[Matt Gibson]

I've got a fogwill pump box that we use when we need to do any windows. It works well for what we need it for but im wanting to build another pump box for using chemicals etc. I have looked at the box Mark from here built and am looking at building something similar. I popped open the fogwill box, and noticed it had a relay inside it. Its pretty basic, relay, pump, switch hoses etc.

Marks box didnt have a relay in it, and i was just wondering if the relay is really needed? I was just going to use a shurflo pump ive got lying around, and buy a controller like Mark uses, and plumb it all in with an on/off switch. Do i need a really? Why would the Fogwill box have a relay in it?

Cheers

Matt

[andyM]

I presume the Fogwill pump box has a relay to protect the pressure switch.
In my opinion a relay is not essential.
I have never used one and don't feel it is required.

[Matt Gibson]

Cheers mate.

That was going to be my next question. I know there are two wires for the pressure switch (top of the pump) and two for the power to the pump (bottom of the pump). Can i just join them together then to power/earth?

[andyM]

No you can't join the wires together.
It depends what flow controller you will be using as to how you wire it up.
Some flow controllers do not require the use of the pump's pressure switch so the pressure switch is bypassed.
And some flow controllers still require the pump to rely on the pressure switch to be active.
There should be instructions or a wiring diagram with the flow controller you have or will buy.

[Matt Gibson]

Cheers mate. I will be using one of the "twisty kn0bs" controllers that Mark used in his DIY pump box/trolley. Its basically a speed controller for the motor. its not a flow controller as such.

But thanks for the heads up, i would have probably wired it up and blown it up. Can you bypass the pressure switch and just connect the red/black from the pump motor to a battery and run the pump like that?

[andyM]

Cheers mate. I will be using one of the "twisty kn0bs" controllers that Mark used in his DIY pump box/trolley. Its basically a speed controller for the motor. its not a flow controller as such.

But thanks for the heads up, i would have probably wired it up and blown it up. Can you bypass the pressure switch and just connect the red/black from the pump motor to a battery and run the pump like that?

No not a good idea to use a pump without pressure switch as the pump will not stop running until you cut the power from battery.
If you just want a simple system to use I would recommend using a pump with the pressure switch, an 12 volt on/off rocker switch between battery and pump with an inline fuse and a means of turning water flow on/off with perhaps an inline tap connected to the pole hose.

[Matt Gibson]

Cheers mate.. Very helpfull.. 

[Spruce]

The pump Mark M uses is one from a backpack and is much smaller than a Shurflo pump. The pump draws 2.2amp so that controller he uses is suitable. I believe it was a 10 amp.

A Shurflo pump can draw 6.5 to 7 amps using a controller and 8 amps without. So you need to make sure the controller will handle this amperage. I would suggest a 15 amp PWM controller would suffice - I honestly believe a 10 amp is too small. It must also be protected by a 10 amp fuse.

[Matt Gibson]

The pump Mark M uses is one from a backpack and is much smaller than a Shurflo pump. The pump draws 2.2amp so that controller he uses is suitable. I believe it was a 10 amp.

A Shurflo pump can draw 6.5 to 7 amps using a controller and 8 amps without. So you need to make sure the controller will handle this amperage. I would suggest a 15 amp PWM controller would suffice - I honestly believe a 10 amp is too small. It must also be protected by a 10 amp fuse.

Thanks Spruce, I didnt know that about the amps, so big help.
Would it be possible to use a Shurflo the same way as Mark has used his pump? meaning would i need to wire in the pressure switch, then wire it all up to the higher rated PWM controller through a switch of course.

I notice the pump he uses doesnt have a pressure switch, thats the part im mostly confused about, the whole @3 wires@ thing on the Shurflo. I just want to use the pump ive got, a controller like Marks, a on/off switch and some crocodile clips for the battery.

Is it the pressure switch in the pump that switches it off when it senses the deadend from you closing a valve? (Say a valve in your pole hose)

[Spruce]

The pump Mark M uses is one from a backpack and is much smaller than a Shurflo pump. The pump draws 2.2amp so that controller he uses is suitable. I believe it was a 10 amp.

A Shurflo pump can draw 6.5 to 7 amps using a controller and 8 amps without. So you need to make sure the controller will handle this amperage. I would suggest a 15 amp PWM controller would suffice - I honestly believe a 10 amp is too small. It must also be protected by a 10 amp fuse.

Thanks Spruce, I didnt know that about the amps, so big help.
Would it be possible to use a Shurflo the same way as Mark has used his pump? meaning would i need to wire in the pressure switch, then wire it all up to the higher rated PWM controller through a switch of course.

I notice the pump he uses doesnt have a pressure switch, thats the part im mostly confused about, the whole @3 wires@ thing on the Shurflo. I just want to use the pump ive got, a controller like Marks, a on/off switch and some crocodile clips for the battery.

Is it the pressure switch in the pump that switches it off when it senses the deadend from you closing a valve? (Say a valve in your pole hose)

You're right, his pump doesn't appear to have a pressure switch. He won't have an on/off tap either as he is using his wireless on/off remote to switch the water on and off by cutting the current to his pump - pump stops, no water. So he doesn't need a pressure switch. He will be using the controller to slow the pump motor down to reduce the flow only.

If you are using a tap to switch the water off, then you have to wire your pressure switch in. When you switch the tap off the pump will carry on running and the higher pressure will cut power to the motor. Again you will use the controller to slow the pump down to a flow rate you are happy with. There is a tiny allen key screw which you can adjust so the pressure switch kicks in at a lower pressure. (A shurflo pump is set at 100 psi and this adjustment allows you to reduce that setting to around 65 psi. On a trolley with a short hose, you don't need a high pressure to drive the water to the brush head. Running the motor up to 100 psi cutoff pressure uses more current than a lower setting of 65 psi.)

The pump Mark is using is a 3LPM pump where the Shurflo one is probably a 5LPM one. The reason for a smaller pump is that it uses less current and less current means a smaller battery, a definite plus on a compact trolley system.

The trailer set up I first started with had crocodile clamps. They gave me a hard time and the best thing I did was to put properly battery clamps on.

[Matt Gibson]

Cheers mate, Much clearer now, so thank you.

I managed to find a 40amp controller very similar, all boxed in a small case for under a tenner. Ordered all the parts so just going to have a crack at it.

As for the crocodile clips, i'll only be using this box for chemical application, so need it to be quite mobile hence the batter clips. We don't do too much window cleaning, but we already have a Fogwill box for that, just got sick of having to flush it out for ages after using chems through it so thought id have a go at building a new box.

If it works out ok, anyone want to buy one? 

[Don Kee]

http://www.johnhewitt.com/pumps.htm


I brought the 2203 pump that is around 2.5 L a min at full blast. No controller and pressure switch already wired in. Brought cheap switch from maplins. Brought with the idea of making a DIY trolley.
That pump with a switch would be ideal for what you need it for...