequate to hold the soft vinyl tubing over the Pex pipes without leaks? What is the typical pressure of these RV water lines when the lines are pressurized by the pump?

Anything is possible but a trailer manufacturer will usually use soft braided hose from the FW tank to the pump intake and if they give a **** at all then another piece from the pump output before it interfaces to PEX that distributes water throughout the trailer. In any case, the connections to the pump, if they're threaded, are standard 1/2" NPT (National Pipe Thread) so there shouldn't be any need to cut the PEX at all. Shurflo makes barb to 1/2" NPT adapters as well as 1/2" NPT to 3/4" GH (garden hose) adapters which would allow you to use braided fresh water hose. In my case I cut the 3/4" GH fittings off the hose I used because at the time I wasn't aware of the 1/2" to 3/4" adapters, otherwise I'd have used them.

Shurflo Fittings

Never use a band clamp on PEX, it's sure to leak. If you're really convinced you need to cut the PEX then use compression fittings that just slide on to the PEX and create a 1/2" NPT fitting on the end.

[crcr]

Rather than start a new thread, I decided to ask this question here, since it is closely related to the discussion henceforth:

I've done several things to quiet down our water pump. I mounted it on a piece of 1/4" plywood with dash cover carpet material glued to both sides. Then I put water pipe foam insulation on the pipes around the pump. This has quieted it down quite a few notches, but to quiet it more, I am thinking to put in a soft vinyl tubing loop on the outlet side of the pump (almost all of the vibration in mine is on the outlet side, not the inlet side). My pipes are all hard Pex, and connections are secured with some kind of steel clamp that is obviously put on with some kind of special tool, thus the clamp, if removed, cannot be re-installed.

I am thinking of cutting the Pex tubing on the outlet side and installing a soft vinyl loop. My question is, should automotive-style screw clamps, used on heater hoses and so on, be adequate to hold the soft vinyl tubing over the Pex pipes without leaks? What is the typical pressure of these RV water lines when the lines are pressurized by the pump?

Thanks for any input!

[down_home]

A coil on each side of the pump will help. Better insulated install of the pump would contribute a lot. Don't enclose the pump in a housing.
They get hot with extended run such as showering sometimes. Our pump and your carry such warning or use to. Ten amps produces quite a bit of heat.
Really on some pumps, take the advice of others replace it with one that the many say is quieter.
If you want the quietest look at the models for the Prevost conversions and others. They are more like the pump in our well without the ten hp ac motor.
Takes some power but..... and space....
For 150.00 or so you can afford to try one. Even return it if it isn't up to your spec.

[bpadamson]

Lynnmor wrote:

LarryJM wrote:


IMO those accumulator tanks use up a whole lot of unnecessary anti-freeze or extra isolation valves to by pass them like your WH during winterization.

I think there are better and less complicated ways to solve at least noise issues.

Larry

The tanks hold 24 oz. at full pressure, and only a fraction of that at zero pressure. You have zero pressure in a winterized trailer.

X2, although we have ours on a flex pipe and just unscrew, cap the tee, and drain the tank. Works great! --imho

[BarneyS]

Knock off the personal attacks in your posts or this thread will be closed just as the last one was.
Barney

[Vintage465]

SoundGuy wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
If 2 feet works, why would I need to try 15'-25'? Not sure what's going on with your coach but in all the years of reading these kinds of post I have NEVER seen anyone post that they used or needed 15' of coiled hose to quiet their water pump. IMHO, if you do, something is terribly, terribly wrong.
In hopes of calming your response, I really don't care. Use all the hose you like but the majority of RVers will never have any need for anything like a 15' loop (wrapped in whatever).

But as you say - I really don't care whether you agree or not, I've got the proof that pump vibration largely radiates out through the output hose and the more soft potable water hose that is used before it eventually connects to the trailer's hard wall PEX system the greater will be the dampening effect. In my case, I do have the personal experience to prove this is the case. 😉

I have ordered the two accumulator tanks, the check valve and I'm gonna put 3' of flexible 1/2" high pressure hose with 1/2" FPT threads on each side of the accumulator. This is a total of 6' of sound deadening hose and I think with some additional pump mount silencing should really take down the surging and noise. I did some mods to the factory plumbing when I installed the under-sink filter and I think there could be some "surge slapping" of the pipes against the coach. I will look into this too.

[SoundGuy]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
If 2 feet works, why would I need to try 15'-25'? Not sure what's going on with your coach but in all the years of reading these kinds of post I have NEVER seen anyone post that they used or needed 15' of coiled hose to quiet their water pump. IMHO, if you do, something is terribly, terribly wrong.
In hopes of calming your response, I really don't care. Use all the hose you like but the majority of RVers will never have any need for anything like a 15' loop (wrapped in whatever).

But as you say - I really don't care whether you agree or not, I've got the proof that pump vibration largely radiates out through the output hose and the more soft potable water hose that is used before it eventually connects to the trailer's hard wall PEX system the greater will be the dampening effect. In my case, I do have the personal experience to prove this is the case. 😉