Hi static zap. Wires are very short, less than 20cm and haven't noticed any heating. I have read about the pump on forums and seems that it should work. Pump actually claims up to 14 L/min but I am guessing that this is optimistic but less than 2 is a long way off.
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Hi static zap. Wires are very short, less than 20cm and haven't noticed any heating. I have read about the pump on forums and seems that it should work. Pump actually claims up to 14 L/min but I am guessing that this is optimistic but less than 2 is a long way off.
Hi static zap. Wires are very short, less than 20cm and haven't noticed any heating. I have read about the pump on forums and seems that it should work. Pump actually claims up to 14 L/min but I am guessing that this is optimistic but less than 2 is a long way off.
Hi Murdoch,
They do have a transformer but it is expensive and has many functions that I don't need. automatic start and cut off etc. I simply want to manually switch the pump on and off when used.
Hi static zap. Wires are very short, less than 20cm and haven't noticed any heating. I have read about the pump on forums and seems that it should work. Pump actually claims up to 14 L/min but I am guessing that this is optimistic but less than 2 is a long way off.
Hi Murdoch,
They do have a transformer but it is expensive and has many functions that I don't need. automatic start and cut off etc. I simply want to manually
switch the pump on and off when used.
O
Octopus
^^ do they not offer a more basic transformer?
Unf
Unfortunately not. I will give a car battery a go and see if that works. Should hopefully be able to see if it is the pump or the transformer
The car battery test is a good one, but make sure you include an appropriate fuse. If there is a fault, the much higher current available from the battery could fry the motor and invalidate the warranty even if the pump was faulty from new, as the makers stipulate a 5A fuse.
Alternatively, just measure the voltage at the pump leads with a DC voltmeter - 12V +/- 1V would suggest a pump / pipework problem, anything less suggests the supply is inadequate. This is quite possible - the normal running current is shown as 3.5A but this is an average figure. A single-diaphragm pump such as this has a pulsating load that peaks once per stroke, that might peak over 5A especially when starting (although not long enough to affect a 5A fuse). Starting from rest could be tripping the supply into 'foldback' immediately, where the voltage drops away to reduce the current to a low value, until the load is removed to trigger it to reset.
I would not have chosen a power supply intended for LEDs, I would be looking more at a 10A / 120W general purpose supply. Note that an electronic power supply behaves quite differently from a traditional wirewound transformer-rectifier when faced with an awkward load. A transformer will ride it, and just droop a little, eventually overheating if heavy overload continues for too long. An electronic one is more likely to go into some kind of protective mode even on a very brief overload such as starting a motor.
If memory serves right, these pumps make about 120 strokes per minute (don't quote me on that). From the rate and the sound one can usually tell whether a diaphragm pump is stiff, or the pipework obstructed, or the supply is faulty. Or maybe I've spent too much of my life lying in bilge listening to pumps and generators and things.
Alternatively, just measure the voltage at the pump leads with a DC voltmeter - 12V +/- 1V would suggest a pump / pipework problem, anything less suggests the supply is inadequate. This is quite possible - the normal running current is shown as 3.5A but this is an average figure. A single-diaphragm pump such as this has a pulsating load that peaks once per stroke, that might peak over 5A especially when starting (although not long enough to affect a 5A fuse). Starting from rest could be tripping the supply into 'foldback' immediately, where the voltage drops away to reduce the current to a low value, until the load is removed to trigger it to reset.
I would not have chosen a power supply intended for LEDs, I would be looking more at a 10A / 120W general purpose supply. Note that an electronic power supply behaves quite differently from a traditional wirewound transformer-rectifier when faced with an awkward load. A transformer will ride it, and just droop a little, eventually overheating if heavy overload continues for too long. An electronic one is more likely to go into some kind of protective mode even on a very brief overload such as starting a motor.
If memory serves right, these pumps make about 120 strokes per minute (don't quote me on that). From the rate and the sound one can usually tell whether a diaphragm pump is stiff, or the pipework obstructed, or the supply is faulty. Or maybe I've spent too much of my life lying in bilge listening to pumps and generators and things.
Thanks Lucien Nunes for the comprehensive reply. I have now carried out the car battery test, with the 5A fuse in line and achieved a wonderful 14-15 L/min. Completely different from before so I am pleased with that. All I need now is the correct transformer. I note your comments on transformer but I am a complete novice with this sort of thing. Can you give me a few hints as to what I should be looking for. I will probably buy from Ebay. I did wonder about the LED transformer but it didn't cost much.
Don't know how to put links on here but Google "Roy Pow C120 power supplies" which sell on Amazon, they do a power supply which is recommended for appliances powered by car 12v power outlets. They suggest it can power compressors and the like.
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Thanks to everyone for their help. Just need to find the right transformer now.
Thanks, I will have a look at it.
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