Water Feature Help

OTIP_Drew
OTIP_Drew Registered Users Posts: 3
in Solar Water Pumping #1
Hi All,

I am a Maintenance Technician, and we had a "Peace Garden" installed a few years ago by a company who used native plants, sustainably sourced material and it features a solar powered water fountain. There is a Kycera KC130TM solar panel (Pmax-130W, Vpmax 17.6V, Ipmax7.39A). The jet style pump disappeared somehow, and we have purchased an ElSID - 3.3B pump. The spec sheet says it can be driven directly from a PV panel direct.

Can it/should it?

We made the connection where the old pump should be and only get water flow when there is direct sun blasting on the PV panel. With the old pump, we would have some flow on a partially cloudy day.

The water feature has not worked for a couple of years now, and we need to get the trickle flowing.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Drew
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Comments

  • Texas Wellman
    Texas Wellman Solar Expert Posts: 153 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Water Feature Help

    Post up a link to your pump, I can't find anything on one from your description.

    You may need a controller or more panels.
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Water Feature Help
    OTIP_Drew wrote: »
    we have purchased an ElSID - 3.3B pump. The spec sheet says it can be driven directly from a PV panel direct.

    Can it/should it?

    We made the connection where the old pump should be and only get water flow when there is direct sun blasting on the PV panel. With the old pump, we would have some flow on a partially cloudy day.

    I think your pump is made by Sunmaxx:
    El Sid Solar Circulating Pump: SID stands for static-impeller driven, meaning these pumps contain an electronic driver or motor which has no moving parts but simply spins on a magnetic field. The magnetic field grasps the impeller and visibly spins it without any moving parts or seals. As a result, these pumps are extremely long-lived without much power consumption. These pumps are completely brass and stainless steel, so they do not corrode. The El SID pumps have no seals which can leak, and no bearings to get hot or brushes to spark, so they are explosion proof.

    At the Sunmaxx site I can't find model 3.3B, so I don't know its specs.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Water Feature Help

    Welcome to the forum Drew.

    The fact that the new pump does run when you've got bright sun indicates that it can be powered directly from solar. The fact that it only runs in bright sun indicates it draws rather more power than the old pump.

    En lieu of having the actual pump specs ...

    Borrow a battery out of the boss's car. Connect the pump to it through a DMM set for DC Amps (must be able to handle 10, preferably more, and MUST have a fuse to prevent frying the meter). See how much current it draws. The panel is capable of 7 Amps so the current demand will be at least that.
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  • OTIP_Drew
    OTIP_Drew Registered Users Posts: 3
    #5
    Re: Water Feature Help

    The pump is manufactured by Ivan Labs Inc. in Jupiter, FL - I think it's probably the SID3.5 model 2W2RD341500 - the supplier may have put their own ID stickers on the bag:

    3.5W
    Maximum Head in Feet 1.8
    Maximum Flow in GPM 2.0
    Operating Voltage (DC) 8V to 20V

    Hope this helps.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,664 admin
    #6
    Re: Water Feature Help

    I believe this is the pump here:

    http://www.renewcanada.com/ivan_labs_el_sid_sid3.5pv_pump.html

    It draws very little power at 3.5 watts... So, the 130 watt panel should easily drive the pump.

    A few things I would check... With a volt meter, check the voltage at the pump terminals. With any direct sun, the voltage should be >12 volts.

    Second, 1.8 foot head is very low pressure pump. If you have anywhere near 1.8 foot of water lift, the pump may need to operate at maximum RPM to get any water flow at all (if there is a nozzle, then it would need some "excess pressure" to get water to arc out of the nozzle).

    This type of pump (I am guessing) probably needs to be installed below the water input level--It cannot "lift" water to its input (draw a vacuum). So, the pump, installed outside of the water "tank/bowel" below water level and then lift the water by ~1 foot maximum for optimum flow. If the water level falls below the pump input (or there is clogged filter/screen/inlet pipe), you will get little to no water flow.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • OTIP_Drew
    OTIP_Drew Registered Users Posts: 3
    #7
    Re: Water Feature Help

    That makes sense - looks like it's designed to be a circ. pump instead of what we are using it for. Thanks!

    I was going to test the PV panel output next - when it stops raining here. It's just pushing water from a resevoir into a hose and out through some rocks to make a waterfall.

    I'll modify the setup and report on the progress.

    Thanks again,

    Drew
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  • Eric L
    Eric L Solar Expert Posts: 262 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Water Feature Help
    It's just pushing water from a resevoir into a hose and out through some rocks to make a waterfall.

    I do the same thing with a Topsflo TS5 10pv pump. I have two; each connected directly to its own 45 watt pv panel. No controller or battery. They are almost always pushing at least a little water through when the sun is up, even if it is cloudy. Not much head pressure though.

    I think these were about $65 each, so if your pump doesn't work out, it might be an option. You could get quite a few going on a 130 watt panel, I would think.
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