How to add pool pump sound proofing?

[cade]

There is a low machine noise hum from my neighbours pool pumps close to our bedroom windows that operate at night though to the early hours in the morning 

A thin rubber mating has been placed under the pumps with out any other enclosure around the pumps 

loads of area around the pumps available  for placing acoustic panels and a house Looking down on pumps House wall with switch boxeswall to support any acoustic panels 

pumps are mounted on a concrete slab 

Any advise or experience anyone has on setting up sound proofing around the pumps would be a big help before I head off on a trial be error effort 

[EricL]

Hello @cade 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about sound proofing a pool pump.

I suggest having a look at this guide - How to build a pool pump cover. The housing will of course need to be modified so that it can cover the entire pump assembly. The inside of the pump cover can then be lined with Bastion 1200 x 600 x 50mm XPS Multi Use Foam Board. This should greatly reduce the machine hum noise, aside from this I also suggest changing the rubber matt of the pumps to something a lot thicker such as the Ideal 1m Black Fine Rib Rubber Matting Sheet.

From your side of the fence, I suggest building a fence like wall near your fence that is in front of your window. You then fill that wall with insulation which should lessen the humming noise even further. The humming noise should now be greatly reduced when inside your room.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[cade]

Many thanks Eric , excellent information and directions to go about putting it together, it’s most appreciated .

The idea to build a sound barrier wall on my side of the fence is easy to do as there is only pathway with plenty of clearance.

I’ll measure up the area around the pumps for a prebuilt pump cover to drop over the pumps 

thank you for the help 

cheers 

Cade 

Bunnings workshop group/ projects is a first class idea 👍 

[Dave-1 · Accepted solution]

Good Evening @cade 

I feel your pain. My pool pump does not have a cover and I know of your hum issue. Yeah I know I should kick my own butt.

However there are a couple of ideas. Someone recently had the same questions as yourself. 

Pool pumps cannot run all night, there is a certain time period set by the council. I would check out your local councils website and see.

A cover designed to sit like a box just over the pump and the pre-filter basket should go a long way to deadening the sound.

Ive been thinking of what I could build to go over mine and pretty much it will come down to an exterior ply with a sloped roof lines with foilboard on the inside. 

It will look like an old school train set tunnel that drops over the pump and pre-filter. For servicing just lift and then replace.

If you neighbours arnt keen I would suggest as an easiest option for your peace of mind to offer to make the box. I know its a stretch but the neighbour may not be handy, may not have money, may not have time, may not really care but figure nothen ventured means noisy sleep.

Dave

[cade]

Excellent info Dave 

thank you 

good point to check out the council regs on night time running 

good design to put the neighbour 

cheers Cade