My pump sounds strange

Maybe this is normal, but my pump makes a weird noise. It does it on all flow rates, and as far as I can tell it hasn't affected system cooling any, but...

The noise almost sounds like there's air in the pump, sloshing around. It's not a constant sound, it comes and goes but doens't go away.

Also, my pump is slightly warm, and by warm I mean there's a slight (almost not noticeable) warm path on one side of the pump.

Any ideas?

Air.


... or contamination such as excess sealant.

it might be air, but why would air stay in the pump this long?

And how would I get said contaminant out, and/or can it hurt the pump?

What pump is it?

swiffy mcp655

the noise isn't that loud, it's quieter then my fans, but if you listen close you can still hear it

Hmm dunno then, all I can give is personal experience of my pump but they're about as different as pumps can get (mine being an Eheim 1060).

Mine will sometimes make a noise like it's eating small bubbles if I get a lot of air in the inlet hose (inlet to the pump) because it's being starved of water. Check for any blockages and your water level... and shake and tubing you can, I find that's the best thing to do to my setup.

wow, so apparently the sound is coming from very small air bubbles that I didn't notice before.

DAMN! I can't get rid of these damn bubbles. I even have the front of my case tilted up about 1.5" so I don't get huge torrents of bubbles rushing into the pump, but I still get a small amount....damn....

Keep in mind that a high-speed rotor can also cause cavitation-- you'll want an additive that reduces water surface tension (such as a few drops of dishwashing detergent).

hmm, well this fluid that I have is designed to not cause friction or whatever? It's not water, it's nonconductive fluid of an unknown type.

Well, cavitation is not water-specific, but surface-tension is a big player. Look up the particular coolant you use with the word cavitation and see if anyone else is reporting issues.

my coolant: