How to make a Pool Pump Quieter? 7 Ways to Quiet a Pool Pump!
Pool pumps are essential to keeping the water in your pool clean and healthy, but their sound is incredibly noisy and can make you crazy when it’s hot outside and you’re trying to relax by the pool.
Fortunately, there are several tips and tactics you can use to make your pool pump quieter.
The following 7 tips will help you reduce the noise of your pool pump—and help you enjoy more without going crazy with the noise.
Let’s get started!
Why does the pool pump make noise?
Have you ever wondered why your pool pump makes noises?
Pool pumps are fairly simple machines, but there are several common issues that can cause them to make noises or act differently than expected.
Here are four reasons your pool pump may be making noise.
1) The impeller may be damaged
The main cause of noise from a pool pump is the impeller. The impeller is what pushes water through the filter and back into the pool.
If it’s damaged in any way, it can make a lot of noise when running. Often times, an impeller will get clogged with debris or algae and this will also cause it to make more noise than normal when in use.
2) The strainer basket may be full
The strainer basket sits on top of the pump and catches debris as it flows through the pump. If the basket gets full, it can make a lot of noise.
And in my opinion this is one of the most common reasons why a pool pump starts making noise.
Often, leaves and other debris will get caught in the basket and cause it to become clogged over time.
If you are hearing noise coming from your pump, make sure the strainer basket is clean before you reach for any other solution.
3) You may not have installed the pool pump properly
Improper installation can also be a cause of noise in your pump, this type of problem usually causes vibration, but they are irritable.
4) The motor mounts may be loose
A loose motor mount is a common cause of pool pump noise. And while this issue is usually easy to diagnose and fix, it can lead to other problems.
This includes premature wear on the bearings, which causes the motor shaft to become misaligned with the impeller blades.
How to make a Pool Pump Quieter? 7 Ways to Quiet a Pool Pump!
Pool pumps are necessary equipment, but that doesn’t mean they need to be loud!
In fact, it can be surprisingly easy to make them quieter.
Try these steps if you want your pool pump to be as quiet as possible!
1. Install the Pool Pump correctly
It’s important that your pool pump is installed correctly. If it’s not, the noise of the water flowing through the pump will be amplified and make your pump noisier.
In some cases, an improperly installed pool pump can cause water damage and other costly problems and noise will already have with this issue, so be to fix it.
You can watch this video to make sure your pump is installed correctly, and if you find anything wrong with your installation then fix them.
And when it comes to mounting the pool pump be sure to use an anti-vibration rubber feet or pad which will help kill the noise.
And a study by the Soundproof Addict team found, anti-vibration pads reduce noise levels by up to 23.5dB, but remember that, not all pads or feet are created equally, so it may be different in your case.
And to help you choose the best anti-vibration rubber pads for feet, here I am linking some of the best Anti-Vibration pads that you can buy.
2. Clean the Skimmer Basket
As I mentioned earlier, clogged skimmer is one of the most common reasons why a pool pump starts making noise.
The skimmer basket is basically where the water from the pool comes into the pump and if the skimmer basket is completely clogged with leaves, debris, and other particles, it will slow down the water coming into the pump.
And it has two disadvantages in my opinion.
- First, it is likely to increase energy use.
- And second, it will make the pool pump louder.
It is common in every pool pump that- dirt, leaves, some bugs and other particles can clog the skimmer basket.
Anyway, I recommend you to clean the skimmer at least once a week, to clean your pool pump skimmer, here are five easy steps-
- #1. Turn off the pool pump.
- #2. Take off the skimmer lid.
- #3. Take out the skimmer basket, then empty out.
- #4. Put the basket back into the skimmer.
- #5. Install skimmer lid and you are done!
Or, you can get help from this video~
3. Check the Impeller
An impeller is the rotating part in a pump that draws water into the pump and forces it out.
The impeller is also known as the heart of the pool pump, with its high pressure output moving thousands of gallons of water per day.
Because of this the vast majority of noise come anywhere from the impeller, and if it is broken or blocked, it will be more noisy than good.
That’s why keeping the impeller clean is one of the best ways to keep your pool pump cool. However, it is not always easy to find the time for this process.
To get an idea of how often you should clean your pump’s impeller, look at your pool pump and see the number of hours it pumps water per year. If it runs for seven hours a day, you’ll need to clean it every ten days.
Here is a video that will help you clean the impeller.
Also note that the impeller should not be broken, if it is broken replace it with a new one.
4. Replace Pool Pump Bearings to Reduce Noise
Sometimes there may be a problem with the parts you can’t expect, and in a pool pump there are a lot things that can make the pump noisy.
Among them the most unusual problem that can happen with your pump is with the bearings.
But, how can you identify whether the bearing is worn out or damaged.
Check if the pump is making noises such as grinding or whining, It’s time to replace the bearings.
5. Tighten loose screws and bolts on your pool pump
Loose screws and bolts can lead to vibrations coming from your pool pump. It is very simple to do so it is not effective as other options to quiet it.
This problem is not very common but you should definitely check the screws and bolts of the pump, they may be loose.
Anyway, I recommend checking it once in a month and tightening them, this will contribute a bit to reduce the vibration of your pump.
6. Build a Pool Pump Noise Reduction Enclosure
Every pool owner wants their pump to be quiet but most of them fail to do so because they look for internal problems but once they find no internal problem they leave the pump as it is.
Sometimes they need to do something externally, and if it’s the same with you, you haven’t found any problem with the pump but still it is making noise then you have only two options left-
- You can replace the pump with a new quiet one.
- Or, you can build a noise reduction enclosure.
And building a noise reduction enclosure for your pool pump is one of the easiest and relatively inexpensive ways to reduce the noise emitted by your pool pump.
It doesn’t require any technical knowledge, but it will cost a bit if you want a high noise reduction enclosure.
You can’t just throw a blanket over it. The pump creates a lot of air flow which will blow the blanket off and create more noise.
You can get an idea of what your pump enclosure should be like by watching this video.
And you learn how to build an enclosure for a pump by watching this video.
7. Replace the pump with a quieter one
The most easiest way to make your pool pump quieter is to replace it with a quieter one.
If your pool is very old and noisy and you are interested in replacing the pump instead of doing something to quiet it, then you should replace it.
But I only recommend to do so when you are ready with your decision because their price are not always same as a Noise reduction Curtain.
FAQ: How to Make a Pool Pump Quieter?
If you have questions about the pool pump, this section is for you!
You’ll find answers to common questions about pool pumps, such as how often should you replace it, what are some common problems with pool pumps, and What can I do to make my pool pump quieter?
Below, you’ll find all the information you need to know about your pool pump—and probably more!
Q1. Why is my pool pump so loud?
Ans: It is one of the most common questions about pool pumps is why they are so loud. There are a few reasons that can make your pump noisy, and I have mentioned them above as well.
But one of the most common causes among them is a dirty filter or debris on the impeller. You’ll want to clean these as soon as possible to keep your pump running smoothly and quietly.
Q2. Which is the best way to quiet a pool pump?
Ans: There are many ways to make a pool pump quieter, but one of the best methods is to build a noise reducing enclosure.
After building an enclosure it does not mean that you do not need to clean the impeller and skimmer basket, you have to take care of these as well and make sure to clean them regularly.
By doing this, the noise level will be significantly reduced.
Q3. What is the average life of a pool pump?
Ans: The average life of a pool pump is about 5-7 years, It is not necessary that an expensive pump will last longer than the cheap one, it is also not true that a cheap pump will always last longer.
In my opinion, it depends on the maintenance of the pump.
But generally a best quality pump always lasts longer if you maintain them properly and regularly, and the best quality pumps are usually expensive.
Conclusion
Your pool pump is an important component of your pool’s filtration system, but not all pumps are quiet, sometimes they become quite noisy.
But there’s nothing that you can’t quiet them down, there are some ways to quiet it down and keep it quiet.
And all those methods that I have mentioned in this post are actionable that you can use to reduce the noise level of your pump to a great extent.
Mr. Ashish
Hi there, I am Ashish, the founder and editor of SoundProof Addict, I have more than 3 years of experience in soundproofing, also I've helped people soundproof their bedrooms, studios, cars and other areas where they find noise to be distracting or uncomfortable. I wants everyone to be able to enjoy as much peace and quiet.
