# Same Old Pump, New Hose-quieter



## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Ok, so I removed the hard plastic pipe that connected to the white plastic three way connector on the left side of the pump and added new hose. The white hose coming down to the white plastic connector is the pressurized water inlet (town water). The new clear fiberglass reinforced hose is the new parts. It connects to the outlet on the left side of the pump at the white plastic three way connector. Loops around goes through a brass connector to a smaller diameter hose and continues into the 'crawl space' to connect to the plastic pipe. 
pump pic









I am having a little problem at the initial hose connection with hose clamp on that white plastic outlet. Lowes wasn't much help for a connection part so I had to get a hose that was large enough to barely slip over that threaded joint. Its white plastic so I am worried about cranking down on with the hose clamp. I have a leak there. I have tried some plumbers putty, but it is a small small drip overnight.

The good news is, it is very quiet. With the pump on the rubber bushings on a cow mat and all the foam padding on anything that may vibrate, its just a low hum in the kitchen area above the couch.








I put that freezer foam on the plastic pipe in the 'crawl space' of the outback. No rattle there.

anyone know if the three way plastic connection on the pump that comes in brass ? Then I can crank down on that hose clamp.


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## FlashG (Jun 23, 2007)

Great photo - gotta do that mod!


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Just did this mod, the Home Depot by me had a lot more fitting options available than did Lowes.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

What is the purpose of this mod? does the flexible hose absorb the vibration better than the harder plastic hose?


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Sayonara said:


> What is the purpose of this mod? does the flexible hose absorb the vibration better than the harder plastic hose?


Oh Heck yeah ! The vinyl reinforced hose and foam absorb all the hammering from the pump and the loop help smooth out the water turbulence that gives vibration. Makes for a kindler, gentler area, zen for the pump. So you don't hear the pump outside the area under the couch. I was very surprised how quiet it is. Cow mat helps too.








My goal is zero sound emissions, we're close, but not quite there yet. You cannot hear it outside the Outback now.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

I'll have to do that. Mine sounds like a 60 year old refridge. starting up. We hooked up to city water earlier this year and it drove my wife nuts that there wasn't any noise! I have seen kits to do the same thing. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/...encer-kit/29361 At least it does have the ends to fit.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Nice job looks great

Don


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Tyvekcat said:


> My goal is zero sound emissions


...you need an Accumulator Tank.


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## OutbackInfront (Jun 27, 2006)

Use PEX fittings, wide hose clamps and a wrench on the clamps. I used an accumulator tank,vinyl flex hose, PEX fittings and no foam and WOW! What a differance!


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Lmbevard said:


> I'll have to do that. Mine sounds like a 60 year old refridge. starting up. We hooked up to city water earlier this year and it drove my wife nuts that there wasn't any noise! I have seen kits to do the same thing. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/...encer-kit/29361 At least it does have the ends to fit.


Ahhh, that gives me an idea. Thanks for the kit tip. I maybe able to fix that fitting after all !








Thanks !!


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## Dan H. (Jul 14, 2006)

Lmbevard said:


> I'll have to do that. Mine sounds like a 60 year old refridge. starting up. We hooked up to city water earlier this year and it drove my wife nuts that there wasn't any noise! I have seen kits to do the same thing. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/...encer-kit/29361 At least it does have the ends to fit.


Has anyone installed and used the Shueflow pump silencer kit (reference above) by itself? Does it work well enough to spend the $20 to buy it? I have already installed a firm pad under the pump feet with minor success in quieting the pump noise.

Thanks,


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## Dan H. (Jul 14, 2006)

Finally did this mod and WOW what a difference !

I added about 3 ft of coiled vinyl reinforced hose to both the inlet and outlet ports of the pump. I still need to work on the pump outlet due to a small leak, but I think it is due to the type of connector I used.

Thanks for the example.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I've been looking around for a couple years while I contemplate doing this mod. One thing I've noticed at Home Depot is there is additional variety of fittings sizes and configurations in the area for sprinkler systems. Are those safe to use for drinking water?


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## Dan H. (Jul 14, 2006)

Hey Tyvekcat,

Have you had any luck with fixing the leak? I have the same problem at the same spot. I used a 1/2 barbed brass fitting in the vinyl hose with a threaded end to connnect the white plastic "T" connector and it leaks ever so slightly. Those plastic connectors are wierd.

I tried the PEX fittings and they did not fit the hard plastic tubing used by the manufacturer.


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## zookeeper (Apr 19, 2008)

Just did this mod yesterday and it did help the noise. Still need the do some tweaking on it to get it as quiet as I would like but it's still a lot better. I got the fittings at a local camper parts dealer and spent about $5 on the 2 fittings & a section of hose to come off the outlet side, then I put rubber bushings under the pump mounts. I think an accumulator tank will be the next step. Just think flushing the toilet in silence...OOH so nice









David


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Dan H. said:


> Hey Tyvekcat,
> 
> Have you had any luck with fixing the leak? I have the same problem at the same spot. I used a 1/2 barbed brass fitting in the vinyl hose with a threaded end to connnect the white plastic "T" connector and it leaks ever so slightly. Those plastic connectors are wierd.
> 
> I tried the PEX fittings and they did not fit the hard plastic tubing used by the manufacturer.


Hi Dan: well yes I did. I used the same plastic tee. what I did, and I saw the suggestion up here on Outbackers somewhere, I took the hose off, put some plumbers putty in the threads on the plastic tee, and slipped that hose back up on it. Tightened the hose clamp and run the pump up to pressurize the system. It hasn't leaked in over two weeks now.







I have kept an eye on it and haven't put the cover back yet. 
Still watching it. Will see how it does this weekend.

I wish I could find that tee out of the pump in brass. Its it a normal tee or is there some back-flow thing in it to not allow inlet for the 'city' water to run back through the pump into the fresh water tank?

Dan, if you find that tee in brass, please let me know. My Local Lowes and home depot didn't have the half inch fitting I needed to come off the plastic tee. That plastic is squirrelly ! Try some Teflon tape on the plastic side and thread your barb back on there. I know you are afraid of over tightening. I was too with the hose clamp on the plastic tee. i tightened a little at a time until I got the leak to completely stop. I hope it doesn't crack that plastic. Brass would be better over time.

It really is quieter. You can't hear that pump out side the camper and have to listen for it inside the camper to hear it run. My brother is suppose to get me some of that egg crate foam to put in that area. . Let me know if the Teflon tape helps or if you already tried it.

Get-R-Done !


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## Dan H. (Jul 14, 2006)

Finally pulled the trailer out of storage and fixed the leak. Thanks for the help.

The trick was to insert a cone shaped rubber seal into the flair-it end of the plastic white "T" and another cone shaped rubber seal to fill-in the concaved bottom surface of the 1/2 inch female brass barbed fitting. This, along with a lot of Teflon tape and cranking down on the connection, made a water tight connection.

I could not find a 1/2 inch brass "T" either.

For future reference, the Outbacks use "Flair-It" brand fittings for the water system

==> http://www.flairitwest.com/FreeDownloads/Catalog.pdf


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## Cari (Jun 23, 2007)

Has anyone tried to Kit suggested from camping world? We are not mechanically inclined and I'd prefer a much simpler solution, the camping world one seems easy enough and then I could put the foam around yes?


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

Cari said:


> Has anyone tried to Kit suggested from camping world? We are not mechanically inclined and I'd prefer a much simpler solution, the camping world one seems easy enough and then I could put the foam around yes?


That is a nice kit at camping world. I just thought it was a little over priced. Lowes and Ferguson enterprises were closer to me so I went with rounding up the parts. I think you could use that kit and be just fine. It will make a big difference on the noise of that pump.
Have fun.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

I thought it was in this thread somebody brought it up, but I can't find it now.

Couldn't you just use these?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores...03+90072+500060


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## OutbackInfront (Jun 27, 2006)

They are a strange thread...similar to a 1/2 NPT but not tapered. I used straight short runs because I didn't want water to get stuck and freeze in the winter. The short hose is enough to do the trick. The other trick is to move the city water connection to the far end of the hose from the pump instead of teeing in right at the pump.


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

OutbackInfront said:


> They are a strange thread...similar to a 1/2 NPT but not tapered. I used straight short runs because I didn't want water to get stuck and freeze in the winter. The short hose is enough to do the trick. The other trick is to move the city water connection to the far end of the hose from the pump instead of teeing in right at the pump.


Was this responding to me? Do you mean those faucet connector things from Home Depot won't work? I thought I read somebody else used them. The description on the Shurflo accumulator tank says the connectors are "1/2 inch 14 NPT". Does that 14 mean something significant?


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## Arke (Aug 3, 2009)

I guess the hose size used here is 1/2 inch? I'm going to replace the hose on ours and see if I can quiet this pump down a little. 
Chris


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

Yes you want 1/2 inch ID flexible hose. My local RV dealer sold that by the foot and also had the fittings that attached to the pump. It was worth a few extra bucks for the parts to get exactly what I needed in one trip.


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Did this mod..now it is too quiet...didn't hear the pump running when the three year old left a faucet open...


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## Bruce and Cyndi (Apr 21, 2010)

Would a 2 Gallon Thermal Expansion Tank work, It's $40.

My link


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Bruce and Cyndi said:


> Would a 2 Gallon Thermal Expansion Tank work, It's $40.
> 
> My link


You want one with a bladder so you can set the operating pressure. A straight expansion tank like that is very limited in where you can put it and how effective it will be.

EDIT - On looking at the link again it is a bladder tank so yes it will work. Typically when listed as a thermal expansion tank they do not have bladders.


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