ShurFlo 2088 pump: How loud is loud, & how often will it cycle?

TheHubbardBus · 11-15-2019, 03:46 PM

No experience w/ this pump or any other in an RV application, but based on specs & reliability it's my first choice. Two things I've heard: it's reliable, and a bit noisy. It's the 2nd part I'm curious about.

Our fresh water tanks will be inside the bus under the bed, & the best/easiest place for the pump is there too. Do you foresee this being a nuisance? Also, assuming no water use during the evening, can I expect it to also not cycle at all? Or does it naturally bleed off a bit of pressure & cycle at times even w/o use?

I realize this may be subjective, but would it bother you?

Drew Bru · 11-15-2019, 03:57 PM

We've got a Shurflro 4008 pump, not sure how much different it is from the one you're planning. It doesn't really make too much noise, just a low growl when running. We also put in a pressurized accumulator tank, which takes some of the stress off the pump so it doesn't run as often. The pump will occasionally kick on for a couple seconds when we're not using the water...I'm assuming this has to do with the accumulator tank losing pressure or something. I dunno. That's maybe a once-a-day thing. I don't think you'll find it overly noisy at night. I used a piece of yoga mat, IIRC, to try to isolate the pump from the wood that it's mounted to so as to cut down of vibration and noise transfer.
I'm a light sleeper and I'm surprised how my body has adjusted to nighttime noises like the inverter kicking on (to cycle the fridge) or the charge controller waking up at first light. I haven't slept this well in years.

BlackJohn · 11-15-2019, 04:25 PM

I don't like the noise or vibration set up with those pumps in typical rv use.
The other way to look at it is if it runs and shutsdown when called for, this is a good thing. Temporary bursts of the pump starting usually indicate a leak in the system, which then you have to track down and fix.
Some I see are using these for floor heating and won't like the noise. Wrong application for these pumps which are intermittent duty.
Noise and vibration are a small price to pay for a water service onboard.
I shut my pump switch off after useage until I need pressure again so I don't hear it run or have a hose break if not near the bus.

Under the bed is a hard place usually to work on them calling for a mattress lift as well as the mattress foundation. You might build around that somehow, I would.

John

ol trunt · 11-15-2019, 08:10 PM

I have one surflo and one flojet both are 3GPM and both would wake me up at night were they to turn on. I turn the pumps off at night and when I'm not in the bus. The frig wakes me up--it goes Snap----hummmmmmmm Pop ahhhhhhh and then is silent just long enough for me to get back to sleep. Both water pumps are 100 times louder than the frig and I'd be at them with an ax if I had to try to sleep in their vicinity.

Hang your pump on silicone rubber exhaust pipe straps and use very flexible inlet and outlet hoses and you'll be OK. An accumulator tank helps extend the cycle time. If you mount them on the plywood floor with the tiny rubber donuts they come with you'll think you're sleeping in the kettle drum section of the symphony orchestra when they kick on at Odarkhundred.
Jack

TheHubbardBus · 11-16-2019, 08:36 AM

Thank you all very much. Great food for thought & I appreciate the perspectives.

PNW_Steve · 11-16-2019, 09:05 AM

I used a similar model in a couple of rigs. Typical mounting can transfer the noise into the surface that is mounted to as well as the waterlines.

I made several modifications working to quiet it down.

What I wound up with is a dense foam 8"x12"x2" and mounted the pump to it then mounted the foam to the floor. I also cut back the water lines about a foot and replaced it with lengths of food grade vynil tubing. The vinyl tubing minimizes vibrations radiating from the pex lines.

Another option would be one of the more expensive pumps that are very quiet. I will poke around and see if I can find an example for you.

PNW_Steve · 11-16-2019, 09:13 AM

I am not having any luck finding what I was looking for.

I did come across this:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...=1573917111758

TheHubbardBus · 11-16-2019, 03:54 PM

Thanks Steve. I appreciate the effort.

o1marc · 11-16-2019, 04:40 PM

Since I haven't run mine yet, are the pumps "on demand"? Do they shut off when pressure builds from no flow? Or do you have to manually turn the pump on when needed?

BlackJohn · 11-16-2019, 04:46 PM

A good example of a quiet circulating pump as opposed to a pressure pump was shown in a recent post of a home heating system of member Firepuncher. Not sure which thread but ideal for quiet useage, probably pressure adjustable to an extent and temperature controlled to run only on demand.
One house I had used them in hot water zone heating, trouble free, basically silent.

John

TheHubbardBus · 11-16-2019, 04:48 PM

The 2088 is on demand, Marc. Not sure what you've got, though. There are both variants out there common for use in RV applications.

PNW_Steve · 11-16-2019, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by o1marc

Since I haven't run mine yet, are the pumps "on demand"? Do they shut off when pressure builds from no flow? Or do you have to manually turn the pump on when needed?

They have a pressure switch and cycle on and off to maintain pressure. When you are not running any water they don't run except... I have seen it in every rig I have owned. Periodically they run for just a moment now and then. My first thought was water leak. After much observation I have to think that the check valve may not be perfect and lets a little bleed back through.

My travel trailer has a new water pump in it and a few times during the night it will kick on for a few seconds. I have checked thoroughly and I have no leaks.

I am in the habit of turning the water pump off at bedtime. If it kicks on while I am trying to sleep I get "are you sure we don't have a leak?" on my brain and I don't sleep.

I have had multiple Shur-Flo pumps in multiple rigs and they have all done the same thing.

o1marc · 11-16-2019, 05:01 PM

Guess it pays to read the destructions every now and then. My small pump has a 35psi shutoff, and the larger pump a 45psi shut off. The small one is on the radiant flooring and won't need the shutoff feature.

PNW_Steve · 11-16-2019, 06:09 PM

The "better" pump I was looking for is probably 3 times the size of the Shur-Flo and has a motor with a belt drive to the pump and a "rocker arm" that moves the diaphragm.

I have seen and serviced a number of them. Great pumps but it seems that they are a thing of the past. They were very quiet, reliable and provided good flow/pressure.

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