[bkessler826]

Due to a low-yielding well, we recently had a water storage system installed in our basement. The problem is that the system, with its 1/2h.p. Goulds pump that draws water out of the storage tank, and pumps up a WellXTrol pressurization tank, is horrendously loud.

Our technician has tried many solutions to resolve the noise -- which is due to vibration transmitting throughout the copper piping in our house -- but so far to no avail. It even vibrates the floors in the area above it.

The new piping around the pump & pressurization tank is CPVC. Perhaps the vibration is due to the feedback pipe that goes back into the pump (priming feedback)? This is the only pipe that has a direct link from the pump to the main house water pipes. Is CPVC too rigid? Should a more supple high pressure hose be used in that feedback path, instead?

The pump is fastened to our basement floor with 1-1/2" rubber shock absorber bushings -- allowing it to vibrate freely on those bushings. Should I instead bolt it securely to a smooth, level concrete slab?

Is there any other form of vibration reduction? I've thought about lag-bolting a 2x6 down from the floor joists, and clamping the pipes to it, but will that simply transmit the vibration through that wood -- thereby vibrating our floors even worse?

It's a big country. I'm sure this problem has been encountered at least once in someone's past experience. Please advise. This problem is dreadful, and we are nearing our wits' end.

Regards,
Brian

[speedball1]

Has your plumber considered cutting the copper house main and installing a Fernco Neoprene Coupling, (see image) to absorb the vibration before it reaches your system? Good luck, Tom

[bkessler826]

Interesting thought -- I'll see what he says. Thank you. I can think of two places where this might be appropriate -- the CPVC line from the compression tank to the house main, and the CPVC line feeding back from the house main to the primer port of the pump.

[bkessler826]

Has your plumber considered cutting the copper house main and installing a Fernco Neoprene Coupling, (see image) to absorb the vibration before it reaches your system? Good luck, Tom

Thank you for your response, speedball1. First, I misspoke about the tubing.. . it is PEX, not CPVC. Second, our plumber did do something very similar to what you suggested: inserted a few feet of flexible tubing in place of a few feet of PEX. He also hard-bolted the pump to our concrete basement floor. Since he did both actions at the same time, we can't really say which action had the greatest benefit, but suffice to say that both were advantageous. He further said that his past installations have always been in newer homes, where they anchored the piping solidly to concrete -- unlike in our 200yo house, where the plumbing is hung willy-nilly and difficult to anchor to anything.

Result -- the system is now virtually inaudible from most places in our house.