Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Richard Shepherd on November 07, 2014, 06:48:04 am

Title: Home made flow controller
Post by: Richard Shepherd on November 07, 2014, 06:48:04 am
Has anyone made their own flow controller.

I have a small trolley which I want to fit a controller to.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: mufcglen on November 07, 2014, 07:58:58 am
just get one of these pal with a fuse and switch in the linehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10A-12V-40V-PWM-DC-Motor-Speed-Control-Pulse-Width-Modulation-Switch-13KHz-UC-/151402376972?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item234048ef0c (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10A-12V-40V-PWM-DC-Motor-Speed-Control-Pulse-Width-Modulation-Switch-13KHz-UC-/151402376972?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item234048ef0c)
thats what half the electrical boxes on ebay are made up of!
you can also put one of the voltage displays or wireless remotes in too if you want it to be abit posher!
go on youtube and look at mark m's videos on the diy trolley, worked great for me when i had mine.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Plankton on November 07, 2014, 10:51:33 am
Much cheapness. theres an idea for a wee winter project.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: johnny bravo on November 07, 2014, 11:50:51 am
do you just connect this upto battery and pump,  from backpack for example.,   i have an old WCW backpack,  keep meaning to fix up again
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: mufcglen on November 07, 2014, 03:51:18 pm
Yep it's as simple as a battery with switch and fuse going into the voltage modulator which then goes to pump and anything extra like voltage display wireless remote plug in charger all goes inline too, very simple and straight forward, dump it all in an plastic electrical box and then try and sell on eBay for tons more than it made you lol like all the others listed!!!!
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: johnny bravo on November 07, 2014, 04:04:33 pm
 ???, lost me now
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Stoots on November 07, 2014, 07:14:18 pm
Looking at doing this anyone got a link to how it would all be wired up? Sure I can work it out mind
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: simp on November 07, 2014, 10:48:25 pm
I did a home made one about two years ago and it's still going strong. All the bits came to about 15 quid. I am so pleased with it I made a second one as a spare. Wouldn't go back to a Varistream!
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Tom White on November 07, 2014, 11:04:41 pm
Looking at doing this anyone got a link to how it would all be wired up? Sure I can work it out mind

It's dead easy; just order the motor controller and on it, it tells you which wires go to your battery and which go to your pump. 

Even a Geordie can do it.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: rosskesava on November 08, 2014, 12:32:41 am
I did a home made one about two years ago and it's still going strong. All the bits came to about 15 quid. I am so pleased with it I made a second one as a spare. Wouldn't go back to a Varistream!

I been using mine for almost 5 years now when they were expensive at about a tenner. Not only that, it's never gone wrong or not worked and if it did pack up, I've a spare in the van that cost a fiver. 4 wires and a screw driver. What could be simpler.

You don't read postings on CIU about 'my voltage regulator has gone wrong and I don't know how to fix it'.

My own opinion is for almost all windows cleaners is that a Varistream is a complete waste of money.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: johnny bravo on November 08, 2014, 07:03:01 pm
can one of you clean it up  gods   post a picture of it wired up to your pump ,  or send me a pic of  how its set up,   to my email adress

ts1cleaning@gmail.com ??? ;D
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: rosskesava on November 08, 2014, 07:44:39 pm
Pictures from the ebay listing posted above.

(http://usbcity888.tomtop.com/?imgurl=media/catalog/product/i/m/image_356_1_218_1_81_1_394_1_17_1_18_1_21_1_202_1_97_1_100_1_290_1_177_1_610_1_32.jpg)

(http://usbcity888.tomtop.com/?imgurl=media/catalog/product/i/m/image_356_1_218_1_81_1_394_1_17_1_18_1_21_1_202_1_97_1_100_1_290_1_177_1_610_1_33.jpg)
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Sean Dyer on November 08, 2014, 07:46:40 pm
Just to see how good/bad it would be i got a cheap chinese made pump for less than £20 and a controller which is just a numpty which all way left is off and to right controls flow , for about £28, so far so good .... not getting used much yet though as its a spare system for missus or as a backup
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: johnny bravo on November 10, 2014, 11:49:36 pm
do you need to put an inline fuse on it.  can these be used on the shurflo pumps also,  and leisure battery., may try before i think about a digital controller,    thanks for advice
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Stoots on November 11, 2014, 12:09:05 am
ordered one. anyone add to how its wired up with fuses etc? ta
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Tom White on November 11, 2014, 12:35:53 am
ordered one. anyone add to how its wired up with fuses etc? ta

There's a fuse already in it, but if you want to add another, it would be very simple to do.

Get an inline switch too, Wilkos sell them for about £2.00.  It means you can set the water flow the way you want it, and switch it on and off with the switch.

You'll need to join your hose and pole hose up, switch it on, and then calibrate the pressure switch (the hexagonal nut at the bottom) so that your pump stops when you dead-end the pole hose.  It's very simple to do; takes about five minutes; and once it's done, it's done.  There's no need to recalibrate it again.

Both of mine have been in use for some months now and they're great; not a single problem with them.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Tom White on November 11, 2014, 12:36:23 am
can these be used on the shurflo pumps also,  and leisure battery.,

Yes.  We do.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: johnny bravo on November 11, 2014, 06:10:55 pm
when i said pics i meant pics with it set up to pump and battery.
thanks
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: rosskesava on November 11, 2014, 09:41:49 pm
when i said pics i meant pics with it set up to pump and battery.
thanks

Johnny, I think you're maybe making it more complex than it is. The regulator I use is in a sealed waterproof box so sorry, no pictures.

2 wires go to the battery and two to the motor. Positive to positive, red to red or (+) to (+).  And negative to negative, black to black or (-) to (-).

Keep the wires as short as possible but don't get your knickers in a twist over it  ;D and put the controller somewhere where you can adjust it easily.

Screw the controller to a bit of wood, plastic or whatever using rubber or plastic washers, or put it in a small lunch box - make a small hole for the spindle to go through and tighten the nuts to hold it in place then glue/stick/velcro that where ever you want it to go.

The options are numerous - make it up as you go along.
Title: Re: Home made flow controller
Post by: Stoots on November 19, 2014, 09:17:36 pm
got mine, might mount it on my trolley