My Diesel Storage and Transfer Set-up

[LBrown59]

Picture of my finished set up.

[Slippy]

You might want to try to re-size the picture first.

[LBrown59]

Resize UGH!
I had a terrible time even posting the picture.
First I had a terrible time figuring out how to operate the camera.
Then I couldn't figure out how to get the picture from the camera onto the computer.
After all that I couldn't find the picture on the computer in order to post it on TBN.
Then to top it all off I couldn't get the TBN attachment feature to work.
I thought I did pretty good to even get the picture posted against all those odds!
You're lucky you even got a picture to view.
I don't know how to resize yet.
I guess it's one thing at a time.

Originally Posted by Slippy

You might want to try to re-size the picture first.

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by LBrown59

Picture of my finished set up.

I tried it out yesterday for the first time.
The transformer would run the pump but the pump would not pump any fuel.
I then hooked up the pump to my truck battery and the pump worked fine transferring the fuel.
Now I am looking for a transformer that will convert 110 volts AC to 12 volts DC.
I don't know what to get or where to find it.
Anybody got any tips?

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by LBrown59

I tried it out yesterday for the first time.
The transformer would run the pump but the pump would not pump any fuel.
I then hooked up the pump to my truck battery and the pump worked fine transferring the fuel.
Now I am looking for a transformer that will convert 110 volts AC to 12 volts DC.
I don't know what to get or where to find it.
Anybody got any tips?

Well, strictly speaking transformers take in AC and put out AC. They may change the voltage but are strictly AC in and AC out. You are probably looking for a DC power supply that operates on 120 VAC and puts out 12 VDC or thereabouts.

Do you have the specs on your pump? Do you know how much current it takes to run it? If not, then you need to find out in order to get the right size power supply. A power supply isn't terribly expensive (but not trivial)but why waste money getting one way too big? So, job one is to measure the current consumption of the pump when it is operated off of a well charged 12 volt battery (jumper cables from car is fine.)

Armed with the nominal voltage (what we call a 12 volt battery in good shape is closer to 13.6 to 14.2 volts) and the current at that voltage we can then shop for a power supply. My recommendation (nearly 60 years of electronics experience, I started before grade school) is to get a power supply capable of at least 20% more than you need so it will not be strained or overheat and will last longer trouble free.

There are hoards of sources of supply and DIY is not tough for this sort of application and can save some $. I would be pleased to help further but until I know the current supply requirement I can't take it further except to suggest a little experiment.

If you have a battery charger that is rated for at least 6-10 amps, hook it up to the pump and see how well it pumps and how many amps the meter on the charger says it takes to run the pump. If the charger's meter goes to full deflection then stop the test as the charger is not powerful enough.

Depending on your circumstances you may be better served to buy a more powerful battery charger (if you don't have one that can run the pump without it pegging the meter) and when you aren't using it to power the pump you have it as a battery charger.

Often a power supply has lots more internal circuitry than a charger since it has to filter and smooth the current to imitate a batteries smooth output. A pump is not a fussy current consumer and should be happy with the output of a charger.

If you have a charger or access to one for a test, give it a whorl and see what you get. if it doesn't peg the amp meter on the charger or come too close to doing so the charger should do the job.

An off the shelf power supply new in the box usually costs significantly more than the equivalent charger. Just don't try to run a radio or such off the charger.

Another alternative is a battery maintainer (Under $10 at HF) and a fairly good shape car type battery working as a team to supply power to your pump.

Pat

[LBrown59]

Thanks for your reply.It's loaded with information.

I don't know if this helps any but the pump is 12 volts and 10 Amps.
The instructions on it says (Don't operate the pump at wrong voltage, the voltage tolerance only can be plus or minus 10 percent.)
I picked up a transformer at an electrical supply store today.
It's 110 volts AC with DC output.
It has DC output terminals for a choice of 6 volt 10 amp , 12 volt 15 amp or 18 volt 15 amp.
Do you think this transformer will work for the pump?

Originally Posted by patrick_g

Well, strictly speaking transformers take in AC and put out AC. They may change the voltage but are strictly AC in and AC out. You are probably looking for a DC power supply that operates on 120 VAC and puts out 12 VDC or thereabouts.

Do you have the specs on your pump? Do you know how much current it takes to run it? If not, then you need to find out in order to get the right size power supply. A power supply isn't terribly expensive (but not trivial)but why waste money getting one way too big? So, job one is to measure the current consumption of the pump when it is operated off of a well charged 12 volt battery (jumper cables from car is fine.)

Armed with the nominal voltage (what we call a 12 volt battery in good shape is closer to 13.6 to 14.2 volts) and the current at that voltage we can then shop for a power supply. My recommendation (nearly 60 years of electronics experience, I started before grade school) is to get a power supply capable of at least 20% more than you need so it will not be strained or overheat and will last longer trouble free.

There are hoards of sources of supply and DIY is not tough for this sort of application and can save some $. I would be pleased to help further but until I know the current supply requirement I can't take it further except to suggest a little experiment.

If you have a battery charger that is rated for at least 6-10 amps, hook it up to the pump and see how well it pumps and how many amps the meter on the charger says it takes to run the pump. If the charger's meter goes to full deflection then stop the test as the charger is not powerful enough.

Depending on your circumstances you may be better served to buy a more powerful battery charger (if you don't have one that can run the pump without it pegging the meter) and when you aren't using it to power the pump you have it as a battery charger.

Often a power supply has lots more internal circuitry than a charger since it has to filter and smooth the current to imitate a batteries smooth output. A pump is not a fussy current consumer and should be happy with the output of a charger.

If you have a charger or access to one for a test, give it a whorl and see what you get. if it doesn't peg the amp meter on the charger or come too close to doing so the charger should do the job.

An off the shelf power supply new in the box usually costs significantly more than the equivalent charger. Just don't try to run a radio or such off the charger.

Another alternative is a battery maintainer (Under $10 at HF) and a fairly good shape car type battery working as a team to supply power to your pump.

Pat

[patrick_g]

lbrown, Strictly speaking it is NOT a transformer. Like I said before, transformers are AC in and AC out. No doubt the equipment you bought has a transformer in it but plenty more too.

Not to worry, the pump should do fine on the 12 volt setting. The amp rating is the most the device is rated to produce. That doesn't mean it will force 15 amps on the pump. If the voltage supplied to the pump is 12 volts and it is listed as a 10 amp load then it will take about 10 amps, even if the device powering it is capable of supplying much more.

The battery you connected it to in your previous test is probably capable of supplying 50 amps or so at about 12 volts and probably over 100 if you don't mind the voltage sagging down to about 11 volts or so. At 12 volts the pump will not take much over 10 amps in normal operation. If you ran it with the output valved off and if there is no pressure switch for the pump then current might go above 10 amps but in normal pumping your 15 amp rated 12 volt source should do fine.

I wonder what price of the 15 amp 12 volt supply was and how it compared to a 15 amp 12 volt battery charger which would have other uses. (Just curious...)

Pat

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by patrick_g

lbrown, Strictly speaking it is NOT a transformer. Like I said before, transformers are AC in and AC out. No doubt the equipment you bought has a transformer in it but plenty more too.

Not to worry, the pump should do fine on the 12 volt setting. The amp rating is the most the device is rated to produce. That doesn't mean it will force 15 amps on the pump. If the voltage supplied to the pump is 12 volts and it is listed as a 10 amp load then it will take about 10 amps, even if the device powering it is capable of supplying much more.

The battery you connected it to in your previous test is probably capable of supplying 50 amps or so at about 12 volts and probably over 100 if you don't mind the voltage sagging down to about 11 volts or so. At 12 volts the pump will not take much over 10 amps in normal operation. If you ran it with the output valved off and if there is no pressure switch for the pump then current might go above 10 amps but in normal pumping your 15 amp rated 12 volt source should do fine.

I wonder what price of the 15 amp 12 volt supply was and how it compared to a 15 amp 12 volt battery charger which would have other uses. (Just curious...)

Pat

I paid 1400 dollars for it plus 98 cents tax.
I hooked it up today but It wouldn't work .
Runs the pump but the pump don't pump the fuel.

Here is a picture of the drum and tank if the link works.
I'm new at trying to post photos - a real tenderfoot.
Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

[Ford850]

Did you try to reverse your connections to the "transformer"?

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by Ford850

Did you try to reverse your connections to the "transformer"?

If you mean the red and the black clamps / No I did not.

I took the transformer back eariler today and was told by a couple of guys behind the counter and a customer there that the transformer was 120 volt ac input and the output was 12 volt ac.

Now I'm having a tough time finding one that is 12 volt DC out put.