Bert Coules wrote:
Any opinions on the relative merits of mains-powered pond pumps as opposed
to low-voltage DC? One advantage of the latter might be that it's safer to
run non-mains cabling into the garden (though presumably it still has to be
buried and protected); one disadvantage could be possible voltage drop, I
suppose. I'd be looking at a run of around fifty feet.

I have recently moved from mains submersible pumps to 12 volt ones and
I wouldn't go back now. The 12 volt ones seem smaller (quite a lot
smaller) for the same amount of oomph, they're just as quiet and they
seem to be cheaper as well.

To run the 12 volt pumps I originally had a 12 volt (ex vehicle)
battery and a charger but I've now bought a couple of 12 volt switch
mode power supplies (intended mostly for LEDs I think) instead, also
very cheap.

This is the smaller of the two 12v pumps I bought:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC12V-6-1...53.m2749.l2649

.... and this is the power supply I'm using (for both pumps) :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-5A-Po...53.m2749.l2649

As you say, apart from anything else, I feel much safer groping around
in the nether regions of the pond now. Though it does of course still
rely on the isolation in the PSU.

--
Chris Green
·