The 12v water pump in my van is very noisy when operated, any tips on how to mount it better to quieten it down?
it's mounted on the floor under a bed, groans & moans like me getting out of bed.
I don't "mount" my pumps to anything solid, I hang them from something above using zip ties through the rubber isolators. And make sure the in and out hoses do not constrain the pump movement or noise will be transmitted through them. Cheers, Peter
In this case it is hung from the pipe outlets at one end and the rubber isolators at the other end.
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Saturday 25th of January 2025 05:42:36 PM
If the inlet and outlet pipes are connected directly to the pump it holds the pump rigid and transfers the vibrations through the pipes to the caravan body. This causes a lot of noise when the pump is running. The pump should be installed with 450mm to 600 mm flexible lines to inlet and outlet of the pump so as to insulate the the pump noise from the pipes .
If the inlet and outlet pipes are connected directly to the pump it holds the pump rigid and transfers the vibrations through the pipes to the caravan body. This causes a lot of noise when the pump is running. The pump should be installed with 450mm to 600 mm flexible lines to inlet and outlet of the pump so as to insulate the the pump noise from the pipes .
Spot on reply.
After some problems with our 12 year old caravan replaced the hard nylon water hose with soft clear food grade hoses from the water tanks to the water pump. I also drilled new holes on the floor to obtain more flexibility in the hose. I was lucky that I was able to drill the holes, it was touch and go.
A couple of years back we bought a new caravan(big brand) and the water pump was extremely noisy from new; tried all sorts to fix the problem including many of the methods mentioned without any real success; the worst noise occurred when there was low flow from the drinking water faucet.
I like many others went to the internet for ideas on what might fix the issue; I found a youtube site that mentioned a controller that would solve the problem; the controller was made in Canada and was not available on the shelf in Australia; anyhow after much research and deliberation I decided to purchase the unit direct from the Manufacturer in Thunder Bay Canada, we think it is simply the best money we have spent on the van to date and a game changer in our life on the road. The unit we bought came with everything necessary to complete the install, right down to connectors etc. they even included a tiny screw driver for adjusting the controller, we been using the unit for a couple of years now and it has been faultless in operation and the pump is just about silent.
If you care to look up IRVWPC on the internet, you should be able to see for yourself what the system does.( NB: We don't have any connection to the Manufacturer whatsoever, just thought the info may be useful to those suffering from noisy water pumps).
Will have a look, had a look at my son,s camper pump, same brand as mine & it's quiet as anything, ours is a 2005 van so pump is probably the problem, do you know how the controller works to quieten the pump, would be interesting,
Yes; I know how it works; if you watch the IRVWPC video you will see that it works by measuring the pressure differential in the system by way of a pressure transducer and control panel and then the logic of the system controls the speed of the water pump etc.etc.
It was a very simple exercise to install the controller with all the bits and pieces provided; their Rep. Terry Gunnel who we dealt with went out of his way to ensure that we had a successful outcome; I have nothing but glowing praise for the service rendered.
As they say "one look is worth a thousand words"; it wasn't a cheap option by any means, but we think it was very worthwhile for us and our caravanning neighbours.
Cheers Joe.
PS: There are a number of IRVWPC videos available on the internet that explains the system.
Thanks for the info on the pump controller, Redjo. I have been driven insane by the excessive noise on occasions of the water pump in our van. I recently diagnosed a lot of noise coming from the semi-rigid pipes hitting the wall, so strategically wrapped the pipes in foam insulation to deaden the movement. However, after viewing the IRVWPC video, it makes a lot of sense to control the motor speed to minimise the movement of the pump. The only disincentive is the high cost of the controller. If my noise abatement actions to date are not successful enough, I will have to save up for it. Thanks to all the other grey nomads' posts above for very helpful hints.
Another potential attraction of the IRVWPC is that it would have prevented the flood that I recently experienced. We set off on a several hours drive over some badly corrugated roads and forgot to turn off the power to the water pump. When we stopped I could hear the pump madly racing and on opening the door was greeted by a waterfall through the doorway. The kitchen tap had turned itself on and the plug was in the sink. One 90 litre tank had completely emptied into the van and poured out any available gap. Fortunately, it was a 40 degree day and everything dried very quickly. Memo to self - turn power off, turn power off, turn power off when rolling along.
A real pleasure to put up something on the website about our experience that may help others; I tried everything I thought I knew about solving the vibration and noise issue with our pump; but in the end went with the IRVWPC; my thoughts at the time were that taking the van back to the manufacturer was not something I wanted to do, because each time we had a warranty issue and we had them work on the van they created more problems by their work methods(damage to other parts of the van), and as this was our 5th Caravan with the same scenario concerning noise and vibration I figured it was better for me to resolve the issue.
One of the major cost imposts was the postage by Canada Post from memory it was around $70.
Hi Redjo, I'm going to hold off until after my next trip to see how my current improvements work, but if I am still dissatisfied I might spend the dollars. I came across this video comparison of before and after fitting the IRVWPC.
