SOLAR PUMPS FAQ

A solar pump is designed to run directly off solar panels without the need to use batteries or mains power. The controllers supplied with the pumps can vary the speed of the motor which will in turn increase and decrease the flow rate according to the output for the solar panels.

You do not need to add batteries in order for this pump to work, however, the 3rd gen controllers have the battery function built in so adding batteries at a later stage is also possible.

The controller does not have the input for mains or generator power but the pump can be powered by means of a DC power supply that can supply the controller the correct voltage and amperage for the pump to operate efficiently.

You can increase the power to the controller, however, you will need to make sure that the voltage input to the controller remains within the limits. The additional power will not increase the peak flow rate; however, the additional power will allow the pump to run more efficiently during the early mornings, late afternoons as well as during cloudy days.

The solar pumps use a 3core cable and needs to be sized correctly based on the size of the solar pump required as well as the total cable distance. This is to ensure that the pumps performance does not get affected by volt drop over the cable distance. The cable size on the solar pumps are bigger than the standard AC pumps due to the lower voltages.

The motors that we use are AC low voltage motors which means that they do not work with brushes at all. The only wearable parts on the motors are the bearings and mechanical seals like normal AC motors.

The Solar pumps we use work on low voltage so extending the cable too far will affect the performance and thicker cables need to be used to counter the volt drop.

We would not recommend extending the cable more than 100-120m depending on the size and voltage of the pump. It's best to increase the cable between the controller and pump and keep the cables between the controller and panels as short as possible to get the best efficiency out of the pump.

It is possible to run the pump directly off of a battery bank. You will need to make sure that the voltage of the battery bank falls within the input range of the controller.

Head is the maximum vertical height above the pump that the water needs to be pushed and this also includes the losses over the distance that needs to be pumped.

Yes, the 3rd Gen controllers come standard with a speed adjustment dial whereby you can reduce the speed of the motor if needed.

The probes are used to protect the motor from running dry. On the borehole pumps it's advised to make use of them, however, on swimming pool pumps they are not needed.

The easiest way to determine this is to add 30% on top of the pump wattage for minimum requirements and recommended would be 60%. I.e. a 500w pump requires minimum 650w and recommended 800w to operate.

The controllers are not limited to wattage. You will need to make sure that the solar panels are connected correctly to avoid exceeding the voltage rating of the controller.