Powerful 12v DC pumps

[MudBuilder]

Hi All!

I'm trying to finish my solar well house and work out all the kinks before I send the water to the main house. Everything works well except my 12v DC Aquatec 550 pump doesn't seem strong enough to keep up with my 86 gal. pressure tank. After I use up the 20 gallons in the tank, the pressure drops down to a trickle and the pump works hard for about 17 minutes until it fills the pressure tank again.

I'm really tempted to just switch to an AC booster pump and just have the DC setup as a backup. I have grid power, but I was just hoping to have my water off-grid!

Has anyone out there found a strong 12V DC pump that can pull water out of a cistern and send into a big pressure tank? I would ideally like to have constant residential water pressure.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Sounds like something is wrong. 17 minutes for a 4.1gpm pump to pump 20 gallons - that's greater than 3 times longer than the gpm suggests it should.

are your pipes too small or too long?

 

[MudBuilder]

Yes, Ive been trying to troubleshoot this! Not sure what is wrong, but I determined it is not the pressure tank, since it is brand new and the pre-charge is fine.

The run from the cistern is maybe 6 feet. It goes through a spin down sediment filter first. It takes a few turns and sits about the same level as the cistern outlet. Maybe slightly higher. It is going through 1" PEX.

The pump to pressure tank is about 2 feet. The pump sits slightly higher than the tank inlet. Also 1" PEX.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Have you verified the pump delivers rated gpm at outlet?

 

[MudBuilder]

I have not tested this. My guess is no. Not sure where to connect a hose from. Maybe I can undo the hose clamp and get a garden hose adapter on the pump outlet?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I have not tested this. My guess is no. Not sure where to connect a hose from. Maybe I can undo the hose clamp and get a garden hose adapter on the pump outlet?

just remove the hose from the pump outlet and catch it in a 5 gallon bucket?

If it does not, I would take the filter out of the system and see if it changes.

Is the supply voltage good? Are you seeing the proper volts and amps?

 

[MudBuilder]

OK, I can try those things. The supply voltage seems good. The control box says it's delivering 12V.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

OK, I can try those things. The supply voltage seems good. The control box says it's delivering 12V.

If you can measure voltage at the pump itself, that would confirm/eliminate any potential wiring losses.

 

[MudBuilder]

The pump is connected to an external pressure switch which is wired to my battery. Should I put the tester on the wires going to the pressure switch?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

The pump is connected to an external pressure switch which is wired to my battery. Should I put the tester on the wires going to the pressure switch?

Yes. preferably on the pump side of the contacts.

Did the pressure switch come with the pump, or is it an add-on? Have you confirmed it's coming on/cutting off at the appropriate points?

 

[MudBuilder]

OK, so I tested everything yesterday. The first thing I did was clean the spin down sediment filter. I don't know if that did the trick but when I tested everything, it all seemed good.
-When I ran pump water into a bucket, it filled 4 gallons in about 1 minute
-Pump turns on at 40 PSI
-Runs for 4 mins
-Pump turns off at 56 PSI
-Pressure tank holds about 16 gallons
-Voltage to pump seemed good

I'll keep watching it to see if there's a drop in pressure when I use up the 16 gallons. But I'll be relieved (and surprised!) if it was just rinsing off that little filter!!

 

[tomy2]

I have an Aquatec 550 too, but mine is a 25volt pump that has a built-in pressure regulator and stops at 62lbs. It works fine travelling 80 feet to my house. I have a similiar pressure tank. The only problems are that you cannot take a shower when the washing machine or the dishwasher are running, and it will only run two lawn sprinklers at a time, so I had to modify my landscaping. I remember the rep told me that the 25volt pumps are the best and last the longest. I left my old 110v booster pump hooked up but bypassed, so I can use it in an emergency or if I need to do some heavy watering in the yard, I can easily switch back to it. I can look up the model # if you like. I run mine of two 12v. 100ah lithium batteries in series, and two 200w panels is way more than it needs. good luck

 

[fisherman]

I have an Aquatec 550 too, but mine is a 25volt pump that has a built-in pressure regulator and stops at 62lbs. It works fine travelling 80 feet to my house. I have a similiar pressure tank. The only problems are that you cannot take a shower when the washing machine or the dishwasher are running, and it will only run two lawn sprinklers at a time, so I had to modify my landscaping. I remember the rep told me that the 25volt pumps are the best and last the longest. I left my old 110v booster pump hooked up but bypassed, so I can use it in an emergency or if I need to do some heavy watering in the yard, I can easily switch back to it. I can look up the model # if you like. I run mine of two 12v. 100ah lithium batteries in series, and two 200w panels is way more than it needs. good luck

@tomy2 do you have the pump and tank near the water source or is it pulling 80ft to the house?

 

[Bluedog225]

What is the voltage at the pump?

 

[tomy2]

@tomy2 do you have the pump and tank near the water source or is it pulling 80ft to the house?

The pump and pressure tank are at the well, which is 80ft from where it enters my house. My pump is model #5512-IE 12 b736. It occurred to me that you may heve a pump that only goes to 50 psi. I remember that they had many varieties of volts and pressures. They have an 800# and the guy knows it all

 

[tomy2]

What is the voltage at the pump?

25volts, I ran 120 off the invertor into the well house, because my submersible pump needs 120v, then transformed it back to 25v.

 

[Originalxactdude]

wha

Hi All!

I'm trying to finish my solar well house and work out all the kinks before I send the water to the main house. Everything works well except my 12v DC Aquatec 550 pump doesn't seem strong enough to keep up with my 86 gal. pressure tank. After I use up the 20 gallons in the tank, the pressure drops down to a trickle and the pump works hard for about 17 minutes until it fills the pressure tank again.

I'm really tempted to just switch to an AC booster pump and just have the DC setup as a backup. I have grid power, but I was just hoping to have my water off-grid!

Has anyone out there found a strong 12V DC pump that can pull water out of a cistern and send into a big pressure tank? I would ideally like to have constant residential water pressure.

what depth are you pumping from? I could not find the pump you stated but I dont think being an aquatec its designed to be used as a pressuring pump if its anything like i was looking at on amazon. if its a transfer pump its only meant to be a fluid tranfer not pressure pump

 

[fisherman]

I ended up with a Remco rebel 55 12v pump. It's been working pretty good alongside a pressure tank from Menards. It's pulling up about 150ft horizontal and 12ft vertical which is impressive.

Need to put it closer to the water as I'm not getting great psi out of it due to the distance / lift.

 

[MudBuilder]

I have an Aquatec 550 too, but mine is a 25volt pump that has a built-in pressure regulator and stops at 62lbs. It works fine travelling 80 feet to my house. I have a similiar pressure tank. The only problems are that you cannot take a shower when the washing machine or the dishwasher are running, and it will only run two lawn sprinklers at a time, so I had to modify my landscaping. I remember the rep told me that the 25volt pumps are the best and last the longest. I left my old 110v booster pump hooked up but bypassed, so I can use it in an emergency or if I need to do some heavy watering in the yard, I can easily switch back to it. I can look up the model # if you like. I run mine of two 12v. 100ah lithium batteries in series, and two 200w panels is way more than it needs. good luck

This is really helpful. It sounds like we have similar setups. I would like to try the 24vDC pump. Someone told me it would deliver the same gpm though so I didn't bother. I think my little 12V pump is not able to keep up with demand when my 80 gal. pressure tank empties. So there is a lag and drop in pressure when the pump is working hard to fill the pressure tank. I was on the verge of just getting a regular 110 AC pump and using my DC as a backup. I would like to know how you switch between the two when you need to? Easily, that is.

 

[tomy2]

I installed the DC pump right above the AC pump with the input and output direction aligned. Then T off the input pipe to a valve then to the pump. same with the output. my AC pump has a shut off switch and I made a plug in connection for the DC pump. So all I do is open the valves to the DC pump and plug iut in, then shut off the AC pump. I'll try to get a picture.