Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd



I bought one for home experiments a few years ago, and from experience,
they get pretty warm within a few seconds, and they're not meant for
continuous use. I also think they don't like to be run dry, but
running dry for a second or so shouldn't hurt it too badly.

Make sure your wall-wart can provide the necessary current.

Other than that, knock yourself out. ;-)

Michael

T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

If the wall wart has a rectified (DC) output and a
reasonably close to 12 volt output and enough current
capacity to run the motor, then it should work just fine.

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?

In article , T-n-T
wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

T-n-T wrote:
Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?




Guessing about an amp or so.

You can always run an experiment to find out... get a digital
multimeter, set it to measure current, and connect it in SERIES with
the windshield wiper motor, connected temporarily to your car battery
(small alligator clips work great).

Make sure the pump is sucking water, even if it's just cycling through
a bucket, to get a reading for while the pump is under load (and so you
won't run it try, ruining it). And don't get it wet, and don't let any
wires touch the car metal ground...

Guys, did I leave anything out..?

Michael

On 7 Dec 2006 09:49:02 -0800, wrote:

T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd



I bought one for home experiments a few years ago, and from experience,
they get pretty warm within a few seconds, and they're not meant for
continuous use. I also think they don't like to be run dry, but
running dry for a second or so shouldn't hurt it too badly.

Make sure your wall-wart can provide the necessary current.

Other than that, knock yourself out. ;-)

Michael

Radio Shack makes an A/C adapter with a "cigarette lighter" receptacle
that can supply several amps. I used one once to test an automotive
product without having to have a lead-acid battery in the lab.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On 12/7/06 10:28 AM, in article ,
"T-n-T" wrote:

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?

In article , T-n-T
wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

Wrong question, You want to know how much current the pump motor draws at
12V, I suspect the current needed will be printed or etched on the pump
motor. I also guess it could be several Amps.

Don

Don Bowey wrote:
On 12/7/06 10:28 AM, in article ,
"T-n-T" wrote:

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?

In article , T-n-T
wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

Wrong question, You want to know how much current the pump motor draws at
12V, I suspect the current needed will be printed or etched on the pump
motor. I also guess it could be several Amps.

Don


And don't forget the startup surge current, which can be several
factors above steady-state current draw.

I don't recall my pump motor specifying the current draw...

FWIW, I ran mine from 4 D cells (6V), which was just fine with the low
flowrates I was using.

Michael

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:30:15 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.


If all you need is a mist for a terrarium, then a windshield washer motor
is probably overkill - you don't need anywheres near that much of a flow
rate. I'd check aquarium filter pumps, and that sort of thing. The fun
part of the project is going to be finding nozzles, and getting them
hooked up. :-)

Or, you could go totally goofy, and get hand sprayers and arrange a little
motor and cam to press the trigger a few times. ;-)

Good Luck!
Rich

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:28:52 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?


The washer pump? Yes, several amps. More current than you'd realize,
they are terribly inefficient. And noisy.

There are several fuel pump designs that will work with water! (not
the rotary ones, but there are designs that use a plunger with a
solenoid driver). They may do a better job doing what you want. (Big
may, not sure if they'd last an incredibly long time).

"PeterD" wrote in message
...
There are several fuel pump designs that will work with water! (not
the rotary ones, but there are designs that use a plunger with a
solenoid driver).

What happens if you try to use water with the rotary ones?

I once replaced a fuel pump on a Crown Victoria, sold the car and had the pump
die again the day before I was supposed to deliver the car to the buyer.
@#$@#%*( The deal fell through of course, and I got to replace the pump
*again*. The second time around there was so little time left the car was
sold to a dealer for next to nothing. @#@#$%!

T-n-T wrote in news:071220060930159427%
:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

Tod,

Forget the windshild washer pumps!

I tried using them (several different ones) for an automatic Christmas tree
watering system. They only had to pump for a minute or so a couple of times
a day to refill the stand's bowl. Every one melted the bearings. The
bearings are plastic. Think about how they are designed to be used. A
couple of brief one second runs to get a little juice on the windshield.
They can't stand the heat generated by running them for "long" periods. I
finally went to the miniature decorative fountain pumps, but these would
not have enough pressure for your purpose.

Ken

PeterD wrote:
On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:28:52 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?


The washer pump? Yes, several amps. More current than you'd realize,
they are terribly inefficient. And noisy.

There are several fuel pump designs that will work with water! (not
the rotary ones, but there are designs that use a plunger with a
solenoid driver). They may do a better job doing what you want. (Big
may, not sure if they'd last an incredibly long time).



Wow, aren't fuel pumps kind of expensive? Kragen lists them starting
at $100+.

These pumps are looking better and better...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1479
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=9576

I'm going to need a pump that can pump a conductive fluid (dissolved
baking soda), and I'd *really* prefer *not* to have to use a
submersible aquarium pump. 110VAC... submersible pump... conductive
fluid... not a safe mix.

Michael

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:30:15 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

Is it "tap" water (pressurized)? If so just use a mist nozzle from an
outdoor "bubbler" irrigation system, and a solenoid valve body
(nominally 28V, but AC, so all you need is a transformer).

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

Bye.
Jasen

On 2006-12-07, Rich Grise wrote:

Or, you could go totally goofy, and get hand sprayers and arrange a little
motor and cam to press the trigger a few times. ;-)

I've seen central-locking actuators used for that.

--

Bye.
Jasen

On Thu, 7 Dec 2006 15:00:10 -0800, "Joel Kolstad"
wrote:

"PeterD" wrote in message
.. .
There are several fuel pump designs that will work with water! (not
the rotary ones, but there are designs that use a plunger with a
solenoid driver).

What happens if you try to use water with the rotary ones?


If it is all stainless, it might be OK. Some are, but they are
expensive. A non-stainless (cheap ones) would rust quickly.

The plunger/solenoid ones are mostly plastic.

On 7 Dec 2006 15:49:44 -0800, wrote:

PeterD wrote:
On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 10:28:52 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Anyone know the aperage of a automobile system?


The washer pump? Yes, several amps. More current than you'd realize,
they are terribly inefficient. And noisy.

There are several fuel pump designs that will work with water! (not
the rotary ones, but there are designs that use a plunger with a
solenoid driver). They may do a better job doing what you want. (Big
may, not sure if they'd last an incredibly long time).



Wow, aren't fuel pumps kind of expensive? Kragen lists them starting
at $100+.


I get the plunger/solenoid pumps for about $35 to $40 at the parts
store (I do get a discount, but not that much). The rotary ones are
expensive, even the cheap ones are more than $100! bg

Regardless these are not an optimal solution, IMHO. Nothing beats
using the right pump for the job.

Now, thinking about it, maybe Northern Tools (used to be Northern
Hydraulic) has lots of pumps, and probably has just what the OP wants.

On 8 Dec 2006 10:16:47 GMT, jasen wrote:

On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

Bye.
Jasen

Yep, that confirms what I said earlier, so I'd say your cheap DMM was
doing OK! bg

They are *really* inefficient!

PeterD wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 10:16:47 GMT, jasen wrote:

On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

Bye.
Jasen

Yep, that confirms what I said earlier, so I'd say your cheap DMM was
doing OK! bg

They are *really* inefficient!


And they get hot, too. You'd think that the pump designer would at
least use the pumped liquid to cool down the motor. Naah...

jasen wrote:

On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.


So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:56:14 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:
Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?


Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

I'm not ignoring it - I just liked mine better. ;-)

(That would be an aquarium filter pump and hacked Windex nozzle(s), pretty
much as you suggest, but less clunky. [and more fun to slap together. ;-) ])

Cheers!
Rich

Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

...Jim Thompson



It likely is, great idea, but it's not clear whether the OP minds
stringing a garden hose from his backyard into his living room.

Never mind the heating and cooling costs of leaving his backyard door
open a crack, at all times...

;-)

Michael

On 8 Dec 2006 16:21:10 -0800, wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

...Jim Thompson



It likely is, great idea, but it's not clear whether the OP minds
stringing a garden hose from his backyard into his living room.

Never mind the heating and cooling costs of leaving his backyard door
open a crack, at all times...

;-)

Michael

He's carrying buckets of water to his terrarium?

Surely he has a water pipe close by?

Actually I carry water to my aquarium... R/O water, since it's a reef
tank, and I have no way to get a feed to it... interior wall. But it
only eats 3 2-gallon-buckets-worth per week (since I added the chiller
;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 16:21:10 -0800, wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

...Jim Thompson



It likely is, great idea, but it's not clear whether the OP minds
stringing a garden hose from his backyard into his living room.

Never mind the heating and cooling costs of leaving his backyard door
open a crack, at all times...

;-)

Michael

He's carrying buckets of water to his terrarium?

Surely he has a water pipe close by?

Actually I carry water to my aquarium... R/O water, since it's a reef
tank, and I have no way to get a feed to it... interior wall. But it
only eats 3 2-gallon-buckets-worth per week (since I added the chiller
;-)

...Jim Thompson
--



Um, you lose 6 gallons per week even in the fall / winter months?

Slow leak?

"T-n-T" wrote in message
...
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

Wall warts ONLY handle currents up to about 1 Amp - MAX.
That wiper motor is a current hog (more than a Wal Wart can handle!!) --

burn that up or blow internal fuse (if it has one) first time you try.

gb

On 8 Dec 2006 16:42:05 -0800, wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 16:21:10 -0800, wrote:


Jim Thompson wrote:
On 8 Dec 2006 14:43:59 -0800, wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:22:31 +0000, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
jasen wrote:
On 2006-12-07, T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart?

Just the little squirter pump motor?

I measured 2A continuous (more than I expected, but all auto electrics seems
suprisingly inefficient) that'd be a large wall-wart or a small brick. or it
could just be my cheap DMM playing up.

So, which do you want? Super efficient, or something that will work
when your life depends on it?

Your life depends on misting your terrarium???!? =:-O

Cheers!
Rich
[0] ;-)



In that case, better get someone with medical experience... oh, Joerg!


So, which does he want... efficient, reliable, or inEXPENSIVE?

;-)

Why is everyone ignoring my yard-mister/valve-body/transformer
approach? It's cheap-cheap-cheap and safe-safe-safe!

...Jim Thompson



It likely is, great idea, but it's not clear whether the OP minds
stringing a garden hose from his backyard into his living room.

Never mind the heating and cooling costs of leaving his backyard door
open a crack, at all times...

;-)

Michael

He's carrying buckets of water to his terrarium?

Surely he has a water pipe close by?

Actually I carry water to my aquarium... R/O water, since it's a reef
tank, and I have no way to get a feed to it... interior wall. But it
only eats 3 2-gallon-buckets-worth per week (since I added the chiller
;-)

...Jim Thompson
--



Um, you lose 6 gallons per week even in the fall / winter months?

Slow leak?

Room temperature is ~75°F, humidity is essentially ZERO... this IS
Arizona after all. Tanks is 250 gallons. Any other questions ?:-)

Tank WAS rising to 84°F, due to the lighting, until I added a
"chiller" ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Mcmaster has nozzels for misting etc.

Cheers

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:30:15 -0800, T-n-T wrote:

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.


If all you need is a mist for a terrarium, then a windshield washer motor
is probably overkill - you don't need anywheres near that much of a flow
rate. I'd check aquarium filter pumps, and that sort of thing. The fun
part of the project is going to be finding nozzles, and getting them
hooked up. :-)

Or, you could go totally goofy, and get hand sprayers and arrange a little
motor and cam to press the trigger a few times. ;-)

Good Luck!
Rich

w9gb wrote:
"T-n-T" wrote in message
...

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd


Wall warts ONLY handle currents up to about 1 Amp - MAX.

Um, not to give the op hope, but ...
See cat# dctx 1215 from http://www.allelectronics.com/
for a 1.5 amp 12 volt wall wart and cat # 16760 from
http://www.mpja.com/ for a 2 amp 12 volt wall wart.

Ed

That wiper motor is a current hog (more than a Wal Wart can handle!!) --

burn that up or blow internal fuse (if it has one) first time you try.

gb

T-n-T wrote:
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

If you already have the wiper pump, you can use an interim
solution to run it until you re-design. Use the wall wart
to trickle charge some NiCds and run the auto wiper pump
from that. The NiCds will provide the high current that the
wiper pump needs, and the charger will replenish them between
pump cycles.

-----
Wall Wart +15V ---Vin|LM317|Vout---+
----- |
Adj [R1]
| |
+----------+--|--+------ to
| pump
[NiCd's] circuit
|
Gnd --------------------------------------+------

R1 = 1.25/(C/20) where C is the ampere hour rating of
your cells. That should be more than enough to charge
the cells between cycles. For example, say your cells
are rated at 1000 mAh. At C/20, you would put in a total
of 480 mAh in a day, and due to losses, the batteries
would store 80% of that, or ~384 mAh. If you discharge
for 1 minute 3 times a day at say 7 amps each time, you
use 21 ampere minutes or 350 mAh hours.

Have you figured out how to get a mist from that wiper
pump? To me, that's a harder problem than figuring out
how to provide power for the pump.

Ed

wrote:

They are *really* inefficient!


And they get hot, too. You'd think that the pump designer would at
least use the pumped liquid to cool down the motor. Naah...

The designed life is probably an hour or two. But it shouldn't burn out
when someone mistreats it. Which includes continuous 'pumping' when out
of fluid.


Thomas

"ehsjr" wrote in message
news:6dBeh.298$Et5.228@trndny07...
w9gb wrote:
"T-n-T" wrote in message
...

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd


Wall warts ONLY handle currents up to about 1 Amp - MAX.

Ed

Um, not to give the op hope, but ...
See cat# dctx 1215 from http://www.allelectronics.com/
for a 1.5 amp 12 volt wall wart and cat # 16760 from
http://www.mpja.com/ for a 2 amp 12 volt wall wart.


Yes, these are OLD surplus designs -- new mfg. are generally now avoiding
(that is why they are on the surplus web sites/resellers).
They usually do not stay in the duplex outlet without screw attachment to
cover plate.
Readily available 1 and 2 foot line cord jumpers --- help with this problem.
These older designs stretched the definition of WallWart -- due to
transformer's weight !

New ones are more "brick like" with short AC cord OR use standardized IEC
jack.

gb

gb

w9gb wrote:
"ehsjr" wrote in message
news:6dBeh.298$Et5.228@trndny07...

w9gb wrote:

"T-n-T" wrote in message
...


Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd


Wall warts ONLY handle currents up to about 1 Amp - MAX.

Ed

Um, not to give the op hope, but ...
See cat# dctx 1215 from http://www.allelectronics.com/
for a 1.5 amp 12 volt wall wart and cat # 16760 from
http://www.mpja.com/ for a 2 amp 12 volt wall wart.



Yes, these are OLD surplus designs -- new mfg. are generally now avoiding
(that is why they are on the surplus web sites/resellers).
They usually do not stay in the duplex outlet without screw attachment to
cover plate.
Readily available 1 and 2 foot line cord jumpers --- help with this problem.
These older designs stretched the definition of WallWart -- due to
transformer's weight !

New ones are more "brick like" with short AC cord OR use standardized IEC
jack.

gb

gb



The new stuff is nice. It seems like most everything new
is going to switchers. I suspect one of the factors is
the weight you mentioned. Take a look at the wall wart
switchers like Mouser part #'s
418-TR25120-04 2.1Amps
418-TR30R120 2.5Amps
831-PW128RA1203B01 2.5Amps
552-PSA-15R-120-R 1.25Amps
552-PSA-21R-120-R 1.67Amps

Allelectronics sells a switcher wall wart at 2.6 amps,
cat # PS-1226

For non-switcher new wall warts 1 amp see Mouser part #'s
553-WDU12-1200 1.2Amps
553-WDU12-1900 1.9Amps

A lot of choices 1 amp, but not necessarily suitable
for the OP. I suspect not. I posted a different
possibility for the OP.

Ed

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:41:15 -0600, w9gb wrote:

"ehsjr" wrote in message
news:6dBeh.298$Et5.228@trndny07...
w9gb wrote:
"T-n-T" wrote in message
...

Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd


Wall warts ONLY handle currents up to about 1 Amp - MAX.

Ed

Um, not to give the op hope, but ...
See cat# dctx 1215 from http://www.allelectronics.com/
for a 1.5 amp 12 volt wall wart and cat # 16760 from
http://www.mpja.com/ for a 2 amp 12 volt wall wart.


Yes, these are OLD surplus designs -- new mfg. are generally now avoiding
(that is why they are on the surplus web sites/resellers).
They usually do not stay in the duplex outlet without screw attachment to
cover plate.
Readily available 1 and 2 foot line cord jumpers --- help with this problem.
These older designs stretched the definition of WallWart -- due to
transformer's weight !

New ones are more "brick like" with short AC cord OR use standardized IEC
jack.

Back to the original problem. If you want to pump mist into a terrarium,
how about a perfume atomizer driven by an aquarium air pump? Or, for
real tech overkill, an ultrasonic nebulizer?

Get a battery charger and plug it into the wall.
Connect the pump to the charger.

"T-n-T" wrote in message
...
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd

"Seymour Dupa" wrote in message
...
Get a battery charger and plug it into the wall.
Connect the pump to the charger.

"T-n-T" wrote in message
...
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Todd



Absolutely, it's possible. But the first thing you need to know is how much
current the pump draws when it's pumping.
Connect the pump to an auto battery and use your multimeter to measure the
current. Buy a wall wart that puts out 12 - 14 volts DC. The current rating of
the wall wart should be AT LEAST the current you measured being drawn by the
pump.
It's OK to go a bit higher than your measured current, but stay in the ballpark.
IOW, if your pump draws 1 amp, get a wallwart with current rating of 1 amp to
maybe 1.5 amps. If you get a regulated wallwart, the current rating doesn't
matter as long as it's at least 1 amp (as in the example).

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Some days you're the dog, some days the hydrant.

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:14:48 -0500, Seymour Dupa wrote:

Get a battery charger and plug it into the wall.
Connect the pump to the charger.

"T-n-T" wrote in message
...
Can a 12v windshield wiper pump be run from a wall wart? I am putting
together a mist system for a terrarium, so it will run about 1 minute
2-3 times a day or so. If it will run from a wall wart any suggestions
would be great.

Or use an aquarium air pump to drive an old-fashioned perfume atomizer.