Help!! Return pump is making too much noise

[zeblisik]

I have a Quiet One 4000 and it makes enough noise so that my landlady who lives below me has trouble sleeping at night.

It's the low hum that she can hear. I'm using the pump inside my sump. It's not rattling against the side, nor is the return pipe rattling against the stand or wall.

How can I make it more quiet? Should I get a different return pump?

 

[pete123]

I had a QO 400hd very very loud. Changed to an Eheim 1262 so quiet, you dont even know it is on.

 

[Brenden]

Foam pad may absorb some of the noise. Other than that new pump?

 

[zeblisik]

can foam pads be used inside the sump effectively?

Eheim 1262, ok.......any other suggestions on return pumps?

 

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7329752#post7329752 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zeblisik
can foam pads be used inside the sump effectively?

Eheim 1262, ok.......any other suggestions on return pumps?

Eheim 1260

 

[zeblisik]

the poseidon pumps are less than 30 db and quiet ones are less than 45 db........

which is quiet a lot according to some poking around online....
http://www.hdhearing.com/Learning/How to Analyze Hearing Loss/Decibels.htm

 

[crumbletop]

How is the pump hooked up? If it is all plumbed using pvc pipe, sometimes that can amplify any noise/vibration. If this is the case you can hook things up with flexible tubing and that can reduce noise.

Jack

 

[zeblisik]

Interesting. I'm using all pvc pipe.

I'm using 1" pvc for about a foot, T'd off for return throtle. The T reduces to 3/4" pvc and return to the main tank.

How does flexible tubing make a difference?

 

[crumbletop]

The rigid pvc transmits the vibrations all the way up the pipe -- so when it vibrates it creates more sound. You can check if it is contributing to the noise by grabbing it close to where it comes out of the sump and holding it really tightly and seeing if the noise level goes down. Flexible tubing doesn't transmit the vibrations as well and as uniformly and you get less noise...

Jack

 

[zeblisik]

Jack,

I did as you said. There seemed to me to be very little change in sound when grasping the return pipe tightly(but there was some).

 

[crumbletop]

I'm using an eheim pump. The diff was dramatic for me, so I went with flexible tubing. I don't know anything about the Quiet One pumps other than I have heard they are not very quiet. Eheims are supposed to be quieter and thus more of a percentage of the noise I was getting was probably coming from the pipe vibration than will be the case for you. It was worth a shot (plumbing is cheaper than a new pump)...

FWIW, I'm using an eheim 1250 on my 90. I originally started off with a 1262 but that was _way_ too much flow for me. I had a prob with microbubbles, as well as noise from the pump -- not too loud, but also not silent. I scaled back the flow and am quite happy with the results. If you are looking at those pumps for your 90, I'd recommend either the 1260 or the 1250.

Jack

 

[zeblisik]

My system isnt a true 90 gal per se.. haha.. Its more...<i>distributed</i>. That's also including the volume of the sump.

I'm not sure how much headloss I have but I dont have any microbubles returning to the main system(in freshwater testing). I think air in the pipes are responsible for a lot of the noise comming from the pipes?

Here's a picture of my system...

 

[crumbletop]

It looks like a bigger pump would be better for you in order to distribute all of that water around to the different tanks. I think in that setup, an eheim 1262 would be pretty quiet.

Since you are just setting this all up, you could try drying off the QO pump and putting some dollops of silicone on the bottom to give it kind of rubberized "feet". Seem's like the prob you are having is transmitting vibrations through the floor to your landlord's apt. Maybe the silicone dollops would isolate the pump enough to make that problem go away.

Jack

 

[zeblisik]

hmm

I already spend 70$ on my 'quiet' one, and it really is quiet enough for me, we can fall asleep with no problems, its just my landladys 'old asian lady' super sonic hearing! ....... I think I will try putting the silicone on the bottom and I'll probably just move the tank setup to another room.... which I'll have to move 3 overflowing bookcases.. haha ... maybe i should just cut my loses and sell it all!

 

[crumbletop]

LOL -- good luck