You can make some tweaks here and there but that is a loud pump. Enclosing it in an insulated box is the best bet but you will not want to do that in the summer....too much heat.
Is my new pump supposed to be this loud?
- Thread starter zolakk
- Start date
The only valve on the output side is a two way between the in-floor and the spa jets, moving it to either or somewhere in between makes no perceivable difference on the volume or tone of the noise. Trying to use more restrictive return fittings may work a bit, but with the water being 45*, and fresh plaster so I can't run the heater i'm not really in the mood to get in the water any more than I absolutely have to.
I think a noise barrier is in order for this, at least until I can justify paying $$$$ for a quieter model. I'm having some trouble locating the blanket/wrap that CRB mentioned for sale, but I found this and I can get the materials fairly easy online so I think i'm going to try a variation on that approach http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/generator.htm
In addition to the other suggestions here, if your windows by your pump are single pane, you might want to consider getting double or triple pane windows in that location. Single pane windows are not good at insulating sound, or heat for that matter.
So I found a decibel meter and spectrum analyzer app for my phone and did some investigation. The dB reading about where I was standing when taking the video was reading 77 (attached screenshot), however when moving around the pump itself at the areas I put yellow X's I was getting about 70-72 dB, but as soon as I put my phone to the spot where the red X is, it spikes to 80-82 every time!
Attachments
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,614
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Zolakk,
Here's a website for one of the manufacturer's of the blankets I was referring to.
http://www.tepinc.com/en/product-applications
I hope this helps!
Chris
- - - Updated - - -
Zolakk,
The readings you're indicating aren't bad at all. As I recall OSHA limit for needing hearing protection was 85 db. This was usually measured at 10' away and the rules may have changed since my days in the field on this stuff. At 85 db exposure for prolonged time (8 hour shift) we'd mark the area for required hearing protection (ear plugs). What's the measurement at a distance people normally would walk by at, say 5-10'? Also, keep in mind a good alarm clock will be around 70 db. The scale is logarithmic though so 5-10 db higher is much louder... I'm guessing you noticed this with your experimental work. By the way, great job on tackling this with good common sense science. Nothing like getting some real data you can get your arms around!
Chris
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Fair enough, I think really it's the frequency more than the noise level that's most bothersome. The sound just seems to reverberate through everything, including my skull. Thanks for the link, it'll probably be easier now to find a place that sells them
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,614
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Zolakk,
At the end of the day you want your pool comfortable. If the proximity to walls and shape of the pump area are making this not work for you then I'd try the sound shield approach. Easiest thing would be to take a real cheap piece of particle board or some fiber ceiling material and just lay it on top to see if it does a lot of good before you spend the big bucks. Not a permanent fix but a good test. It doesn't usually take a lot of deadening material to drop the db level a good deal. This is getting to the limit of my background at this point and with all the experts here it wouldn't surprise me that there some acoustical engineer that is a real expert on here. After all they must own pools too!
I wish I could help more and I hope somebody else will come up with a great solution.
Chrs
At the end of the day you want your pool comfortable. If the proximity to walls and shape of the pump area are making this not work for you then I'd try the sound shield approach. Easiest thing would be to take a real cheap piece of particle board or some fiber ceiling material and just lay it on top to see if it does a lot of good before you spend the big bucks. Not a permanent fix but a good test. It doesn't usually take a lot of deadening material to drop the db level a good deal. This is getting to the limit of my background at this point and with all the experts here it wouldn't surprise me that there some acoustical engineer that is a real expert on here. After all they must own pools too!
I wish I could help more and I hope somebody else will come up with a great solution.
Chrs
That pump is too big for your pool. That said have you talked to the installer about a warranty claim?
The X is where the impeller is and where the pump attaches to the base. The rotating parts rotate at about 3450 rpm. Anything that rotates is going to vibrate some based on the rpm and how well balanced everything is. There might be something stuck in the impeller that is throwing it out of balance. The pump might not be securely mounted to the base.
In my opinion, you should not have to mitigate this annoying noise. This should be done correctly so that it is reasonably quiet.
In my opinion, 85 db is too loud.
What does the graph indicate? Is that the frequency? I would expect that the frequency would be close to the rpm of the motor.
In my opinion, you should not have to mitigate this annoying noise. This should be done correctly so that it is reasonably quiet.
In my opinion, 85 db is too loud.
What does the graph indicate? Is that the frequency? I would expect that the frequency would be close to the rpm of the motor.
- Oct 25, 2015
- 5,614
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Zolakk,
Curiosity is getting the better of me now. So I went out and check the dB level at my pump. It is a 1 horsepower Jandy on concrete slab beside my house with blue sky directly above. All the DB levels close to my pump similar to your red X's were in the 75 - 77 dB level so your pump is indeed a little louder than mine.
I hope this helps.
Chris
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Curiosity is getting the better of me now. So I went out and check the dB level at my pump. It is a 1 horsepower Jandy on concrete slab beside my house with blue sky directly above. All the DB levels close to my pump similar to your red X's were in the 75 - 77 dB level so your pump is indeed a little louder than mine.
I hope this helps.
Chris
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
Last edited:
laprjns
LifeTime Supporter
- Aug 14, 2012
- 598
- Pool Size
- 30000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
I think your right about it being vane passing frequency, although if you do the math it looks more like six vanes:
3450 revs / min x 1min / 60 sec x 6 vanes / rev = 345 vanes /sec = 345 hz
Which if you look at the graph the peak reading is a little higher than 330 Hz.
Pentair Whisperflow are really quite! My neighbors love me now after I replaced my old pump 
What is the filter pressure?
If you can get a vacuum gauge on the suction side, then we can use both readings to determine where the pump is on its curve.
The gauges are inexpensive. You can use one with 1/4" NPT threads and screw it into the front drain plug.
If you can get a vacuum gauge on the suction side, then we can use both readings to determine where the pump is on its curve.
The gauges are inexpensive. You can use one with 1/4" NPT threads and screw it into the front drain plug.
- May 23, 2015
- 25,113
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I'm curious, can one do this by putting a vacuum gauge and pressure gauge on the basket and impeller (respectively) drain plugs? Or does it have to be further out from the pump to be more accurate?
The filter gauge should be fine for the pressure side. You can use the drain plugs for both.
Best location for the discharge gauge would be on the discharge pipe. Less pulsation than the volute.
If you can post a video of the gauges to show how steady or jumpy the needle indicators are, that might provide some insight.