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We had a new septic system put in about 2 years ago and love it. No more problems for us with water backing up and not flushing when it rains. It is an aerobic system with a pump that runs continuously. The pump sits on our back patio. At the time it was installed we didn't use the patio, ever, so the noise didn't bother me. It's not extremely loud, about like a dishwasher or washing machine. But it is loud enough that at night I want to hear the crickets and frogs and it interferes.

Is there a way to quiet the pump some way. Right now I have a cement block type thing sitting over it to protect it from the dogs. There is an opening on 2 sides for air. The plumber actually put this on it for me. It needs air flow I am pretty sure so it does not overheat.

If I can't quiet it is it okay to unplug it for an hour or two at a time each day? I have googled this and can't find an answer. I know it is okay for the power to be off at times because the plumber said if we lose power for a few days not to worry. But I wonder if I do this every day for an hour or two is it okay?

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  • can you put a small wall, mound, or berm between it and the patio? sounds doesn't move though dirt, and without a lot of reflection points outside, only primary waves are a problem.
    – dandavis
    May 15, 2018 at 0:34
  • Soft materials tend to absorb sound waves while hard materials (like cement blocks) tend to amplify sound. Covering the inside face of the cement blocks with something like old carpet should help. Is this an air pump for the anaerobic actions or a liquid pump? I’m guessing it the air source—if that’s the case unplugging it for an hour or two a night won’t be a problem.
    – Tyson
    May 15, 2018 at 12:25
  • It is the air pump for the aerorater. I really can’t move it because it is connected to a pipe that goes underground to the septic system. Also it can’t get wet. I’m thinking of building a wooden box to fit over it with some padding to help cut the sound.
    – Jaymie Wakeland Jarman
    May 16, 2018 at 4:02

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The possible result of unplugging it for hours is that the pump may lose its prime. If that happens, when you do plug it in, it will run and run without actually pumping anything. If left this way, it could overheat and be seriously damaged. It is relatively easy to restore the prime in the pump, but you would not want to be doing this every day. It would be annoying. Building a sound barrier sounds like a better option.

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  • It’s actually only pumping air in to the aerorater. The areorater pumps air into the stuff/water to promote breakdown.
    – Jaymie Wakeland Jarman
    Jul 15, 2018 at 21:59

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