How do you reduce basement sump vibrations?

[cardiffgiant]

My basement sump seems quiet as can be downstairs, but the bass that it produces is pretty annoying in my home office right above the sump room (where I happen to spend a lot of time).

What do the basement sump folks use to reduce this?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

what's actually producing the audible noise upstairs... your pump?

 

[cardiffgiant]

Yes, it's definitely from the return pump.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

suggestions:

pump mounting surface is critical. Improper placement can actually act to amplify the sound of a pump. Place a noise damper under the pump. (I use a double thick PC mousepad.) Make sure the support board under the pump is firmly weighted down on an upright support. (A loose support board can amplify vibrations like the soundboard of a flat top guitar!)

Rigid PVC plumbing can help to transfer noise upstairs. Replace it with flex PVC. (I just did this myself- it makes a huge difference!)

 

[cardiffgiant]

I'm going to try the double mouse pads tomorrow. The platform for the pump is very secure, but I am using rigid PVC. Good call on the flex PVC, I didn't think of it having a noise reduction quality. I don't think that I can run flex all the way to the return, but do you think that a 2-3 foot length of it in the basement would make a difference?

 

[pascal32]

Flex off the pump should help some. In RVs folks put a small flex pipe (2-3feet) inbetween the pump and the hard line to cut down on noise travel over the pipes