Pump bypassing controller

[Bazdog]

Hello,

I'm having trouble setting up my pump and analogue controller. I have the pump and controller wired into a leisure battery and can get the pump working so the water is coming out of the brush head but the controller doesn't have any effect on the flow speed and the water keeps on pumping even when I turn the controller off. The pump does turn off when it senses a dead end when I close the uni valve.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

 

[spruce]

Hello,

I'm having trouble setting up my pump and analogue controller. I have the pump and controller wired into a leisure battery and can get the pump working so the water is coming out of the brush head but the controller doesn't have any effect on the flow speed and the water keeps on pumping even when I turn the controller off. The pump does turn off when it senses a dead end when I close the uni valve.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Sounds like a new controller is needed. Have you accidentally reverse polarity when connecting the battery up? How old is the controller?

 

[Bazdog]

The thing is that I’ve got 2 batteries, 2 controllers and 2 pumps and both are doing the same thing and were working for the last guy that had them. How would I have reversed the polarity? If I put the negative into the positive terminal on the battery and vice versa? I’m pretty sure I’ve not done that. Would that have wrecked the controllers or batteries? Or both?!

 

[spruce]

The thing is that I’ve got 2 batteries, 2 controllers and 2 pumps and both are doing the same thing and were working for the last guy that had them. How would I have reversed the polarity? If I put the negative into the positive terminal on the battery and vice versa? I’m pretty sure I’ve not done that. Would that have wrecked the controllers or batteries? Or both?!

Yes. This is reverse polarity.

It just doesn't make sense that both controllers would fail simultaneously. Hence, the thought of reverse polarity.

If you have the old V11 Spring controllers (supplied and rebadged by numerous suppliers), then reversing polarity will damage the controller. It won't damage the batteries. (The very fact that the pumps run indicates that the fuse hasn't blown, the batteries still have power and the pumps are still functioning. There is nothing left to consider.)

The latest V16 is reverse polarity protected.

Varistream was also another controller that could be damaged with reverse polarity. They aren't made or supplied any longer.

The thing is that if it was a battery fault such as low voltage, the pumps wouldn't run.

The two main reasons why old controllers fail is reversed polarity and moisture ingress. Moisture ingress happening to two controllers at the same time would be difficult to believe unless the van was submerged in water.

You could send the controllers to Spring Europe, and they will tell you what the problem is. We can only make suggestions when listening to others with problem controllers and the diagnosis. I will link this to @Ian Sheppard who may have another thought.

You are probably best to buy a new controller, as sending a failed controller away for diagnosis and repair takes a while.


Added: The 2 x 12v batteries have to be connected in parallel. Connecting 2 x 12v batteries in series will make your battery bank a 24v system. I wouldn't imagine that the controllers would survive a 24v power supply.

 

[ched999uk]

Sounds like they are connected up wrong. Is this a 'new' installation or is it an old one and both systems are having the same issue?

 

[spruce]

They are basic analogue controllers. They only make them as V11.

https://windowcleaningstuff.co.uk/shop-all/v11-spring-pump-controller-analogue-12v-dc-unit/

 

[kevinc250]

@Bazdog , check the earths you have made, i suspect that you've earthed the controller and pump differently, all earths go back to the battery not on the van chassis or tank frame etc, from the battery make one big earth to the van chassis.
don't ask me how i know this-learnt from bitter experience many years ago.

 

[Bazdog]

Thanks for your help all, I reckon I must have put the wires that should go to the battery to the pump instead and vice versa. Looks like I need to buy a couple of new controllers. Oops!

 

[Ian Sheppard]

Hello,

I'm having trouble setting up my pump and analogue controller. I have the pump and controller wired into a leisure battery and can get the pump working so the water is coming out of the brush head but the controller doesn't have any effect on the flow speed and the water keeps on pumping even when I turn the controller off. The pump does turn off when it senses a dead end when I close the uni valve.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Thanks Spruce for copying me in to the chain. It does sound to me as though both the analogue controllers have been shorted and its the Pimp drive stage that has been damaged. This can happen due to miss wiring. When this happen the controller become permanent live switches as soon as they are connected. The controllers will no longer be able to alter the pump speed and flow rate. Also this type of damage affects the controllers current sensing. When the Univalve is closed It is likely that the pump pressure switch is activating to stop flow rather than the control Dead ending it.

Dependant on their age it may be they are repairable this is unknown until we see them. Turn around can be 3 or 4 weeks.

It may be better to replace then with New Analogue controllers. When fitting our advise is to complete all connections prior to fitting the 10a fuse, In that way if there has been a miss connection ( and I have dome this myself on occasion) the fuse would blow and protect the control