Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: john green on November 03, 2010, 09:40:55 pm

Title: Prostate Pump
Post by: john green on November 03, 2010, 09:40:55 pm
Heres the problem;
6 month old 85ah battery ,fully charged  but after 5 hours use green light on varistream (5 yrs old ) flickers quickly and pump cycles (cuts in and out )as though flow resticted ,this creates an irrating slow flow at brush . Last thur took battery back and was exchanged for new 110ah which was left on charge thur -mon .
Come mon same problem,this time lasted for  6 hrs, charge again for tues went for 1  1/2 hrs and today lasted for 3 hrs then the pump starts cutting in and out again.
Turn the pump to a lower setting on varistream will give a constant flow but little water as turned down low,,cant be battery also had charger checked out,,could it be the varisteam ???? any advice would be great   
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 03, 2010, 09:45:07 pm
easy way to find out is by pass the varistream and if it pumps through at a rapid rate there is a problem with the varistream
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 03, 2010, 09:45:36 pm
what make is your battery?
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: john green on November 03, 2010, 09:47:11 pm
its called Platinum
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 03, 2010, 09:49:17 pm
can i ask what you paid for it?
Honestly  there are batts and there are batts.
Not heard of platinum but the price you paid will tell me the quality
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: darren clarke on November 03, 2010, 09:58:40 pm
is it the platinum leisure battery with a caravan on the front
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 03, 2010, 10:05:50 pm
what difference does it make, just run two wires from the battery to the pump and you will instantly know if it is a problem with pump or battery,
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 03, 2010, 10:13:26 pm
stu macs comment is not strickly true is it stu. Are you a qualified auto electrician familar with all 12v operating systems?
If you need help john green let me know.
 this forum seems to have alot of people who know best without all the facts!
 >:(
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: darren clarke on November 03, 2010, 10:14:07 pm
i am having a similar prob,  i run my system and the control flashes battery,  have changed battery and pump and still does it, loses flow at brush
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Dave Willis on November 03, 2010, 10:19:00 pm
Borrow another charger and try that.
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 03, 2010, 10:21:16 pm
blue what batt you using?
everyone overlooks batts in there systems, they are the life blood of all wfp systems
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 03, 2010, 10:23:08 pm
stu macs comment is not strickly true is it stu. Are you a qualified auto electrician familar with all 12v operating systems?
If you need help john green let me know.
 this forum seems to have alot of people who know best without all the facts!
 >:(

no I am not an auto electrician but I have common sense, when you experience a problem rule one thing out at a time, it is called fault diagnostics , the make of battery will not make much difference and is unlikely to be the problem seeing as it is brand new . I have had similar problems to the poster in the past
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: darren clarke on November 03, 2010, 10:30:44 pm
i used a voyager leisure battery and a numax premium 72 AH  that was in my diesel van
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 03, 2010, 10:38:46 pm
are you using a cheap battery then stu? you have the same problem? whats the problem then? batt or vari?
If you have the same problem that tells me you dont know the solution? am i right?
or if you know the solution why dont you tell.
I have had batt's that are faulty straight out of the box!!!
A varistream could give you faults with a sub standard batt after a couple of hours use, but the same varistream could give you 24 hours of perfect performance with a top qual batt.
catch my drift.
its all to do with volts!!
 
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 03, 2010, 10:50:45 pm
are you using a cheap battery then stu? you have the same problem? whats the problem then? batt or vari?
If you have the same problem that tells me you dont know the solution? am i right?
or if you know the solution why dont you tell.
I have had batt's that are faulty straight out of the box!!!
A varistream could give you faults with a sub standard batt after a couple of hours use, but the same varistream could give you 24 hours of perfect performance with a top qual batt.
catch my drift.
its all to do with volts!!
 

not after an argument, yes I know the battery is important, but a simple test would be next time the problem occurs, by pass the varistream and go go straight from pump to battery and if you get full flow, yes you have a problem with the varistream.

I also see your point with type of battery and I catch your drift. as a varistream relys on a pretty constant voltage and cheaper batterys dont deliver.

so ok start with the battery what make is it?
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: SherwoodCleaningSe on November 03, 2010, 11:00:36 pm
Make sure that your terminals are cleaned up, and the connections as well.

Simon.
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Craig Trevain on November 03, 2010, 11:02:37 pm
Platinum batteries are fine, we have used them alot for their sealed batteries. Sounds like the controller.
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 03, 2010, 11:06:54 pm
Platinum batteries are fine, we have used them alot for their sealed batteries. Sounds like the controller.

hey I agree with you for a change :D
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: darren clarke on November 03, 2010, 11:14:51 pm
have u tried recal you controller,  i dont that a few weeks ago and work great for a while, but i think my battery is knackered
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Blue Frog Systems on November 03, 2010, 11:29:30 pm
I had  a similar problem... 18hrs on charge sorted it rather than the normal 6 / 8 hr charge
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: David Kent @ KentKleen on November 04, 2010, 12:00:00 am
experts experts everywhere,
crack on lads
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Jack Avery on November 04, 2010, 08:17:24 am
Flojoe 60psi on demand pump, no need for varistream.  £65 plus VAT I charge battery weekly its never let me down. Woodbridge commercials have taken the best from Shurflo/Flojet and come up with Flojoe.

Keep well John.

Jack.

Woodbridge Commercial Ltd Flojoe pumps
pump, flojet, shurflo, 12v pumps, 60 psi , 100PSI pumps.
www.wcsuk.com/acatalog/Flojoe_pumps.html - Cached
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: [GQC] Tim on November 04, 2010, 08:39:00 am
Make sure that your terminals are cleaned up, and the connections as well.

Simon.

Kerching, we have a winner.  :D

I had some very strange problems with my Varistream, it turned out those horrid blue crimp style wire joiners. I changed them all and no problems anymore. Your problem might be similar. Make sure your earth is corrosion free and properly joined as well.

(http://www.surplustronics.co.nz/shop/productimages/HW0066B.jpg)
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Spruce on November 04, 2010, 09:36:09 am
Hi

Get rid of any crocodile clamps you may be using to run your pump from the battery and check every connection as per Tim. Crocodile clamps may be an easy convenient option but battery terminals are best.

I agree with Stu, when the problem starts disconnect the varistream and wire directly to the pump and see what happens. But you need to wire it through your pressure switch on your pump which you should have by passed when wiring in the Varistream. If you didn't then this could be a problem area. Ask a friend of mine down the road.

Can you couple that pump and varistream to your van battery directly by using some dummy cables and see if there is any difference? There has been a discussion on here recently about using the van's battery as the only power source for your pump. Why not try that for a few days by-passing your leisure battery entirely. Just run a supply cable from your van battery out the back of the bonnet, through the passenger door and into the back. It must have a 15amp fuse fitted close to the van battery as possible. careful when closing the bonnet.

Is the varistream pressure set too low? The cooler weather effects our setting.

Is the battery charger you have working properly?  We use a 6amp hour charger as well as having split charger relays on both vans - we don't do enough mileage to keep our batteries fully charged via the vans alternator.

Identifying electrical faults is a process of elimination, and there maybe several at the same time.

Sorry, but what is a PROSTATE pump? Could have save me the operation.

Spruce
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Spruce on November 04, 2010, 10:09:31 am
Flojoe 60psi on demand pump, no need for varistream.  £65 plus VAT I charge battery weekly its never let me down. Woodbridge commercials have taken the best from Shurflo/Flojet and come up with Flojoe.

Keep well John.

Jack.

Woodbridge Commercial Ltd Flojoe pumps
pump, flojet, shurflo, 12v pumps, 60 psi , 100PSI pumps.
www.wcsuk.com/acatalog/Flojoe_pumps.html - Cached

I think I will stick with Shurflo. They haven't let us down once in 5 years coupled to Varistreams. These Floejoe's are not cheap either.
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: formb on November 04, 2010, 10:31:07 am
I had a similar set of symptoms, the culprit turned out to be the pump in the end. It had gotten wet and magnets mounted to the inside of the pump casing has fallen off thus restricting the pump and making the varistream "think" that the pump was up to pressure.
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: john green on November 04, 2010, 10:48:57 pm
Thought I would get back to you all now that my original question has split the country !!This morning  same old problem this time after 15 mins water slows and light flashes eventually finish work to investigate....Stu Mac got it right ,I by passed the varistream and everything is sweet ,water flow never been so good, so battery ok but varistream dodgy  .Thanks all,,, john
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: mci services on November 04, 2010, 10:52:24 pm
Thought I would get back to you all now that my original question has split the country !!This morning  same old problem this time after 15 mins water slows and light flashes eventually finish work to investigate....Stu Mac got it right ,I by passed the varistream and everything is sweet ,water flow never been so good, so battery ok but varistream dodgy  .Thanks all,,, john

glad you know the problem now well done ;)
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: john green on November 04, 2010, 11:34:26 pm
Someone asked a few posts back  'whats a prostate pump'.Well its a pump that when you want it to flow fast you only get a trickle and thats after waiting  for ages !!!! :
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Londoner on November 05, 2010, 08:07:51 am
Batteries don't last long in this game because you run them nearly, or totally, flat each day and its not good for them.
Just budget for a new battery every so often. Platinum is a good make, I have had two. 
Title: Re: Prostate Pump
Post by: Spruce on November 05, 2010, 04:23:26 pm
Someone asked a few posts back  'whats a prostate pump'.Well its a pump that when you want it to flow fast you only get a trickle and thats after waiting  for ages !!!! :

 ;D ;D ;D