Relocating water pump - Montana Owners Club

bmckee2468 · 04-21-2007, 08:40 AM

Has anyone relocated their water pump from the original location nearer the fresh water tank?
If so were you able to quiet the pump down.
We have a 2955RL with the pump in the basement. I was finally able to quiet it down some by useing all the tricks mentioned in previous posts. I have now changed the original pump out with the Sureflo 5.7 gpm pump and am back to the same old noisy scenario just a lot better flow.
I thought maybe if I was to mount it nearer the fresh water tank that might help some.

Thanks,
Bob and Karen

nailbender · 04-21-2007, 11:17 AM

Before you relocate your water pump, why not try insulating the water lines with with foam pipe insulation. The water lines are not secured in most areas and the vibration causes noise. I insulated mine where they touched anything, and it helped a lot to reduce the noise. Not all areas are accessible and I still have some noise from the pipes going to the shower, I will probably cut a access hole sometime and do those.

Cat320 · 04-21-2007, 12:15 PM

We've had a number of RVs and two boats...all with fresh water systems run by 12v pumps. NONE were/are anywhere near as loud as the pump in this Montana. I don't understand it, but the last thing I'd try to do is move the pump...moving all those water lines would be a plumbing nightmare.

dieselguy · 04-21-2007, 04:54 PM

If either of the lines connected to your pump is the rigid plastic ... replace them with the braided flex line. Also as mentioned, put some of that foam insulation that goes around the lines to reduce vibration. If one of the rigid plastic lines touches say the inside of your counter, it seems to reverberate through the whole fiver.

mtheo · 04-22-2007, 05:06 AM

I quieted my pump some with the insulation between the pipes, but part of the problem seems that the installer don't take the time to put the lines in so that they are not twisted around each other and crossed. I'm a contractor and could not get away with letting the pipes rub like they do in my monty. When I have time I'm going to discount the pump and plump it.

bsmeaton · 04-22-2007, 05:44 AM

Just curious Bob - Did you replace your pump with the Sure-Flo Extreme Series Smart Sensor 5.7 Water Pump (~$160)??

I always thought that model would be the answer to a quiet water pump, but if that's what you installed, maybe not from what you have experienced!

bmckee2468 · 04-22-2007, 04:14 PM

Brad and Dory
Yes I did install that pump and also thought it would run quiet.
I had insulated some lines, installed an accumulator and mounted the pump and accumulator on a piece of plywood insulated with a layer of carpet. I also used a length of soft tube 3 foot long on the suction side of the pump and another piece the same length from the pump to the accumulator.
I had managed to quiet the old pump to an exceptable level but when installing the new pump the same way I am back to square one with the exception of having a lot more flow.
I will continue to look for a solution and may pull the enclosure sheets from under the the RV and look at mounting the pump in the area of the fresh water tank. Even if it doesn't run quieter it should be more effiecient and increase the life of the pump. It would be a simple change after getting access to the under side of the RV.
Hope this helps,
Bob

bsmeaton · 04-22-2007, 05:10 PM

Thanks so much for the info Bob - you most likely saved me some money and trouble, as I was sure that pump would be the quiet one. It would be nice to have a better flow, but not my objective. I may try some of your earlier improvements first.

Brad

ols1932 · 04-22-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by bsmeaton

Thanks so much for the info Bob - you most likely saved me some money and trouble, as I was sure that pump would be the quiet one. It would be nice to have a better flow, but not my objective. I may try some of your earlier improvements first.

Brad

Brad, I have that same pump. To me, it is much quieter than the OEM pump. We like it. Sure, you can hear it pumping but it is just a little louder than a whisper. In our unit, the pump is located right above the fresh water tank, so I don't know if that is what makes the difference or not. Anyway, I know that if you got one from CW and it didn't perform like you expected it to, you can take it back. They (CW) are always good about taking an undesired product back.

Orv

bsmeaton · 04-22-2007, 06:06 PM

Thanks for the feedback Orv - I may end up trying it out after I experience mine a little while. Not sure what the difference is, but the pump noise is a common complaint on the 3400. It's located on the flooring behind the pantry.

happy campers · 04-25-2007, 02:56 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by bsmeaton

Thanks for the feedback Orv - I may end up trying it out after I experience mine a little while. Not sure what the difference is, but the pump noise is a common complaint on the 3400. It's located on the flooring behind the pantry.

That's where ours is in our Mountaineer, and it has been noisey since new. The dealer tried all the fixes mentioned trying to quiet it down, and it's better, but still noisey. My idea was to try to mount it on something to better insulate it from the plywood floor. When I redid the plumbing in our old Franklin MH, I installed a cheap Shurflow that made little or no noise. Makes this new one a little disappointing!

bmckee2468 · 08-05-2007, 10:21 AM

Update on the noisy water pump
Finally got around to dropping the under pan to see about moving the water pump
to the rear of the rig next to the water tank. I found when the factory installed
the tank and lines they had crimped the supply line to the pump where it enters the floor
from the tank and nearly had the supply line shut down.
I cut out the crimp and reconnected the supply line leaving the pump where it was originally installed and have now cut the noise to an acceptable level.
Lucky we didn't burn out a pump as the water supply was almost cut off completly.

Bob and Karen

Fire5er · 08-05-2007, 12:27 PM

Just got to love the quality control in the RV manufacturing industry.

kerry · 08-05-2007, 05:29 PM

An accumulator tank will also help lower the noise and make your pump work better. Kerry

bmckee2468 · 08-06-2007, 10:42 AM

Thanks Kerry, that was one of the first things I did was add the accumulator and soft hoses.
Sure works a lot better and quieter since the pump can get a good supply of water now.

Bob

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