water pump - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: rookie
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2018, 11:25:58 pm
content: Hello!I am currently using a peristaltic water pump for my project from adafruit :https://www.adafruit.com/product/1150.This pump is too slow (low flow rate) for my needs so I am looking for a different one (about 1 litre/minute) with PWM capability. I am pumping water from a bucket into another. I am looking at PWM controlled pumps and the ones I can find online are the computer cooling pumps, such as EK-D5 PWM G2 pump:https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-d5-pwm-motor-12v-dc-pwm-pump-motorIt is rated at 1500 litre/hour, so on paper it does seem to fit my requirement. It is quite expensive though, so I would like to know if it is suitable for my project or I can use any other pump with PWM capability?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 12:06:21 am
content: First - check your maths.1 litre/min is 60 litres/hr, so 1500 litres/hr seems somewhat of an overkill... by a factor of 25.The price is a reflection (in part) of the market it is targeted towards - gamers. It will also be built for reliability over extended periods of operation. Gamers tend to lose track of time.Unfortunately, I don't really know where to point you.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 12:37:58 am
content: EBay perhaps?https://www.ebay.com/itm/192468971286

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 12:38:47 am
content: There are going to be lots of options. Look around for low voltage (12 V DC) aquarium pumps, fountain pumps, anything like that. You will find options from $10 and up. Just do a web search and sort through the search results. If it's 12 V DC it will be PWM controllable.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 01:33:36 am
content: Quote from: IanB on September 18, 2018, 12:38:47 amAnything is PWM controllable if you want to build the power electronics to control it but I believe the OP is looking for something that responds to a PWM control signal that can easily be controlled at the logic level and does its own speed variation in the motor's internal controller, like a PWM controlled 4-pin PC fan.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 01:50:04 am
content: Quote from: drussell on September 18, 2018, 01:33:36 amI see. But the original peristaltic pump from Adafruit linked by the OP (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1150) is not of this type. It has an ordinary 12 V DC motor.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 02:00:38 am
content: Quote from: IanB on September 18, 2018, 01:50:04 amOk, well then that type too...

author: rookie
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 05:39:00 pm
content: Thank you for your responses! I agree the ekwb pump might be overkill, so I am still looking for one that is moderately priced. Thank you for the suggestion on the eBay pump, I will try to look for similar pumps.I'd definitely like a PWM input so I will have to do minimal additional circuitry to make the pump work.The aquarium pumps have really low flow rates so it might not be a good fit

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 18, 2018, 06:04:55 pm
content: Here you go-- 12 volts, 280L/H under $10 delivered--https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-Submersible-Water-Pump-Aquarium-Fountain-Air-Fish-Pond-Tank-Pool-Garden-/192282518415?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2018, 05:05:17 pm
content: Why don't you put a transistor arrangement as a switch to pwm control it.Besides, too low of a pwm would make the motor stall.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2018, 05:47:23 pm
content: There are lots of water pumps with DC motors on them, the sort used in boats and RVs to pump drinking water are readily available and occasionally can be found cheaply as surplus.