How noisy are pumps? Is there a silent pump that can generate a waterfall at 6' ?

[EvilLost]

I need a pump that can generate a small waterfall at a height of 6'. I was told by the HD folks that this 210GPH pump could do it...now that I have educated myself some more I should have known better (when the max height is 7'....it barely dribbles).


Long story short, I need a powerful enough pump to generate my waterfall; I'm guesstimating at roughly 5-10GPM (30-60GPH) @ 5.5-6' is what I need....this is not too hard to find...


however, none of the pumps I look up have any information on their NOISE! This is going to be running a waterfall 24/7 in the living room so it needs to be sufficiently silent.


Any suggestions?

Also, is there ANY reason to use 450GPH "pond" pump $50:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunterra-2004..._1_31?s=garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1325561260&sr=1-31

over a pump that can do 1800GPH for $45 but is not a "pond" pump.

http://www.amazon.com/Superior-Pump-91250-Thermoplastic-Submersible/dp/B000X05G1A/ref=pd_cp_hi_1




I'm still learning here but it seems "pond" pumps are just like "reptile" incandescent bulbs...nothing more than a name and price hike?

 

[chameleongirl2]

have you ever tried using king mist? it works like a dream!

 

[snipeusa14]

IM USING aquazamp and its super silent!!! you cant hear it anywhere in the house..and my house echoes alot

 

[EvilLost]

I have a mistking for my misting system. The nozzles are awesome, but I'm neutral to the pump at the moment still on the price point. I have found much cheaper pumps with roughly the same outputs but the noise is the issue.


Also, in my post here I am trying to make a WATERFALL which means I need a large water flow (as I guesstimated, 60GPH @ 6feet). If you are confused thinking this number is low, the labelled number you see on pumps is at ZERO feet, not at 7 feet. I already have a 260GPH pump but it barely trickles at 6'....


what aquazamp? and whats your flow rate on it ?

 

[Whatcamo]

Here's the best bang for your buck dang whisper quiet excellent warranty and will run for years and years
http://www.marinedepot.com/Eheim_12...er_Pumps-Eheim-EH1046-FIWPSBUF-EH1250-vi.html

 

[BugCatcher]

I can second the Eheim pump. They are a quality pump. Although you will likely have to valve it down seeing as the flow will still be way more than your looking to get most likely. You can also look into the Mag Drive pumps. The Mag 2 might be adequate or you may opt for the 3 and valve it. Both of those will pump with 6' of head pressure.

 

[EvilLost]

thanks, i was planning to valve it anyway


although that pump is more than 2x the cost of the two I linked....is that really the cost of silence? :|

 

[summoner12]

um..... mistking pumps aren't gonna do what you want....

What kind of waterfall? something in your cage or out in your yard? You might want to look into aquarium stuff... misting pumps are high pressure low volume, not what you need in a waterfall.

 

[Whatcamo]

thanks, i was planning to valve it anyway


although that pump is more than 2x the cost of the two I linked....is that really the cost of silence? :|

Cost of quality in a world of you get what you pay for silence is just the bonus!

 

[showjet95]

if its just a small pump, then maxi jets are the way to go. Never buy a rio!

 

[EvilLost]

um..... mistking pumps aren't gonna do what you want....

What kind of waterfall? something in your cage or out in your yard? You might want to look into aquarium stuff... misting pumps are high pressure low volume, not what you need in a waterfall.

What exactly do you mean by "what kind of waterfall"?


I have been testing with my water since posting this and have actually got a good setup (although sound is still meh) with my 260GPH pump after elevating it a bit (my waterfall height is at 6' high).


now making the stream and waterfall LOOK real.....man am I failing... 2" in a tank is easy, 15" up close is way harder!

 

[chamguy]

You could look at diaphram pumps. They are extremely quite, but they may be low volume which is not what you want.


Out Door pond pumps will do what you want, but from my experince they tend to require some maintnence. Mine are always breaking.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOTALPOND-R...aultDomain_0&hash=item27be272f21#ht_521wt_697

I think this is one you are looking for. For a decent price to. YOu will need to add a valuve of course ( altho you already planed that). If you wish to do multiple cages you could do that aswell. If these pumps run dry it WILL ruine them, unlike some diaphram pumps like the mistking that can run dry all day.

Do you have a picture of your entire setup you are trying to utilize this in?

 

[Montium]

Yes, the more money generally means less noise. The less expensive pumps are just that and because they are they tend to be poorly made.

 

[ktravelet]

Is the water going to be falling the full 6'. If it is I doubt a super quiet pump is really needed. The sound of the water will probably be louder.

Post some pics too!

 

[summoner12]

um..... mistking pumps aren't gonna do what you want....

What kind of waterfall? something in your cage or out in your yard? You might want to look into aquarium stuff... misting pumps are high pressure low volume, not what you need in a waterfall.

What exactly do you mean by "what kind of waterfall"?


I have been testing with my water since posting this and have actually got a good setup (although sound is still meh) with my 260GPH pump after elevating it a bit (my waterfall height is at 6' high).


now making the stream and waterfall LOOK real.....man am I failing... 2" in a tank is easy, 15" up close is way harder!

I thought I sorta made it clear.... I want to know what you are doing with this to better understand your needs. If you have a pump that works but is too noisy, why not try insulating the sound with some foam or an enclosure?

 

[Creature13]

IM USING aquazamp and its super silent!!! you cant hear it anywhere in the house..and my house echoes alot

I have 2 Aqua Zamp systems running. They are very quiet and exhibit outstanding performance.