# Loud well pump



## bflossn (Sep 29, 2010)

Newbie plumbing question... I moved into my 15 year old house 3 years ago. My well pump has been VERY loud since the day I moved in. I mean LOUD --- the floor above the pressure tank even vibrates a little. I've had a plumber check it out and he said that everything looks fine. The only thing I can think of that causes the noise is that the inlet into the house (from the well) is across the room (~18ft) from the pressure tank. I'm thinking the length of copper pipe causes some cavitation...? We have no problems at all with water flow or pressure. I've looked and can't find the make/model of the pump. The noise is just dang annoying! Is this anything that I can fix somehow or is it something that I just shouldn't worry about? Thanks for any help you can offer!


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## Mr. Green (May 1, 2010)

bflossn said:


> Newbie plumbing question... I moved into my 15 year old house 3 years ago. My well pump has been VERY loud since the day I moved in. I mean LOUD --- the floor above the pressure tank even vibrates a little. I've had a plumber check it out and he said that everything looks fine. The only thing I can think of that causes the noise is that the inlet into the house (from the well) is across the room (~18ft) from the pressure tank. I'm thinking the length of copper pipe causes some cavitation...? We have no problems at all with water flow or pressure. I've looked and can't find the make/model of the pump. The noise is just dang annoying! Is this anything that I can fix somehow or is it something that I just shouldn't worry about? Thanks for any help you can offer!


Sometimes they get loud when they are old.

The bearings get worn.

Try a new pump or, live with it until it dies.


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## Spud06 (Oct 6, 2013)

I would like to add my similar problem that perhaps points in different direction than the bearings in the welll pump. My wife and I just purchased a 10 year old home with a 900' deep well. I have the same problem as Bflossn with a similar 18' run of copper inside the home. I queston that the vibration of bearings in a pump would make it through the multitude of supports needed for a 900' take-up pipe, plus my well is 60' from where it enters the home with the pipe burried for that length. There has to be another source for the hum.


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## Benplumbing (Oct 1, 2013)

Start by running a faucet or 2..go downstairs where your pressure tank is and watch what happens when the pump turns on. see if there is some pipes possibly rattling when the pump turns on sometimes old steel pipe hooks/ hangers are to blame or possibly pipes run through floor joists that can vibrate throughout the house. I guess I would start there.


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

I can partially answer this question but also have a question.
I have had this issue myself and partially solved the well pump vibration but not entirely. I had a 3/4 hp deep well jet pump in the basement. When it kicked in, the whole house would vibrate. My solution was to cut about a foot out of the 3/4" copper pipe going up from the pump/pressure tank and insert a 20 foot section of 3/4" PEX. The PEX was coiled about 3 foot diameter. I hung this PEX loop from the joists with a chain and inserted pieces of foam here and there between the coils. 
This eliminated the low frequency vibrations in the floor and was much quieter.
Unfortunately, the higher frequency noises had no trouble following the water through the coil. If it can follow a 20' PEX coil, these vibrations would travel much farther through straight copper pipe. 
So my question is, has anyone been able to nearly eliminate pump noise like this? I now live in a different house with the same problem. I have a shallow jet pump in the basement that send lots of vibrations up to the floor joists. If I could add something like a hot water tank in the line, I think the sound waves would go into the tank, bounce around and get absorbed by the 50 gallons of water. Not a real good solution though.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

Iam guessing he solved his problem by now..9-28-2010 posted


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