Aquarium water pumps

[jose angel]

I want to post about aquarium water pumps, after reading a topic about a homemade water jacket.

I would like to alert to those who use this kind of pumps, specially the AC powered units (I used a 220volts one inside my Jobo CPE-2 for a long time). This pumps are commonly sold in Europe, most of them without an adecuate (in my opinion) warning sheet.

This pumps are made for aquarium use "only". They must be installed only about 2 cms. deep, with the power cord outside the water surface. Some of them can be used submerged.

Take note that the power cord is sealed to the pump´s box. If the sealing compound or pump-box is damaged (it could get crystallized or separated by any reason) and current get in contact with water, you can suffer an electric shock, as you can know.

EU automatic security switchs must be tested periodically, but usually nobody does it (including me). I have been surprised with three non working switchs of four at the locations where I live, work and visit. In this case, the electrical shock could be extremely dangerous. Just this.

[Neal Wydra]

Dear Jose,

I protect all circuits in my house that can be near water with ground fault circuit breakers. I suggest you do that as well.

[jose angel]

Thanks Neal. Do you know if a GFCB can be used directly conected to the water pump circuit (power cord)? (It is a two wired device, it doesn´t have ground wire).

[Larry Gebhardt]

A GFI will protect a two prong plug as well as a grounded one. It actually measures the current differential between the two normal blades and if there is a difference it trips. Just look at all the two pront devices designed to be used in the bathroom, shavers, toothbrush chargers, hair dryers, etc - if a GFI didn't protect you with these it would be less than worthless.

[jose angel]

Thanks!!!

[Alan Davenport]

If you're building a recirculating water jacket, you might consider an external pump such as the Eheim 1046. It is rated at 79 US gal/hr, costs about $46 at Petsmart. Another $7 or $8 will get you the next size up which pumps twice as much. These can be used above the water (up to 1 meter head.) All precautions should still apply, and a GFI should be mandatory.

[tor kviljo]

Well equipped stores selling sport-fishing gear have a battery-powered pump used for keeping fish alive when in capture. Such a pump should easily be converted to run on transformer, having only 6V electrical connection

[Jim Rice]

How much flow would one need? I realise processing volumes are a varible.