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.

Thanks.

To partially answer my own question, I've just found this on the TLC
website:

"Low Voltage pumps use a 24v supply from a mains transformer and as low
voltage connections require no tools, installation is a straightforward
inexpensive task. No extra cable protection is needed. The cable can be
extended up to 50m. Our low voltage pumps have identical performance to
their mains cousins."

"No extra cable protection" is a little surprising.

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
·

Thanks, Chris. I'm surprised at the low cost of the pump. Did you bury the
cable at all?

Bert Coules wrote:

I'm surprised at the low cost of the pump.

At those prices, I'd be worried it was too cheap to last long.

Bert Coules wrote:
Thanks, Chris. I'm surprised at the low cost of the pump. Did you bury the
cable at all?

No, the mains feed to a little shelter (built of bricks) beside the
pond is buried SWA but I've left the 12 volt stuff from there to the
pond unburied.

--
Chris Green
·

Andy Burns wrote:
Bert Coules wrote:

I'm surprised at the low cost of the pump.

At those prices, I'd be worried it was too cheap to last long.

I've not found any correlation between price and lifetime! :-)

My first relatively expensive mains (branded, like Hozelock and such)
pumps didn't last any longer than the rock-bottom priced ones (still
mains) that I bought from AliExpress etc.

I've not had the 12 volt ones long enough to make any comments on
their life yet.

--
Chris Green
·

Thanks, Chris.

One assumes then that the power supply is universally protected against
shorts.
Brian

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"Bert Coules" wrote in message
o.uk...
To partially answer my own question, I've just found this on the TLC
website:

"Low Voltage pumps use a 24v supply from a mains transformer and as low
voltage connections require no tools, installation is a straightforward
inexpensive task. No extra cable protection is needed. The cable can be
extended up to 50m. Our low voltage pumps have identical performance to
their mains cousins."

"No extra cable protection" is a little surprising.