How soundproof an aluminium pump shed?

[VanS1]

there's  a small aluminum colorbond shed  that houses an irrigation pump. Located  in my back garden.  It's presently  clad with blue bastion sheets mainly to absorb heat,  but with gaps.  Whilst the bastion has reduced some of the noise   its still around  68db. The  constant hum is very annoying and penetrates  into my house. Btw, I don't own the shed.  Can earth wool  be fixed  over the bastion  sheets  or would it be better to just use  earth wool to provide  but heat and sound proofing. 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @VanS1,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Soundproofing relies on three main principles: mass, absorption, and sealing. Mass is provided by heavy, dense materials, that block sound waves from passing through. Things like fibre cement sheeting or plasterboard do this in homes. Absorption is achieved with materials that reduce echo and reverberation, by soaking up sound energy. In homes, insulation batts do this. Sealing is also essential because even small gaps or cracks can allow noise to leak through, significantly reducing effectiveness. When these elements are combined, they create an effective barrier that limits the transmission of sound.

In a shed, your ability to improve these things is quite limited.

You mention that you don't own the shed. Can you clarify what you mean by that? Is the irrigation pump council property? Is it part of a Body Corporate? Are you hoping to work with someone on reducing the sound from this pump? Any clarification you can offer will help guide our efforts.

To install sound-reducing insulation like Earthwool SoundShield, you need to have a frame that can encapsulate it. Unfortunately, if there is no way to install a frame for this insulation, then you can't really use it.

What does it look like between your home and this shed? Is there any gap between the two?

Adding mass between the shed and your home can help. Plants like dense bushes or hedges could be an option to help reduce sound transfer.

I'd love to help, but we'd need some further information about the context and location of the shed to offer practical solutions. If you can provide some more details, I will happily assist further.

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @Noyade and @AlanM52 to see if they have any thoughts.

Jacob

[AlanM52]

Hi @VanS1,

After reading @JacobZ's response can you also take photos of the pump and pump area.

Workshop posts:

How to fix noisy bore water pump?

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Garden/How-to-fix-noisy-bore-water-pump/td-p/183699

How to add pool pump sound proofing?

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/t5/Outdoor/How-to-add-pool-pump-sound-proofing/td-p/242460

Cheers

[Dave-1]

Good Afternoon @VanS1 

Looking at that photo of inside your shed I was wondering if it was possible to have a few more photos of the inside of the shed including the roof. 

I see a shed as an oversized cooking pot, its going to bang around unless you have a decent amount of sealing with insulation to stop it. With that photo I can see large gaps which would still reverberate with reflected sound and create that hum you can hear.

Options to consider -

- Redo the insulation you have to cover ever bit of the shed walls and roof.

- Build a cover that can safely sit over the pump itself, something like a cowl that will absorb the sound but still be able to be removed if needed. I prefer this idea as its less resources to do.

Dave

[VanS1]

The newly installed Pump  in the  aluminium shed is in my back garden about  8 metres from my deck. its owned by the village I live in. The maintenance man has  put Bastion boards   on the inside because they are more concerned with heat transference than noise.  The pump cost them about $2,500. I am meeting the one of the owners  this thursday to discuss the noise issue (68db). I want to be able to suggest a better option to provide both heat and  sound proofing. the shed is locked so I cant provide any photos at the moment

[VanS1]

what about earthwool  (R4.0)   which we have with plywood over the top

[MitchellMc]

Hi @VanS1,

Batts like Earthwool R4.0 can help with sound absorption, but they really need to be installed within a proper frame so they stay in place and work effectively. If you compress them under plywood just to secure the boards, you’ll dramatically reduce their ability to absorb sound, because the fibres need to remain loose to dissipate noise energy.

For a shed like this, you might get better results with acoustic foam panels or tiles mounted on the walls and roof. They’re designed to absorb sound and can significantly reduce the hum from the pump, while still providing some thermal insulation benefits. 

Mitchell

[AlanM52]

Hi @VanS1,

CC: @MitchellMc, @JacobZ, @Dave-1

Besides additional shed sound deadening the way the pump is located on the floor you are good to also make a sound deadening box to cover the  pump. Built in such a way so it can be installed without tampering with any of the connections.

If that's the case sit the box on top and use something like this.

And secure with screws.

Cheers