Swamp cooler noise

[KenK]

My swamp (evaporative) cooler makes noises after it has been run a week or so every year. A buzzing noise. I can quiet it by pressing firmly on the front inside grill/panel towards the bottom. I tried adding soft washers under the four corner screws fastening this grill last year but it didn't help. I'm not sure whether the grill is causing the noise because it has a mounting problem or, more likely, the blower is vibrating and causing it to buzz. Just yesterday I tried lubing the blower bearings again (after prepping it for the summer a month or two ago) but no help. I can't see anything obvious causing the problem. The belt looks ok. This cooler is only a few years old - third season I think, maybe fourth.

Can anyone give me any ideas on how to chase this down?

TIA

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news:lvrrma15uushkangu1a3cvavurv6eui50k@

4ax.com:

Well, I gathered my stethoscope, screwdrivers, nutdrivers and step stool and turned it on. You'll never guess, in a million years, what happened next!

Tada!

Cooler ran very quietly. Let it run a half an hour. Still no buzz. Tried a few of your suggestions anyhow.

Motor mounts very tight. With stethoscope motor just hums.

Normal - a bit of slack.

Put stethoscope everywhere I could think of. No unexpected noise.

I'll try again tomorrow. Hope its as cool - high 90s - then. I'm sure it will go back to buzzing later today.

Did find poor water flow to the pads - a couple of lines were just dripping. Will switch to a new pump tomorrow too.

I'm sure other people never have such problems.

[bob_villa]

Relay or solenoid comes to mind...

[KenK]

bob_villa wrote in news:439c73c6-734c-44ea-a4b2- [e-mail]:

Thanks.

If there are either in the cooler I don't know where. Perhaps one to feed the motor. But motor on/off switch seems simpler.

I looked at the parts list and didn't see anything but I could have missed it under some other name.

[dpb]

That if can be stopped by force against a mechanical piece indicates it is vibration...as you say, likely it's transmitted from the motor/fan to the case. The PC case here is bad about that for the side cover...

I see you got out the tools in another thread but it wasn't doing anything at the time; wait until it starts up again and then begin adding a damping pressure at the various points of likely candidates--it could even be the actual sheet bottom at a resonance or some such. It'll be seek and destroy to find the actual culprit; the stethoscope to listen/localize is a good technique for the purpose.

[Tony Hwang]

Bad motor can buzz.

[Stormin Mormon]

Remember, buzzed motor is drunk motor.

Friends don't let friends motors buzz.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

. .

[KenK]

Tony Hwang wrote in news:TH1cx.104290$d% [e-mail]:

I put the stethoscope on it and it sounds ok. But no buzz yeterday. ??? All I did was change the water pump. Probably coincidence.

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Not that I recall. I consulted my checkbook and I bought it 4/26/2011 - so I was wrong, it's 5 years old, not 3 or 4. Time flies when you're having fun - or senile. I changed the motor a wew months after I bought it - I was really pissed at Home Depot for requiring me to bring it in to replace the motor. What cheapskates! Much to big and heavy to haul around and uninstall and reinstall for a $50 motor. And they knew it! Bought a new motor from Lowes and had a handyman install it. No more major purchases from Home Depot.

No. It's in the kitchen where I'm only in an hour or so a day. I can't hear it in the other rooms. I just worry that it's trying to tell me something but I don't understand what.

Well, I changed the pump. Much cooler cooler output. And, strangely, no buzz since. Most likely coincidence. It had been intermittent before that yesterday. I'll be interested to see if it buzzes this afternoon. Normally I'd not use it because it's only in the low 90s today but I'll at least test it an hour or so. I'll keep you posted.

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Ran a couple of inches of water into a wastebasket and set the pump in it. Just a hum with the scope. But no water. Evidently it has failed completely. Remember, before I changed it because of weak water output, the buzzing had stopped. Now I'm beginning to get more curious.

Turned on the cooler. The buzz is back. So the pump change really was just a coincidence - evidently.

I think you are right - just ignore it.

[Meryl]

Prolly got no Freon.

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news:vus3nal347np6brhban4ulljotl8b6i893@

4ax.com:

A sledge or a plain old ball peen?

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news:lbo6naldatl5a3rpii0rh0srbh2s7eh9fn@

4ax.com:

Ran it for 8 or 9 hours yesterday. Quiet as a lamb. Or a clam. Or something not very noisy.

I getting suspicious about that water pump I removed again, though it did buzz once with the new pump. Nothing makes sense anymore. Why me?

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No, just cleaned it all out when I prepped it a few months ago. Now discovered I am getting poor water delivery to pads - half the lines are just dripping. I must have skipped that prep step. Meant to get up about

5AM and work on it while it's cool but was raining this morning. Supposed to be clear tomorrow. I suspect the hose from pump to water divider (I call it a spider). It's very old and may be coming apart inside.

They run too fast. And when one slows down for me I forget why I was chasing her. Been too long.

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Maybe. I need to get liquid water to replace this very hard well water.

Attacked it about 5:30 AM. Couldn't get the water line from the pump to the hub that feeds the 6 lines to the pads loose at the hub. Will require removing hub - not enough time. I'll have to do it this winter. However, now all lines to pads but one were working fine, and it had a steady stream. Cleared it out and it worked a bit better. Two days ago only three lines were working. The pump/hub line may have had a partial blockage cleared when I was trying to remove it?

Someone ought to invent a cooler that doesn't use water and pads. Maybe something with Freon?

[KenK]

Oren wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yep. It's holding the level properly.

I have a white block of material for coolers in the water that is supposed to keep the water soft as it disolves. I'd be afraid vinegar would make the house small of vinegar for a long time. What do you think?

Sorry, my system is too slow for videos.

[markpeveler]

[markpeveler]

Make sure motor solenoid is not touching blower cage.

[micky]

Maybe yOu could use a stick,a dowel, a piece of quarterround, a mechanic's stethoscope to find where the noise is loudest. That might be the problem.

BTW, paragraphs would be nice.