Is There Such a Thing as a Quiet Shower Sump Pump?

[Wireless1]

I have a Bennie 473 with a Jabsco model 37202 2.8 GPM shower sump pump in each shower that are so loud that from the outside of the boat they sound like a small jack hammer is working inside. (well, I am exaggerating a bit...but they are very loud!) I can put up with almost anything, but it's driving my wife nuts. Which of course translates to now it must be driving me nuts too---right? (Now that I think about it the shower sump pump on my buddies Catalina 42 sounds loud too). Does anyone have any suggestions about either curing this noise, or know of a shower sump pump that runs as smooth and quiet as some of my old Sureflo water pumps I've used in the past? Thanks for any help...

Martin
s/v "Lucky Spin"
Beneteau 473

[billknny]

For shower sumps a jabsco water puppy works well. A flexible impeller pump, it's fine with hair and such, and is quiet and self priming.

[steve77]

We have a different model Jabsco, a 50880. I would not say that it is loud at all.

In your boat, are the rubber mounting feet installed? They are there to insulate the pump base from whatever it is mounted on, and they reduce the sound transmission very substantially. Is it possible that those rubber pieces are missing?

Cheers!
Steve

[Lepke]

Foam sheeting also works to stop noise transmission. Many sumps sit on a flat board or beams. If mounted directly the sounds gets transferred to the hull. Setting the sump on foam or rubber feet stops most of the sound.

[Suijin]

I have a Jabsco pump that is not all that intrusive. Personally I appreciate the noise as it confirms that it's running.

As noted the key is proper installation. The pump should "float" on it's rubber grommets. If the screws securing the feet are tightened down too much they will defeat the grommets' ability to isolate the pump from it's mounting surface. My water pump is double insulated...it's screwed down with grommets onto a plinth that is in turn mounted with more grommets. It's very quiet.

Relatedly, any pump mounted on a board or smaller bulkhead basically turns that board into a drum. Either damp the board or mount the pump on a less resonant surface.

[travellerw]

We have 2 Whale Gulper 220 shower sump pumps. Both are quiet and super efficient. They empty our shower sump in 15-20 seconds.

[Dockhead]

Whale Gulper diaphragm pump -- quiet, efficient, long lasting, easy to repair -- I can recommend.

[Seriously Slow]

I have one of these on my boat replacing the jackhammer. It has worked great and I am about to buy another for the guest head.
There are a bunch of brands available but I think many are really the same but with different names. I works from gravity feed and automatically pumps when triggered by water level. Just like a sump pump with a self contained level switch because the pump assembly is also sold separately as a sump pump.
Take a look at the various ones and decide what you like. The lids are made of brittle plastic on the ones I have seen and the molded clip area will break prematurely I am sure.
These will only work if you have space below the level of your shower floor so gravity can do its' job. Mine is about 5 ft. to the side of the shower floor and about 1.5 ft lower.

https://www.amazon.com/Attwood-500-G...pump+for+boats

[rms95835]

These style of pumps can cause the lines to move substantially as they “gulp” the water from the sump. The forward head on my Jeanneau had a line that was banging on the inside of the cabinet once the pump loaded up, so in addition to confirming the rubber feat are in place, I’d be sure the lines are secured and not banging on anything.

[Wireless1]

Hey guys!! Thanks so much for all the fantastic suggestions.
I will investigate all of them, starting with the isolation grommets and mounting board (aka the drum head! that makes sense).
I think for my needs may go in the direction of self-priming impeller pump like perhaps the Jabsco "water puppy", since the diaphragm pumps by definition tend to want to jump around a bit.
I appreciate all your suggestions and guidance.
Fair winds, with quiet showers!!

Martin
s/v "Lucky Spin"
San Diego Bay, CA

[Typhoon]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Whale Gulper diaphragm pump -- quiet, efficient, long lasting, easy to repair -- I can recommend.

I second this for a Gulper , when used with the Whale gray water wast tank it is very quiet .

Regards John.

[ranger58sb]

I'd guess vibration isolation would maybe be most productive first step.

FWIW, we eventually replaced our original sump box (with a Jabsco 750) with a new sump box with a Rule 800 pump. Could only barely hear the original, ditto the replacement.

OTOH, our engine room blowers would wake the dead -- three boats over. Remounted those using some flexible hose as stand-offs, much quieter now...

-Chris

[redsky49]

Originally Posted by Seriously Slow

I have one of these on my boat replacing the jackhammer. It has worked great and I am about to buy another for the guest head.
There are a bunch of brands available but I think many are really the same but with different names. I works from gravity feed and automatically pumps when triggered by water level. Just like a sump pump with a self contained level switch because the pump assembly is also sold separately as a sump pump.
Take a look at the various ones and decide what you like. The lids are made of brittle plastic on the ones I have seen and the molded clip area will break prematurely I am sure.
These will only work if you have space below the level of your shower floor so gravity can do its' job. Mine is about 5 ft. to the side of the shower floor and about 1.5 ft lower.

https://www.amazon.com/Attwood-500-G...pump+for+boats

I have the Atwood sump pump. In my application, virtually silent. Recommended.

[Alita49DS]

I wrote about this typically rubbish Jabsco product not that long ago.

You might want to forget about all the difficult stuff and check whether someone has replaced the seals and in doing so over screwed the four body retaining bolts.

To explain. Normally to seal any water transferring item on a boat you tighten. Not these Jabsco pumps. If you do first they can leak. Second, and that sounds, literally, your problem, the four body bolts protrude past the feet and hit the bulkhead behind the pump. Hence the jack hammer noise.

Slacked off to about two or three threads showing at the pump base the noise should go.

I should know. I had the same issues. Leaks and noise. Jabsco UK accepted that the seal kit instructions were deficient but declined to accept responsibility saying that they were written by the US parent company. Written is putting it too high. They are virtually useless.

[redsky49]

I would like to add, regarding the Jabsco Water Puppy, that I have a love/hate relationship with it. It clearly has issues.

In my case, where I have a relatively dry bilge, I have found that the Water Puppy will seize up after a period of inactivity. I have found that the motor shaft, which drives the impeller , will seize in the bore, and occasionally the impeller blades will get hung up.

I have encountered several people who also have had same or similar issues with this pump. And at least one marine service manager has tried to convince me to look at alternatives.

It is a plus that the pump can be rebuilt, same as the fresh water pumps can, but the cost of a rebuild kit for Jabsco pumps too often equals or exceeds the cost of a competing brand new pump.

These are all seemingly old technology devices. I think the market is ready for a better solution regarding marine pumps.