Is there such a thing as a silent pump for an indoor fountain?

September 17, 2009 3:33 PM

Is there a silent pump for an indoor fountain?

Things that hum drive me slowly mad. Is there a pump for a small table top fountain or fogger which does not hum? Of course all the ads for pumps say they're quiet. Ha! Not so! I had a small aquarium years ago and the pump did not bother me. I'm assuming it was a better quality than what comes with your average fountain kit. But, a table top fountain moves a lot less water so I don't know if an aquarium pump would be overkill. Any suggestions other than to add the fountain to the garage sale? I hunted all over the city for this fountain, have it and now can't use it.

posted by x46 to home & garden (5 answers total)

If the pump in your fountain is making noise, you may not have enough water in the fountain. The fountain pump is a (small) aquarium pump, and it must be submerged to work quietly. But properly submerged, those things are basically silent. Fill it up, start the pump, then add more water until the sound goes away. The water level in the fountain's resting state is higher than it will be when the fountain is running, since there is no water "in transit" when the fountain is at rest. (Yes, this means that if the power goes out and the fountain stops, the fountain may overflow.)
posted by kindall at 4:02 PM on September 17, 2009

Are the vibrations of the pump being conducted through the mount? (Pick up the pump while it's running. Does the hum reduce?) Can you mount the pump on some rubber washers / pad etc..?
posted by defcom1 at 5:13 PM on September 17, 2009 [1 favorite]

Excellent ideas. The recommendation for the fogger thingie is for a wide shallow container. The fountain kit obviously had too small a well to provide adequate water coverage. So, more water, deeper water, and rubber washed hot glued to the bottom of the pump.

I don't understand through the mount, but, yes, the hum reduces when I pick it up (to look balefully at it and silently curse.) You would think I would have figured out the more water as I've used the fogger at Hallowe'en in a big black kettle to look like witches' brew.

Thanks again!
posted by x46 at 6:07 PM on September 17, 2009

Ah, that's washers. oops
posted by x46 at 6:08 PM on September 17, 2009

I have one of those water fountains for my cat - just a cheap one. The pump is pretty quiet and just pops right out... maybe you could cannibalize?
posted by media_itoku at 9:48 AM on September 18, 2009