Loud Return Pump

[huskerreefatl]

I just swapped out my Lifegard 3000 with a Lifegard 6000 and man it is loud. My tank is on the main floor of the house and I can hear it upstairs. I have put tubing under it, since it doesn't have any feet on it, and the sides but it didn't help. I have read where people put sponges or floss under them but that seems like a potential nitrate factory. Any thoughts?

 

[dustin]

Is your sump plastic or glass? Can you identify if it's vibration from the return line resting on something?

 

[jennm]

You can get rubber anti-vibration mats for underneath the pump - that should help.

Also, inspect the pump for broken impeller or volute - those can cause rattling. That's not a common problem with those pumps in particular but it can happen. Same with cleaning the impeller and the recess where it sits - dirt in there can cause rattling and premature wear.

Some people have used mouse pads as an anti-vibration mat - but beware - one member here had one poison his tank. Better to drop a few extra dollars for a product intended for use in an aquarium setting.

Jenn

 

[huskerreefatl]

glass. I have been looking for vibration points and anyplace that it looks like it could be touching, I have put a piece of tubing but that hasn't changed it. I am still looking at it though. Our tank is centrally located on our main floor so it is loud in our kitchen, living room, and dining room....annoying...dang it. I may try some floss under it just to see if that changes the sound.,

 

[huskerreefatl]

JennM;1010181 wrote: You can get rubber anti-vibration mats for underneath the pump - that should help.

Also, inspect the pump for broken impeller or volute - those can cause rattling. That's not a common problem with those pumps in particular but it can happen. Same with cleaning the impeller and the recess where it sits - dirt in there can cause rattling and premature wear.

Some people have used mouse pads as an anti-vibration mat - but beware - one member here had one poison his tank. Better to drop a few extra dollars for a product intended for use in an aquarium setting.

Jenn

That sounds better than tubing or floss. I will get it and try it. It is brand new so it shouldn't have any dirt in it but I also read where it can take a few days to break in....not sure I buy that though.

 

[jennm]

No, a new pump should work properly right out of the box. If there was some flotsam in the sump when you turned on the new pump, from working in the sump, stirring up whatever junk was in there, it could have sucked in a few grains of sand or grit.

If I could hear it, I might be able to help identify the cause... but that doesn't work here (video with sound, maybe?) There are different kinds of noise - vibration of the pump itself against the glass of the sump, vibration of a pipe or hose against the side of the sump, etc....

It's rare but once in a great while a pump is just defective - impeller recess is off-center or whatnot. I've only seen that once or twice but it's also a possibility.

Jenn

 

[huskerreefatl]

JennM;1010187 wrote: No, a new pump should work properly right out of the box. If there was some flotsam in the sump when you turned on the new pump, from working in the sump, stirring up whatever junk was in there, it could have sucked in a few grains of sand or grit.

If I could hear it, I might be able to help identify the cause... but that doesn't work here (video with sound, maybe?) There are different kinds of noise - vibration of the pump itself against the glass of the sump, vibration of a pipe or hose against the side of the sump, etc....

It's rare but once in a great while a pump is just defective - impeller recess is off-center or whatnot. I've only seen that once or twice but it's also a possibility.

Jenn

is it possible to post audio? let me figure out how to do that or I could post it somewhere and you could listen to it. It sounds like a vibration to me but I can't figure out if it is the pump against the sump, sump against the stand, pipe against a pipe...so I am trying to isolate them all to figure it out. It sounds like pump against sump so that is why I added the tubing under it but that didn't change it so it baffled me.

 

[huskerreefatl]

Also, I have a 3 chamber sump and the return is in the smaller chamber which just fits the new larger pump. There is about an inch on both sides but lengthwise there is plenty of room from the front and back. I did read where one person moved it from the smaller chamber to a larger one and the sound went away but that is not an option for me since I have a large skimmer in my main sump center chamber.