Well, I tried not to cover any vent holes on the bottom of the case, but I guess I might have covered something up by accident. I put most of the Dynamat on the forward underside of the case, under the drip tray. Then I put a small piece directly under the pump itself, hoping to kill vibrations at the source. I don't think there are any holes there, but maybe I need to double check.

I'm thinking that sink protector on the top might be blocking too many of the air holes, causing heat to build up inside. I might take it off, or least trim it down so it doesn't block as many holes.

I am enjoying having a quieter machine, but if it results in a burnt out pump, it's not worth it.

Beezer, I too have an Anita that I'd like to quiet down. So I'd be very happy to help you succeed.

So perhaps I can help you out with a comparision to a non-modified system. I can find my temp probe and I can measure some of the temperature readings from inside the case in a couple of places if you like.

Mark

Thanks for the offer. Unfortunately, I don't have a temp probe to do measurements on my machine. If you don't mind, though, you could take a look under your Anita and confirm that there aren't any air holes on the bottom. I'm pretty sure I didn't cover any holes, but now I'm starting to wonder. I could take off the Dynamat, but then I probably wouldn't be able to reattach it if it turns out there aren't any holes. I can post a pic of the underside of my machine if you need to see where I placed the Dynamat.

After pulling some more shots with the newly sound insulated Anita, I've realized that the pump didn't turn off the other day in the middle of pulling a shot. Actually, I think what happened was that it was so quiet, I didn't hear it and thought it was off.

Pulling shots last night and this morning, I found that the pump starts out somewhat noisy, then goes almost completely silent when it goes to full pressure. Sometimes the OPV opens, which makes a comparatively loud chirping noise, but if the OPV isn't open then there's virtually no sound at all. Amazing. I had no idea a vibe pump could be that quiet. Now if I could just get the OPV to stop making that annoying chirping sound, the machine would be almost totally silent under full pressure. Maybe later I'll post a video with sound so you can appreciate how quiet the machine really is.

Oddly enough, the pump is still pretty noisy when the boiler autofill kicks in. I've noticed before that the autofill is always much louder than the sound the pump makes when it's pulling a shot. Not sure why that should be the case or what to do about it. Still, it's nice to reduce the noise as much as I have so far.

The bottom line seems to be that $15 of Dynamat sound insulation and a $7 sink protector plus some electrical tape can actually make a real difference in the sound level from a vibe pump machine. Amazing.

Beezer wrote:After pulling some more shots with the newly sound insulated Anita, I've realized that the pump didn't turn off the other day in the middle of pulling a shot. Actually, I think what happened was that it was so quiet, I didn't hear it and thought it was off.
...
The bottom line seems to be that $15 of Dynamat sound insulation and a $7 sink protector plus some electrical tape can actually make a real difference in the sound level from a vibe pump machine. Amazing.

OK, I so want to do this. Posted pictures would be great. Did you use any particular version/kind of Dynamat or does it only come in one type?

BTW: I didn't see any obvious holes in the bottom for ventilation.
-=-=
Mark

Mark, I used the Dynamat for car doors. It's a pack with two 10" X 10" pieces. I got it from Amazon for about $15. Here's a link to the product.

http://www.amazon.com/Dynamat-10415-Xtr ... 048&sr=8-6

I basically just cut the two big pieces into a bunch of smaller pieces, then stuck them to all of the large metal surfaces I could access. I put two fairly big pieces on each side of the main shell, as well as the back of the shell (on the inside of the case of course). I also stuck a couple of pieces on the underside of the case under the drip tray and directly under the pump. I even put a couple of pieces on the metal plate that covers the boiler, near where the water reservoir goes. I tried to avoid covering any vent holes or making any kind of contact with electrical wires or components.

Finally, I took a plastic sink protector like the one Dave mentioned earlier in this thread and put it on the top of the warming tray. I also put some electrical tape on the bottom of the cup tray, where it meets the main case. I cut some pieces out of the sink protector to get better ventilation. Try to place it so that it doesn't block too many of the vent holes on the cup tray.

I'll try to take some pictures soon, maybe this weekend. I'll also do a video to demonstrate the sound reduction.

Legal disclaimer: It goes without saying that you do this mod at your own risk, and I can't warrant against any harm this might cause to your machine or to you. I'm not responsible for anything bad that might happen to you or your machine if you do this. Be careful! Do any work on the machine with the power cable unplugged.

vibrations

Join the LMWDP, and all your vibration problems will be solved! ( well, those pertaining to your espresso machine, anyway)

jamoke wrote: Join the LMWDP, and all your vibration problems will be solved! ( well, those pertaining to your espresso machine, anyway)

OK, I'm too dense I don't get it....help for old non-texting generation appreciated.

I was experiencing some wicked vibe noise from my Vibiemme Domobar, and finally decided (after ascertaining that the noise was coming from inside the machine) to take off the outer cover and investigate. Lo and behold, the noise was coming from the brew pressure gauge, just as several VBM owners had ID'd in the Domobar Buyer's Guide thread. Two slivers of cardboard slipped between the gauge and the steel faceplate and the problem is solved. I swear, my jaw fell to my knees when I realized just how quiet the machine is when the rattling stops.

So I guess the lesson is that identifying just what it is that's rattling can go a long way toward quieting a vibe pump machine...and it cost nothing and only took 20 minutes total.

Cheers,
Paul

mhoy wrote:OK, I'm too dense I don't get it....help for old non-texting generation appreciated.

LMWDP = Lever Machine World Domination Plot