water pump

[rookie]

Hello!

I am currently using a peristaltic water pump for my project from adafruit : https://www.adafruit.com/product/1150.
This pump is too slow (low flow rate) for my needs so I am looking for a different one (about 1 litre/minute) with PWM capability. I am pumping water from a bucket into another. I am looking at PWM controlled pumps and the ones I can find online are the computer cooling pumps, such as EK-D5 PWM G2 pump: https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-d5-pwm-motor-12v-dc-pwm-pump-motor

It is rated at 1500 litre/hour, so on paper it does seem to fit my requirement. It is quite expensive though, so I would like to know if it is suitable for my project or I can use any other pump with PWM capability?

[Brumby]

First - check your maths.

1 litre/min is 60 litres/hr, so 1500 litres/hr seems somewhat of an overkill... by a factor of 25.

The price is a reflection (in part) of the market it is targeted towards - gamers.  It will also be built for reliability over extended periods of operation.  Gamers tend to lose track of time.


Unfortunately, I don't really know where to point you.

[Brumby]

EBay perhaps?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/192468971286

[IanB]

There are going to be lots of options. Look around for low voltage (12 V DC) aquarium pumps, fountain pumps, anything like that. You will find options from $10 and up. Just do a web search and sort through the search results. If it's 12 V DC it will be PWM controllable.

[drussell]

There are going to be lots of options. Look around for low voltage (12 V DC) aquarium pumps, fountain pumps, anything like that. You will find options from $10 and up. Just do a web search and sort through the search results. If it's 12 V DC it will be PWM controllable.

Anything is PWM controllable if you want to build the power electronics to control it but I believe the OP is looking for something that responds to a PWM control signal that can easily be controlled at the logic level and does its own speed variation in the motor's internal controller, like a PWM controlled 4-pin PC fan.

[IanB]

Anything is PWM controllable if you want to build the power electronics to control it but I believe the OP is looking for something that responds to a PWM control signal that can easily be controlled at the logic level and does its own speed variation in the motor's internal controller, like a PWM controlled 4-pin PC fan.

I see. But the original peristaltic pump from Adafruit linked by the OP ( https://www.adafruit.com/product/1150 ) is not of this type. It has an ordinary 12 V DC motor.

[drussell]

I see. But the original peristaltic pump from Adafruit linked by the OP ( https://www.adafruit.com/product/1150 ) is not of this type. It has an ordinary 12 V DC motor.

Ok, well then that type too... 

[rookie]

Thank you for your responses! I agree the ekwb pump might be overkill, so I am still looking for one that is moderately priced. Thank you for the suggestion on the eBay pump, I will try to look for similar pumps.
I'd definitely like a PWM input so I will have to do minimal additional circuitry to make the pump work.
The aquarium pumps have really low flow rates so it might not be a good fit

[GreyWoolfe]

Here you go-- 12 volts, 280L/H under $10 delivered-- https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-Submersible-Water-Pump-Aquarium-Fountain-Air-Fish-Pond-Tank-Pool-Garden-/192282518415?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

[Raj]

Why don't you put a transistor arrangement as a switch to pwm control it.
Besides, too low of a pwm would make the motor stall.

[james_s]

There are lots of water pumps with DC motors on them, the sort used in boats and RVs to pump drinking water are readily available and occasionally can be found cheaply as surplus.