Decreasing Sump Accoustics?

Capt_Cully

Capt_Cully

Active member
Anyone experiment with lining their stand (assuming you have an under the tank sump) with any kind of sound deadening material? Foam? Insulation? Would heat become an issue?

My least favorite thing about the hobby is the noise similar to having a Pepsi vending machine in your living room. Hoping new overflow set up will contribute to noise reduction. Looking for other vibration and sound reduction ideas.

Thanks
 
I wrap all my submersible pumps in my sump (have 3) with 1/4" thick flexible silicone rubber. The stupid chincy suction cup feet they all come with are way too stiff durometer and don't do anything to reduce vibration really. I find the silicone to do wonders for deadening noise. I can tell in an instant if one ever slips out of place, especially the one on my Sedra 5000 in the skimmer. Even if you have all external equipment, setting them up on some better sound deadening is going to help a lot, the cheap stuff that I'm sure it came with is not going to be that conscious of noise.

As far as insulating the sump with foam neoprene, this will work just fine in the winter, but you might have issues in the summer. And if your stand has an open back, it's not really even worth doing...

Lastly, if your skimmer inlet is really noisy (and that's pretty common), slapping some foam on there will DEFINITELY help. I just used an old maxijet foam inlet cover, dropped it on there and MUCH quieter.
 
The only thing I hear from my setup is the skimmer air intake. Its annoying, but far better than hearing water/air flush through plumbing.
 
Oops. Just saw that link does not work exactly. Use the link, and the select "silicone gel type" bold mounts.
 
Could you add sound deadening material to the inside of the stand walls? that way it would not "insulate" the tank. I would think that a pretty tightly built compartment with sound deadening material would make it pretty quiet, just not sure how you ventilate it....
 
SkiFletch said:
I wrap all my submersible pumps in my sump (have 3) with 1/4" thick flexible silicone rubber. The stupid chincy suction cup feet they all come with are way too stiff durometer and don't do anything to reduce vibration really. I find the silicone to do wonders for deadening noise. I can tell in an instant if one ever slips out of place, especially the one on my Sedra 5000 in the skimmer. Even if you have all external equipment, setting them up on some better sound deadening is going to help a lot, the cheap stuff that I'm sure it came with is not going to be that conscious of noise.

As far as insulating the sump with foam neoprene, this will work just fine in the winter, but you might have issues in the summer. And if your stand has an open back, it's not really even worth doing...

Lastly, if your skimmer inlet is really noisy (and that's pretty common), slapping some foam on there will DEFINITELY help. I just used an old maxijet foam inlet cover, dropped it on there and MUCH quieter.
Click to expand...

where can I find the flexible silicone rubber?
 
mcmaster.com, my favorite place for various supply things.http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/3514/=akon14. That's the specific catalog page with the really soft silicone rubbers. If you want, you can just put in the search field in the top left of the page "silicone rubber" and it will start you through the guide to selecting what you want. Obviously we want sheets, no backing, and then there's a "Durometer" aka hardness guide down the page a bit. We're looking for things in the "soft" range.

Not sure if you've ever heard of or used mcmaster before but they're a phenomenal supply company. Standard shipping is fast as hell since they have warehouses all over the country. I usually order something by 5pm and get it the next day by 4pm delivered, and they're really great to work with if you have a problem or buy something you don't want. They pay for return shipping, no annoying restocking fees, that sort of thing.

I can't remember the exact durometer I chose for my sheets, It might have been 30 Shore A, but don't quote me on that. I do know that I got 1/4" thick sheets. Hope that helps
 
Oh yeah and as for the "how" I do it, I just cut to size and slap a sheet on under the pump in question, or if it's resting on the side of my tank, I'll "wrap" it up a little so some sits under the pump, and other against the side. The only "tricky" one is my sedra since it's horizontally mounted in the skimmer but rests on the side. So for that one I cut a piece a little wider than the pump (like 6") and decently longer (like 8"). Cut a hole in the silicone for the power chord, fed the sheet down along the power chord and draped it over the side/back of the pump.

And a quick edit: If you wanted to make feet for this thing you could, I was just too lazy :D
 
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Sweet Mike! Those prices look a lot less scary. I think I'll only have 2 pumps under my tank. Mag 9.5 return, and skimmer. This with a siphon type overflow should keep sound way down.

You think it would be OK to zip-tie that stuff to the pump?

When you say 30A are you refering to the 1/4" sheets all the way at the bottom?
 
Yeah, the sheets on the bottom, there's also more on the next page. When you select the size it then gives you a drop down menu on the left for durometer. If you look at that chart I was alluding to by just putting silicone rubber in the search field, 30A durometer was like the texture of a rubber band. Just looking again, if you look at the next page under the "FDA compliant" silicones there's 40A durometer stuff that's much cheaper. Alas, I don't remember the exact durometer I'm using, but I do know the lower the durometer the more flexible it is and the more deadening it does. You can go too far though and have something akin to jello :). As for zip tying, I suppose that could work, but then you're communicating vibration via the ties themselves. Like I said, I just rest mine under the pump. It sticks pretty well to the suction cups with the lower durometer.
 
Does it have to be FDA compliant or would this: http://www.mcmaster.com/#silicone-rubber-sheets/=akp8bh (link didn't work, it is to 30A without the FDA compliant label) be acceptable? Like you said 30A not available in FDA compliant.

Do you think, if I called them they'd be able to direct me? I think we've all looked for that specific item only to be asked, "what's it for" and we tell them, "it's for a salt water aquarium", only to be met by the Stanley Cubrick 1000 yard stare.
 
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FWIW, I wasn't able to find an FDA compliant 30A Durometer pad so I went with a 40A Durometer, 1/4" thickness pad. Seems to be the softest you can go and be food safe.
 
Just got the pads today. My tank isn't running yet, so I can't test it yet, but I can see the possibilities. Looking forward to putting it to the test.
 
Just ordered a 6x6 piece for my pump and skimmer. I am so excited to have found this. Our tank is upstairs and our family room is right below it and the humms are amplified...drives me crazy.
 
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