Pool Pump Too Loud? Here’s How to Fix It

Your pool’s pump is a motor-driven system that circulates water into the filter system to keep the water debris-free and clean. It’s the most important part of your pool’s purification system. The pump motor should make a faintly detectable hum during regular operation, so if it starts to make louder noises, it’s a warning that something is wrong. Fortunately, a noisy pool pump is relatively easy to troubleshoot and fix on your own if you don’t want to hire a costly professional.

In this article, I’ll pinpoint the root of the noise and go through possible causes and fixes.

Main Takeaways

• To fix your loud pool pump, the first step is to locate the noise.
• Some common causes of a loud pool pump include low water level, internal blockage, cavitation, and motor noise.

Locating the Noise

The engine, impeller, and housing are the three primary components of a pump. The engine provides the pump’s operation control, and its only function is to spin the impeller. The impeller is a water-sucking blade that spins inside the engine. The filter is connected to the housing by a bucket with a basket-like mesh lining.

No matter how unpleasant your pool pump’s noise is, the first step to stopping it is to find the source. Is it coming from the wet end of the pool pump or the motor itself – that is, the housing or the impeller?

The type of sound that emanates from the pump will help you figure out what’s wrong with it. For instance, if the pump makes a grinding sound like stones rattling inside, it indicates that there’s not enough water moving through the pump. It’s also a good indication that your pump baskets need cleaning out.

If the pump makes a screeching whine, that’s a sign that something is trapped inside the pump’s impeller. The noise might clear on its own as the pump works. However, if the sound does not stop on its own, the bearings may have worn down, rusted, or are close to breaking point and need to be replaced.

Common Causes of Pool Pump Noise and How to Fix Each One

Some pumps are inherently loud, but newer variable speed pump models are designed to run pretty quietly. Regardless, if your pool pump makes a louder noise than usual, it could be noisy for various reasons.

Low Water Level

When the water level in your pool pump is running low, the pump might get noisy. Most times, this has something to do with the bucket-like skimmer built into the poolside.

If the water level in your pool has dropped below halfway on the skimmer faceplate, your pump could be drawing in both air and water. The pool pump will have to work harder—and louder—as a result.

Fortunately, filling the pool pump with water is an easy fix for this issue. If the pump is still not working correctly, it may be trying to self-prime or eliminate all that extra air. You might have to prime the pump manually.

Internal Blockage

If debris becomes lodged within the pipe, the pool pump motor may have to work harder to suction water from the pool and force it through the filter. When a motor is overworked, it makes an audible noise to let you know. Worse, it could start sucking air and water, which could have dire consequences.

The first step to fixing this is to turn off the filter and unplug the pump. You should also remove the lid from the pump basket. Check the pump basket for any leaves, gravel, small particles, or other material that might have gotten into it. Get a hose to clean out the basket, and you’re good to go.

You may also need to inspect the impeller or rotating blade that forces water into the housing for filtering. Take out the pump basket while reaching your hands down into the tube between the basket and the impeller while leaving the pump unplugged.

Check whether the impeller is clogged or wobbly because that is the most likely cause of the noise. If it’s wobbly, you’ll need to get the impeller replaced or adjusted. However, if it’s clogged, use a pair of pliers to fold a rigid piece of wire into a hook shape and scrape the debris out of it.

Cavitation

Now comes the hard part. Cavitation happens when the pump sucks in not just water but also air. It is the most extreme of noisy pump sources. As previously mentioned, this may be caused by clogging and low pool water levels. However, if you’ve been running dry for a while, the water left in the pump might have heated to a simmer and then to steam. The steam may rise and cause certain pump sections, including the inner lining, to melt.

The impeller is another cavitation influence. If the pump runs dry for a prolonged period, the impeller absorbs most of the heat. As temperatures increase enough, a brass embed in the impeller shaft breaks away, resulting in a sharp rattle.

You can inspect the pump’s inner covering when you open the lid. You can easily replace the impeller, but the pump body may be more complex to replace.

Motor Noise

Screeching or rattling pump sounds can result from faulty bearings. Bearings are mounted on the motor shaft to minimize friction when it turns. Once the bearings get entirely worn out, lubrication will not suffice. You’ll either change the bearings or replace the whole motor.

While new bearings are affordable, the labor is time-consuming. A replacement installation necessarily requires the use of a specialized bearing puller and two separate bearing sizes. Before you give up and contact a specialist, consider tapping the top of the engine casing a couple of times with a hammer.

Though admittedly a little old-fashioned (similar to hitting the side of a TV to create a signal in the past), jarring the motor in this manner may occasionally help remove built-up rust within the motor.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, stopping the noise from your pool pump may be quick and easy. For instance, removing debris from the pump or changing the impeller is easier than replacing the pump body or changing faulty bearings in the motor.

If you fixed all the major issues and still don’t love the noise, a good next step is to build yourself a pool pump cover or pool equipment enclosure with some soundproofing material. I’m not a soundproofing expert, but I was recommended this article by several soundproofing professionals that I chatted with. So, give that a look if you want to build something for noise reduction around your pump.

If all efforts to fix the noise from your pool pump by yourself fail and you don’t have a warranty, you should send the pump to a specialist or purchase a new one. If you have to go that route, head to my best pool pump guide, where I cover my top recommendations – just make sure you get a pump with a long lifespan and lifetime warranty.

Questions about your pool pump making a loud noise? Let me know; always happy to help.