Is your water pump noisy? It can be a real mess, especially when you’ve installed it inside your house or in the backyard. All the vibrations and noises from the pump will make it impossible for you to relax on your couch or have a good night’s sleep in your bedroom.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the best ways to fix a noisy water pump, among other topics.
- Water pump noise causes
- How to fix a noisy water pump
Diesel Water Pump Noise Causes
There are three main causes of a noisy water pump, depending on the type of sound your water pump makes. Let’s have a closer look.
Grinding or groaning
In rare cases, a worn-out bearing can be the cause of grinding or groaning. But in most cases, a water pump will grind or groan when the pump pulley is bad.
Driven by the V belt or serpentine, the pully rotates the water pump. A warped or cracked pulley will wobble as it turns, resulting in a groaning or grinding noise.
Other signs of a faulty pulley include:
- Overheated engine
- physical damage to the pulley
- worn belt edges
If the pulley seems fine upon inspection, you should inspect the V belt or serpentine, as a loose belt can make the same noise.
Squeaking or clicking
A squeaking or clicking noise from the water pump could mean that the bearing a worn out. They support the shaft that connects the impeller and the pulley.
When worn out, they will produce squeaks and clicks because the shaft doesn’t rotate smoothly.
In some water pumps, bearings can be replaced. However, a cost-effective option is to replace the whole pump with a quieter pump. (See our water pump recommendation).
If bearings aren’t replaced as soon as possible, they may eventually damage other parts of the pump. Also, make sure to check related components for possible damage.
Rattling water pump noises
Rattling noise from your water pump is an indicator of the early phase of bearing damage. At other times, rattling noises could occur when if the pump engine is still cold and stops immediately it warms.
But that doesn’t mean your pump is okay- it will fail eventually.
Not sure what makes water pump noisy?
If you’re not sure what could be the cause of noise in your pump, here are things to check:
- Water pump pulley- when the engine is running, inspect for side-side wobble.
- V-belt- check for belt unusual wear and also inspect for proper tension
- Impeller shaft- when the engine is off, lose the V belt tension and then check for forward and backward or side-to-side play in the impeller shaft.- There should be no
- water pump- when the engine is running, use a mechs stethoscope to listen for bearing noises. If the water pump is bad, you’ll hear grinding noises.
- Belt tensioner bearings-
How to Fix a Noisy Water Pump
1. Build a Soundproof Box
A soundproof box is an easy and cheap means of soundproofing your water pump. Soundproofed boxes are mostly used to get rid of airborne noises. It can be used to reduce generator noises.
Airborne noises are sound, which is transmitted through the airwaves. A soundproofing box aims at trapping or deflecting the pump’s sound waves until it lessens. If the pump produces too much noise, then you need to build or get an elegant soundproof box.
You can use fiberglass material to build your soundproofing box because it is much stronger sound reducing material than the regular card box. Fiberglass is also among the best sound deadening material.
More effective soundproof box
You can also take two boxes: a smaller one and the larger one. Put the bigger box on top of the smaller one and apply mineral wool between the space using foam rubber. The size of your water pump will determine the size of the box.
The thickness of the fiberglass will also contribute to the level of the sound getting out. If you make a thinner box, the water pump noise will find a way to escape easily.
Therefore, it is essential to use stronger soundproofing material.
Line the inside of the card box using your preferred sound deadening material and make sure it covers the interior part entirely. This will significantly minimize the amount of noise coming through the box.
Remember that it is essential that the box not to be in contact with either the wall or the floor, as that will increase the noise through vibrations.
Place the pump in an area that doesn’t touch the wall or the floor. Alternatively, you can place the pump in a room with thick walls.
2. Insulation
Another way of fixing noise from the water pump is by limiting the transmission of sound. You need to get a material that encloses the water pump and absorbs the sound produced by it.
However, you need to get the right type of insulation material because not all of them minimize noise. For instance, there is reflective insulation material reflects high temperatures from the sun.
For your water pump, you will have to get either acoustic panels or soundproof foam blankets. They work by reducing outside noises from getting in or reducing inside sounds form getting out.
Acoustic panels help to reduce airborne noise. These panels are easy to use and install, so you don’t have to call a professional to install them for you.
Install the acoustic panels of your water pump room or any other place where the pump is will significantly minimize the noise level from the pump. Acoustic panels also reduce echoes in the room.
Sound waves from the water pump travel through the air, then it hit windows, doors and wall to produce vibrations. The most reasonable solution to reducing the noise is creating barriers so that the sound does not create vibrations.
Using acoustic panels will create a barrier and therefore reduce the noise coming outside the water pump.
3. Water Pump Maintenance
For your water pump to run smoothly, it requires regular maintenance and servicing.
Conducting regular maintenance on your water pump will help in fixing noise problems. In most cases, the annoying noise produced by your water pump could be a sign that there is a problem with your pump.
Make it a habit to check daily on how the pump pumps water at the same speed it was when new. Ensure that there are no leakages or wear and tear due to friction.
Conduct inspection in the following ways:
- Check whether the mounting points of the pump have been appropriately secured
- Check the seal and packing of the pump.
- check for any leakages on the pump flanges
- check the couplings
- Inspect the filters and clean them.
Regular maintenance increases the efficiency of the water pump.
Read the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to lubricate the pump. Start by lubricating the motor and the pump bearing and make sure you don’t over lubricate them as that will lead to more damage.
When you don’t lubricate the pump, the pump will develop rust in some areas. A build-up in the rust will create a squealing or squeaking noise which is quite annoying,
If the is a cap on the bearing, remove it first then run the water pump for not less than 30 minutes to get rid of the excess lubricant. Then reinstall the bearing cap.
Remember also to check for dust and dirt on the motor vents. A build-upbuild-up in dirt or dust can contribute to the amount of noise produced.
Check for overheating on the pump’s contractor. Also, check for any insulation failure on the windings using a megohmmeter.
In case of any problems on the seal or hoses that are causing leaks, use a rubber lubricant will prevent the leaks and the sips.
4. Incorporate Every Technique
If you want to reduce the noise level to zero, then you will have to combine every technique. From using acoustic panels to building a soundproofed box, these methods can work well of they are all connected.
For instances, insulating the noise from the water pump is a good idea for fixing the noise problem. However, it is not %100 effective because it only reduces too much noise from reaching you.
It does not deal with the continuous noise and the well-being of the water pump. So combining the technique with regular maintenance will cut the noise level to almost zero.
5. Choose the Right Pump
Finally, if all other options fail, you can try buying the right quiet water pump. When shopping for a new water pump, go for the one that is quiet even though it is more expensive than the rest. The advantage of buying the expensive one it that it will save you money in the long, which you would have used on soundproofing it.
Check for the specifications of sound noises in the water pump description and choose the one with the lower noise level.