I have a good Flotec RV pump, works with a pressure sensor, only comes
on when water is needed. I just hooked up two swamp coolers in my shop,
and they drink water. I don't want to dig and run 250 feet of PVC, so
for now, may just put a couple of 55 gal plastic barrels in, and fill
from the hose.

Question, can I use a 12 v. battery charger at the lower (around 4 a.)
as a power source for the pumps? Alternatives? Wouldn't charger go to
off position, therefore, only working when the pressure sensor calls for
it to pump some water, and be off the rest of the time, therefore not
getting hot from being on 24/7?

Steve

SteveB fired this volley in news:loklnf$rki$1
@speranza.aioe.org:

Question, can I use a 12 v. battery charger at the lower (around 4 a.)
as a power source for the pumps? Alternatives?

Add a battery to the circuit, and it would work. A battery charger usually
puts out only rectified DC... in other words, pulses at (usually) twice the
line frequency, since most are full-wave, center-tapped arrangements. The
peak voltage is usually much higher than the rated 13.8VDC... about 17-20V.

Without the 'filtering' a battery will provide, such rectified DC is not
good for motors. It will run them, though. Your call.

Lloyd

On 6/27/2014 4:55 PM, SteveB wrote:
I have a good Flotec RV pump, works with a pressure sensor, only comes
on when water is needed. I just hooked up two swamp coolers in my shop,
and they drink water. I don't want to dig and run 250 feet of PVC, so
for now, may just put a couple of 55 gal plastic barrels in, and fill
from the hose.

Question, can I use a 12 v. battery charger at the lower (around 4 a.)
as a power source for the pumps? Alternatives? Wouldn't charger go to
off position, therefore, only working when the pressure sensor calls for
it to pump some water, and be off the rest of the time, therefore not
getting hot from being on 24/7?

Steve


Even the smallest ATX computer power supplies will easily pump 4 amps at
12 volts, and it's clean current. Also wouldn't pull as much current as
a charger when not powering the motors.