Water pump noisy and vibrate

[RetiredTorng]

My RV's water pump becomes loud and vibrate sometimes. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for your comment.

 

[ghnl]

Mounting bolts loose? They are usually mounted with rubber vibration dampers. If the rubber has deteriorated or fallen out then the whole motor will rattle in operation. Pipes near the pump secure? A loose pipe might make a lot of noise.

Leaks on the suction side will allow the pump to suck air. It may not show up as a water leak but when sucking air the pump will be noisier than usual. Any change in water delivery at a faucet? Does it start out OK then slow down noticeably?

 

[Beau388]

My RV's water pump becomes loud and vibrate sometimes. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for your comment.

There is the possibility the the pump is not your problem but what you hear is the pipes hitting the chase or wall. If that is the case, you can insulate the pipes with foam sleeves or install an accumulator. I have done both and now I cannot hear when the pump is running.

 

[RetiredTorng]

Thanks for your quick responses. Sorry, I forgot to mention it's off and on. Sometimes it's loud noisy and vibrating, sometime it's normal. Also I use water pump for the water pressue from the fresh water tank all the time, not the water pressure from the outside shore water. I am try to go on a 3 months trip, don't want the water pump fail in the middle of my trip.

 

[Les May]

My RV's water pump becomes loud and vibrate sometimes. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for your comment.

Hi

The issue is that, in my case, Thor had mounted it on the base of the plastic compartment. It was thus an enormous drum.

I relocated the pump and screwed it to the underside of the floor on the same compartment.

In order to prevent an airlock and bleeding issues I relocated the filter and other item to the underside of the floor too.

I also fitted a 1L expansion tank / bladder reservoir so that the pump cuts in less frequently.

It's now almost silent and you get a flush at night using the reservoir reserve without the pump cutting in.

Regards Les

 

[Bob Nodine]

My RV's water pump becomes loud and vibrate sometimes. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for your comment.

As mentioned, what the pump is mounted to can act like a sounding board. Another thing that causes excessive noise is water hammer. This happens when the PEX lines attached to the pump vibrate and bang against something. This can often be corrected by using flexible connections on both sides of the pump. It can also be mitigated by using foam pipe insulation around the PEX to dampen the vibration.

Just remember, you will never make the pump silent unless you install a high tech pump that uses soft start. Depending on the configuration, adding an accumulator can often make the pump more annoying because it will cycle on and off. If the pump has a steady sound then I would not add an accumulator. If it already cycles then adding an accumulator will reduce the number of cycles. At that point it is a matter of preference.

 

[Mark54]

Thanks for your quick responses. Sorry, I forgot to mention it's off and on. Sometimes it's loud noisy and vibrating, sometime it's normal. Also I use water pump for the water pressue from the fresh water tank all the time, not the water pressure from the outside shore water. I am try to go on a 3 months trip, don't want the water pump fail in the middle of my trip.

Noisy pump=

Bad AV (ant-vibe) mounts
Air in lines, causing 'water hammer' (check your fittings to make sure air isn't getting in, or you have a leak)
Clogged screen filter
- I have used the pressure tank, like Beau388 did, and that helps a lot.

I also installed an IRVWPC module- regulates cycling and pressure. Electronic device that quiets the pump, and pump runs at rpms related to amount of water drawn.

In other words, taking a shower uses the most water, and pump will run more vigorously with that amount of volume.

I would not use both together- I tried that, and not as effective as either one independently. Now just on IRVWPC. I removed the pressure tank. Hard to hear pump now!!

https://www.irvwpc.com/

AV mounts are also critical- rubber feet on pump might be gone or overtightened. If you go with the pressure tank, it also has rubber AV feet, so don't squish them.

 

[RetiredTorng]

Yes, it had a little noise but no big vibration for the 3 months I traveled from CA or OR to WA. But I came home and left it to the dealer to fix a few small problems. Afterwards I took it out for a shake down, now suddenly the water pump becomes noisy and vibrate. Any guess?

 

[16ACE27]

Yes, it had a little noise but no big vibration for the 3 months I traveled from CA or OR to WA. But I came home and left it to the dealer to fix a few small problems. Afterwards I took it out for a shake down, now suddenly the water pump becomes noisy and vibrate. Any guess?

My guess is the dealer removed the pump's mounting screws to access other stuff and never put them back.

Is it a secret what they were working on? Or did you just want to continue getting random guesses?

What they were doing may have had no bearing on your current issue; or it may.

What have you done to troubleshoot/investigate with the good information provided above?

 

[rudyhehn]

Check the mounting and water pump pipes

I had a similar problem. I checked the water pump and found the water pump was bolted down to the floor compartment, so as noted above it was acting like a sounding board. Over time some of the screws had vibrated loose. I remounted it, this time using rubber bushings between the water pump feet and the floor. I also added a 12-inch section of flexible piping between the pex piping and the pump, and make sure that it was not going to vibrate against the wall of the compartment. That worked for me.

 

[JimC-THOR]

Where do you get it?

There is the possibility the the pump is not your problem but what you hear is the pipes hitting the chase or wall. If that is the case, you can insulate the pipes with foam sleeves or install an accumulator. I have done both and now I cannot hear when the pump is running.

I have been looking for a small accumulator. Where did you get this one?
Thanks,
JC

 

[16ACE27]

I have been looking for a small accumulator. Where did you get this one?
Thanks,
JC

You can buy an RV specific accumulator on Amazon or Camping World, OR
You can buy a 1 or 2 gallon expansion tank from Amazon or any big box hardware store.

I installed this 2 gallon tank in my wet bay:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E83YW4/?th=1

Other options:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=1+Gallon...lon+expansion+tank,tools,139&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[Beau388]

I have been looking for a small accumulator. Where did you get this one?
Thanks,
JC

Amazon.com SHURflo 182-200 Pre-Pressurized Accumulator Tank,Black

 

[ericmac450]

This is what mine used to sound like. I've gotten it quite a bit quieter simply by insulating the pipes around it, they were hitting the wood frame. I like some of the suggestions on here and will probably make some changes soon.

 

[Bob Nodine]

This is what mine used to sound like. I've gotten it quite a bit quieter simply by insulating the pipes around it, they were hitting the wood frame. I like some of the suggestions on here and will probably make some changes soon.

Did Thor put a water filter down stream from the pump? It sounds like it is cycling like my new upgraded pump did when I installed it. I call tech support for the new pump and they clued me into the problem. I removed the filter element from the housing and the pump stopped cycling. Now I use a water filter at the pedestal faucet connection.

 

[10scDust]

The filter mentioned by Bob rattles my brain, as I recall a friend who has a class C Thor identical to mine. Hidden below the kitchen sink, in the compartment there is a filter housing that contains one of those 8" changeable filter cartridges. I always wondered if it was someone else's install, as ours does not have one.

It was in there kind of hard to reach!

 

[ericmac450]

Did Thor put a water filter down stream from the pump? It sounds like it is cycling like my new upgraded pump did when I installed it. I call tech support for the new pump and they clued me into the problem. I removed the filter element from the housing and the pump stopped cycling. Now I use a water filter at the pedestal faucet connection.

The filter mentioned by Bob rattles my brain, as I recall a friend who has a class C Thor identical to mine. Hidden below the kitchen sink, in the compartment there is a filter housing that contains one of those 8" changeable filter cartridges. I always wondered if it was someone else's install, as ours does not have one.

It was in there kind of hard to reach!

I've never found a water filter in mine. I've been all under the sink area due to some busted pipes camping in winter and never seen anything. I will check again though, I've never thought it sounded right.

 

[Bob Nodine]

I've never found a water filter in mine. I've been all under the sink area due to some busted pipes camping in winter and never seen anything. I will check again though, I've never thought it sounded right.

Thor installed ours under the bed near the water pump. See photo below.