Bachmann 16v mini water pump - item # 42219

[WOODYD]

I have tried two of these water pumps and have not been able to get the pump to work.
I am using DC and the hums, but no action.
I am sure I am doing something wrong.  Need serious help

[richg]

How high are you trying to lift the water?

Rich

[davido]

Most answers to a Google search about this pump indicate that it should be powered by a 16v AC supply,
but I do not have any experience of using one.

Perhaps somebody else can confirm AC rather than DC power source.

Good Luck 

Davido

[richg]

The pump is designed to run off the 16 vac terminals on Bachmann transformers.

Others have used it here.

Rich

[richg]

I did some more searching and a couple users use 16 to 18 VAC and it works.
The Bach Man said in a thread thread, the pump was developed to turn an HO scale waterwheel.
That tells me that it will lift water only a few inches.
I have read that a few tried to lift water much higher, without success.

Rich

[rbryce1]

Doesn't his opening post say he is using DC to power the pump?  This could be his only problem...using DC instead of AC power.

[richg]

Doesn't his opening post say he is using DC to power the pump?  This could be his only problem...using DC instead of AC power.

Yes it does. A couple of us have offered that suggestion. I include, trying to pump to high as some have tried to do that, even though they use AC.
A few never seem to come back here and tell what they have found so maybe he has figured out the issue.

Rich

[rbryce1]

I did some more searching and a couple users use 16 to 18 VAC and it works.
The Bach Man said in a thread thread, the pump was developed to turn an HO scale waterwheel.
That tells me that it will lift water only a few inches.
I have read that a few tried to lift water much higher, without success.

Rich

As an Engineer (not the Railroad type!), I can backup that centrifugal pumps generally have a very good discharge pressure, but are extremely limited in suction lift.  Smaller pumps are really restricted in their discharge head pressure as well, as the small piping creates a large amount of headloss, or resistance to flow, and the small motors have difficulty in overcoming this resistance. 

I also still suspect and agree that a larger part of his problem is running an AC motor on DC power, which could explain why it just sits there humming.  It's waiting for a rotating magnetic field to be created in the stator windings by the AC magnetic sign wave, which does not exist in DC.  DC motors have commutators to create the rotating field, while AC motors do not.