My sump/plumbing is too loud

[ragin_cajun]

I think you're wasting time trying to control pump output to control noise. What you want to do with a Herbie is match the drain rate to the pump's output rate by using a gate valve with a very fine adjustment on the drain side of the system.

But, looks to me like what you have is pair of Durso style drains. I've never run Durso's, but I think you can get them to run quiet by using a needle valve to finely control the amount of air being let into the drain up top, in your "offshoot T". Not exactly the same thing, but pretty close to a Herbie.

 

[ragin_cajun]

What's the output of a "Mag 18" pump? You have 2 of those right? And then you have 2 overflows, with a single drain in each overflow? And then you have 2 sumps that are tied together?

That sound about right?

 

[DN328]

Yeah, my drains are 1.5" so they can handle a lot of water but I've already throttled back the pumps as far as I can without them starting to cavitate and be even more noisy. I'm starting to think that I just have too much pump for my application.

I was referring to closing down on your drain Not the return pump end necessarily. I have a DC pump so no valve is needed. My gate valve is for the drain not pump.

Close down your dorso, just make sure the water level doesn't get too high in the overflow boxes.

 

[DN328]

I understand the air hose for durso helps reduce noise on the intake in the overflow boxes not the output noise to the sump. The video fedexguy posted showed the noise primarily from water splashing into the sump. This is why I suggested slowing that flow into the sump. I may be wrong, but that was what I saw/heard contributing to the most noise. The drain in the overflow box was relatively quiet compared to water into the sump.

 

[FedEXguy]

What's the output of a "Mag 18" pump? You have 2 of those right? And then you have 2 overflows, with a single drain in each overflow? And then you have 2 sumps that are tied together?

Pondmaster/Danner Mag 18s are 1800 nominal but only about 1200 at my head height. The tank was used and already drilled for double everything so I copied fmueller.com's setup with the idea that one overflow and pump could handle everything if anything extreme happened. The overflows are drilled twice at 1.5" and 1" and I'm using the 1" as the returns. The sumps are connected with two 1.5" pipes so that they are basically one sump. The overflows themselves with the Durso standpipes have been tuned to acceptable sound levels now.

My gate valve is for the drain not pump.

For some reason I was under the assumption that you should restrict the return and not the drain? I'm not sure where that came from, but I do rarely see the drain restricted in videos/threads on plumbing. But it also wasn't something I was looking out for, so I may have missed it. I do have space to add a gate or ball valve if it comes down to it.

 

[DN328]

From your video it looked like you had ball valves for each full siphon drains ;-). That would explain the noise.

Regardless of drain method, I believe a valve is always required else the noise is as you are experiencing. As I mentioned, even my full siphon 1" does that if I open up the gate valve all up. It can take on a lot of water sitting about 6" below the overflow box water level, but the noise would be like a toilet LOL. I think closing down will solve your noise.

 

[ragin_cajun]

I don't think the problem is too much pump output. I have a pair of Laguna MaxFlo 2400's and it runs dead silent if the drains are below the water level in the sump.

The only 2 ways that drains can make noise are air in the drain making a gurgling sound or sometimes a popping sound, and water falling onto and breaking the surface of the water in the sump (which, technically, is also air mixing with the drain output and "slapping" around).

 

[Fish Tank Travis]

Pondmaster/Danner Mag 18s are 1800 nominal but only about 1200 at my head height. The tank was used and already drilled for double everything so I copied fmueller.com's setup with the idea that one overflow and pump could handle everything if anything extreme happened. The overflows are drilled twice at 1.5" and 1" and I'm using the 1" as the returns. The sumps are connected with two 1.5" pipes so that they are basically one sump. The overflows themselves with the Durso standpipes have been tuned to acceptable sound levels now.
For some reason I was under the assumption that you should restrict the return and not the drain? I'm not sure where that came from, but I do rarely see the drain restricted in videos/threads on plumbing. But it also wasn't something I was looking out for, so I may have missed it. I do have space to add a gate or ball valve if it comes down to it.

For the setup to work quietly, you use a valve on the overflow. You need to have one overflow a little lower than the other (maybe an inch) and then you use the valve on that lower overflow to restrict the flow until just a tiny bit of water (maybe even just a few drips) make it to the higher overflow. This keeps the lower overflow at a full siphon, which is quiet, and then only allows a trickle of water through the other overflow, which is also very quiet. The next part to look at is where the overflow drains into the sump. If you can submerge the tube/pipe that drains into the sump then it will be completely silent.

Just remember, if one of your overflows is submerged an inch under the water then you will have some extra water draining into the sump in the event of a power outage.

 

[FedEXguy]

Got a busy few days ahead. I'll work through these suggestions and post back what comes of it later. Thanks everyone.

 

[FedEXguy]

Replaced my pumps with some Jebao DC pumps and they are nearly unimaginably silent! On the other hand, my drains are still making too much noise. It's much less than before but also still too much for me to be happy. Even if I throttle the pumps back to their lowest setting. Still not sure what I'm going to do about it. Here's a vid: