Electrical – use SMPS to power 12V DC water pump

12vdc motorswitch-mode-power-supply

I'm looking to use a 12V 60W DC water pump in my project, and I'm trying to find a suitable way to supply power for the pump. I'm wary about using the brick-like power adapters as I think they are not reliable. I see that SMPS is more reliable. Can I use a 12V 10A SMPS unit to power the pump ? One concern is that I read that a DC motor could draw upto 3 times more current while starting. So the SMPS could cut-off supply due to overload. Please note, I will be turning the pump on/off many times in day using arduino/relay control.

Water pump –
http://www.ebay.in/itm/12V-High-Pressure-Auto-Diaphragm-Water-Pump-5L-min-100-PSI-Pressure-Switch-/222221212173?

SMPS –
http://www.ebay.in/itm/12V-10A-120-Watt-DC-Switch-Mode-Power-Supply-Driver-Transformer-CCTV-Led-Strips-/322280796678?hash=item4b096eb206:g:aqwAAOSw6n5Xwt4s

Best Answer

It's probably adequate. The pump draws 60W continuous, which is 5A, according to the nameplate, and you are proposing a 10A power supply.

Diaphragm pumps, to my knowledge, do not tend to draw enormous current on start-up, and the power supply, if the ratings are real, is capable of supplying some startup surge, so a 2:1 factor is probably okay.

The only way to be sure, really, is to test it. You could also go for a much bigger power supply to be more sure.

Related Topic