How low can the water go before the pump starts to make noise because it needs more water?
744760
Hi Jason! Pretty darn low actually. I would say about 1/4" of an inch. I normally fill my Raindrop fountain all the way to the rim and my kitties enjoy the water for days and my wife and I enjoy a very quiet unit. The key to keeping the unit quiet is assembly. The pump suction cups to the bottom of the bowl and it's output spout is what positions the top stainless cover. Position the pump right and the top cover will not touch the bottom stainless bowl in such a way that it vibrates too much. I love this bowl and I've had many different ones!
744761
A couple of days.....it depends on how many animals you have using it. I have 2 cats. The noise isn't too loud or bothersome.
744762
That depends on how many cats you have and the ambient temperature. I put it where I can see it every day and add water. If it start to look foamy change the water and filter.
744763
The answer depends on a few factors. I have two of these, one for one cat in the basement and another for two cats upstairs and the one used by one cat can go down very low before the pump noise indicates that a clean up is needed or more water is needed. The other one used by two cats makes more noise with more water and I think it may be due to cat hair clogging up the pump. Which is why it is very important to clean the pump out more often than usual.
744764
Really really low. It's also pretty quiet once the pump breaks in. I stopped using mine though cause my cats kept getting food in it and I was cleaning it constantly because if that.
744765
It depends on how dry the air is in your home and how many pets are using it, but my three cats' fountain typically needs to be topped off every 3-4 days.
1495920
I have found two solutions:1) The buzzing gets loud when the water level is low. No idea why. Refill the chamber.2) The pump has move itself against one of the chamber's walls. I used a ruler to slide the pump into the middle of the chamber so it does not touch any of the walls.Hope this works for you.
28408
I've not run it completely dry. You have to keep a decent amount of water in it or it starts making loud "OMG, I'm dehydrated, give me more water!" sounds. But I'm run it really low and have not had any problems with the motor in the pump. There is a min/max water level guide, and the fountain is pretty quiet as long as you stay within those marks - minimum is 2L, I think.
1585241
My fish tank is much louder. The fountain only makes a bubbling noise. If the water level is low, it gets more noticeable. However, when placed on a hard floor, the vibrating sound transmits through to the room below. So if you live in an apartment or the fountain is on a second floor, place a carpet or some other material to adsorb the vibrations from the pump motor.
299902
The waterbuster will pump lower than 2 inches in a level area but not less than an inch because the water has to be in the pump area. When the unit quits emitting water then shut it off or you will burn out the pump.
1280768
Take the unit apart and pull the little pump out and see if its clogged with debris. When the pump get clogged it will start getting loud. Also if there is air getting in it will be noisy so make sure to fill the enclosed compartment(where the filter sits) is filled with water first. Hope this helps.
980673
I don't remember the noise being unusual or too loud. I installed the pump at my daughter's house and she has never complained about excessive noise
413791
I assume you got the unit with the Permate pump? If so then it's not your imagination. I can actually hear mine upstairs! However it only lasts for a while until the tank is filled again. And somewhere in the instructions it says that you can cover the pump with insulating material since it's not an electrically powered device. That should help with the noise . . . hopefully.
2109611
Mine only hums if the water is low. Otherwise it is virtually quiet. Make sure it is filled to nearly the top. If that doesn't help maybe the motor is bad.
1090264
I do not hear the pump at all. I only hear the very pleasant trickle of water unless the water level gets too low.
1561837
It can be when the water level gets low. I keep it pretty full and the sound is deadened, more like running water into the sink, which is exactly what it is!
1166188
I had the same noise on mine and found out it was the positioning of the pump that was the problem. I had the junction box part of the pump in the 12 o clock position with the pump horizontal. I turned the pump so the that box went to the 6 o clock position and the noise stopped and never came back. It could also be air in the system. Hope this helps. Dave
960755
My pump is in the basement. You can hear it but it becomes background noise. If you are looking for a silent pump, good luck!
1072638
It is noisy when the water level goes down. you need to refill and maintain a higher water level to avoid the noise.
843886
Mine is in a utility closest in my mother-in-law suite which is under my living room. I can hear it from the room with the closest, but not from the adjoining bedroom or living room unless the house is very quiet. The run from my pump goes up about a 7 foot rise through about 2 feet of plastic tubing and about 25 feet of copper to get to a PVC drain.
1072640
Not so fast people. *Most* of the time this unit is pretty quiet, only producing a very low steady hum. However, it *can* get annoyingly loud (3-4 times its normal volume) where it's sort of vibrating the plastic pieces of itself together. Topping off the water level sometimes helps a little, but most of the time it makes no difference. (It does the same thing right after a fresh cleaning too, so it's not an issue with debris.) When this happens, you can tap it / nudge it / smack it and the vibrating noise will cease - USUALLY. But sometimes it won't. There have been times where I wanted to smash it to bits with a hammer to make the noise stop. The only thing I've found that you can do to quiet it down is to completely open it up like you're cleaning it and pop the pump assembly loose and reseat it. It helps to barely press the pump down onto its suction cups, which is now what I do when I clean it. Before, I used to press the pump down firmly, which seemed logical but only increases the chance the unit will vibrate loudly. It seems like they ought to have put rubber seals between the plastic pieces where they meet or at least on the little studs the pump sits between or something, although I'm sure that would've increased the cost. Oh, I have the unit sitting on a thick, soft, rubber mat too. It's not sitting directly on a hard surface that would exacerbate any vibration noise.
1830335
You may need to adjust the flow switch on the pump - it may be at the lowest setting and you'll need to move it up. Also make sure everything is lined up properly so that the water can flow to the top. Good luck!