Humming on brand new Vectra M2

canadianeh · Apr 6, 2020

I am running it currently to do leak test right now and on the first two days, it was dead silent. Then I start to hear humming for the pump. I hear it whether at 50% or higher speed. It is hard plumb on 1" PVC pipe. I have sent an email to Ecotech today so I am expecting a reply from them.

Anyone is having or experienced the same issue?

saltyhog · Apr 6, 2020

Mine did when I first got it but I had a section of flexible tubing and my humming was from the M2 moving and touching the sidewall of the sump. Do you think you could do a video and see if we can appreciate the sound? Is it a mechanical sound?

JoshH · Apr 6, 2020

Tagging along as I'm having a Similar issue myself, bought two M2s and one is dead silent, the other one, not sooo much;Bored

Slawman · Apr 6, 2020

I went through three of these after returning the first two because of the noise. Unless I came across a bad batch, they are simply not silent pumps. They are quiet but about the same noise level as the old Eheim bricks (but they do have a higher capacity). I can direct compare it to a Red Dragon Speedy 3 which is truly dead silent and which is now running in the tank I put the Vecras in. They start to whine at halfway and get louder as you turn them up.

For true silence above 6000 lph (1500 gph), I rate the Red Dragons the Italian Syncras and in third place the Tunze low voltage.

canadianeh · Apr 7, 2020

saltyhog said:
Mine did when I first got it but I had a section of flexible tubing and my humming was from the M2 moving and touching the sidewall of the sump. Do you think you could do a video and see if we can appreciate the sound? Is it a mechanical sound?

The last time I uploaded video here it didn't work and wouldn't play if you click it. Are there any specific video files that allowed?

canadianeh · Apr 7, 2020

saltyhog said:
Mine did when I first got it but I had a section of flexible tubing and my humming was from the M2 moving and touching the sidewall of the sump. Do you think you could do a video and see if we can appreciate the sound? Is it a mechanical sound?

Here is the humming sound at the lowest speed:

And this is the sound when I adjust the speed from level 1-3 and back and forth:

Slawman · Apr 7, 2020

That's the same sound as mine.

canadianeh · Apr 7, 2020

So Ecotech support told me to loosen the Allen key screws on the front of the pump about 1/4 to a 1/2 turn each. They think it might solve the humming issue. If doesn’t fix it, they will reopen the ticket.

canadianeh · Apr 28, 2020

Update.

After back and forth with them, they swap the body with the new one and still making the humming. They think that the body is touching the side wall. I checked and not touching the wall. They insisted that since it is new pump and they already swap the body then it must not be the pump.

Anyway it looks like it is the normal sound of the pump. Bummer.

Cwentz758 · Apr 28, 2020

Hmmm my S2 is dead silent. That’s odd

Randyp79 · Apr 28, 2020

My L2 is dead silent. At this point I would remove the front cover and Impeller just to see if there's something in there or if reseating it helps.

canadianeh · Apr 28, 2020

Is it possible the way I plumb causing the humming? What’s the odd that I still hear it even after they swapped the body?

I don’t want to mess up with the plumbing again as I was able to stop a consistent leak.

I guess I will put up with it. Hope the sound hours away over time. If I am not trying to hear the sound, I can simply not notice it.

Wish I went with COR20 pump.

Cwentz758 · Apr 28, 2020

You could also use some rubber tubbing for about the first foot or so from the pump to the start of your PVC. That will absorb and vibration transfer if there is any. Is the pump planted on its rubber feet well too?

ksed · Apr 28, 2020

canadianeh said:
Is it possible the way I plumb causing the humming? What’s the odd that I still hear it even after they swapped the body?

I don’t want to mess up with the plumbing again as I was able to stop a consistent leak.

I guess I will put up with it. Hope the sound hours away over time. If I am not trying to hear the sound, I can simply not notice it.

Wish I went with COR20 pump.

Try to run the pump without any plumbing.
See if it makes the same noise

canadianeh · Apr 28, 2020

Cwentz758 said:
You could also use some rubber tubbing for about the first foot or so from the pump to the start of your PVC. That will absorb and vibration transfer if there is any. Is the pump planted on its rubber feet well too?

What do you mean the pump planted on its rubber feet well? The sump is flat so it must be. They look planted well from outside.

canadianeh · Apr 28, 2020

ksed said:
Try to run the pump without any plumbing.
See if it makes the same noise

I am not up to taking it a part. I rather put up with the sound. Not too too bad.

Phil D. · Apr 28, 2020

Definitely sounds like the impeller rubbing. Possibly not seated properly.

Plecosam · Apr 28, 2020

Absolutely no pump is dead silent, anything with an impeller will make noise, unless run in a vacuum.

Having said that, a Vectra should not hum, my Vectra is very quiet, its is not Red Dragon quiet but it is very quiet. For context, I can hear my Red Dragon Speedy 50W from 3 feet away, I can my Vectra S2 pump from 6 feet away, my Syncra silence pumps can be heard from 20 feet away.

There is either a problem with your install or the pump, DC pumps should not hum like an AC pump.

Plecosam · Apr 28, 2020

canadianeh said:
What do you mean the pump planted on its rubber feet well? The sump is flat so it must be. They look planted well from outside.

The pump may not sit flat if the tubing pulls it to one side.

canadianeh · Apr 29, 2020

Plecosam said:
Absolutely no pump is dead silent, anything with an impeller will make noise, unless run in a vacuum.

Having said that, a Vectra should not hum, my Vectra is very quiet, its is not Red Dragon quiet but it is very quiet. For context, I can hear my Red Dragon Speedy 50W from 3 feet away, I can my Vectra S2 pump from 6 feet away, my Syncra silence pumps can be heard from 20 feet away.

There is either a problem with your install or the pump, DC pumps should not hum like an AC pump.

did you listen to the videos that I posted several posts above? I took that video right above the sump where the pump is to capture the sound. It is interesting that you said all pump not dead silent. Does mine sound like yours when you get really close to your tank?