Hi folks. new here...
I am setting up a backyard pond and waterfall. I plan to run it either using solar or going with house electricity. Seems like the solar setup has gotten very complex...
First the solar...
Current plan is a Renogy 100W panel. The pump I have is a 12V 5A Rule 1000GPH bilge pump.
I want the pump to run during the day only. We don't need it running at night.
It appears I have several options for putting this together, none of which seem to be right. LOL...
1. Connect panel directly to pump with no controller - might be too much or too little voltage with resultant pump issues.
2. Connect panel to charge controller like the Renogy wanderer, put in a small battery (~18AH battery, which is NOT powerful enough to run the pump very long) then connect the pump to the battery. But then I don't have an on/off control.
3. Connect panel to charge controller like Renogy VS1024BN, then connect pump to load terminals (rated for 10A load). But again, no on/off control.
4. Set up option 2 above, but put a photocell inline with the pump. 2 problems there; one, the photocells turn things OFF during the day instead of on, and two, I doubt the photocell would last long with 8 amps running through it.
5. Set up option 2 above, but again with a photocell, but this time add a relay of some kind that will allow the pump current to bypass the photocell and let the photocell trigger the relay. But the relay would then have control voltage flowing through it either all day or all night (depending on how those things work). Plus, relay choices are daunting, and this is getting very complex. I'd like the final product to be reasonably stable.
6. Set up option 2 above, but this time with a DC timer. Doesn't account for changing amounts of daylight. Seems like the easiest at the moment.
7. Set up option 2 above, but put in a large enough battery to run the system all day. But that is PRICEY.
I'm probably looking at $3-500 to do all that. I can get a decent AC pump, a timer, and the necessary hardware for about $200 and it's easy to set up.
I wish I could make the solar less trouble. I am open for suggestions.
I am getting a grid-tie system in place in the next few months, so even the AC pump would end up solar operated...
Thanks!
I am setting up a backyard pond and waterfall. I plan to run it either using solar or going with house electricity. Seems like the solar setup has gotten very complex...
First the solar...
Current plan is a Renogy 100W panel. The pump I have is a 12V 5A Rule 1000GPH bilge pump.
I want the pump to run during the day only. We don't need it running at night.
It appears I have several options for putting this together, none of which seem to be right. LOL...
1. Connect panel directly to pump with no controller - might be too much or too little voltage with resultant pump issues.
2. Connect panel to charge controller like the Renogy wanderer, put in a small battery (~18AH battery, which is NOT powerful enough to run the pump very long) then connect the pump to the battery. But then I don't have an on/off control.
3. Connect panel to charge controller like Renogy VS1024BN, then connect pump to load terminals (rated for 10A load). But again, no on/off control.
4. Set up option 2 above, but put a photocell inline with the pump. 2 problems there; one, the photocells turn things OFF during the day instead of on, and two, I doubt the photocell would last long with 8 amps running through it.
5. Set up option 2 above, but again with a photocell, but this time add a relay of some kind that will allow the pump current to bypass the photocell and let the photocell trigger the relay. But the relay would then have control voltage flowing through it either all day or all night (depending on how those things work). Plus, relay choices are daunting, and this is getting very complex. I'd like the final product to be reasonably stable.
6. Set up option 2 above, but this time with a DC timer. Doesn't account for changing amounts of daylight. Seems like the easiest at the moment.
7. Set up option 2 above, but put in a large enough battery to run the system all day. But that is PRICEY.
I'm probably looking at $3-500 to do all that. I can get a decent AC pump, a timer, and the necessary hardware for about $200 and it's easy to set up.
I wish I could make the solar less trouble. I am open for suggestions.
I am getting a grid-tie system in place in the next few months, so even the AC pump would end up solar operated...
Thanks!
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