Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dave Connolly on February 02, 2023, 02:58:08 pm
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Hi folks...to those guys that have built their own electric reels,how did u wire it??
The hookup wires that come on these small scooter motors that most people are using are very small guage wires,perfect for the short runs of a scooter but not for our intended purpose.
So wot did you guys do/use...and wot method did you use to hook up safely to the battery.
Thanks for your replys.
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Use decent 40amp cable and crimp it to the motor wires. Ideally use a relay to actually operate the motor as high inrush current will burn out most switches. You also need a fuse close to the battery to feed your reel - 30 or 40Amp but make sure any cable you use is capable of taking the fuse rating current!
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Hi Ched,that sounds perfect....I'm hoping to use the hookup wires to relay then use 10awg wiring from relay( assuming the relay will take 10awg) to fuse then battery....save me crimping the different size wires together....does that sound correct??
Thanks
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If you can it’s better to solder the wires and use shrink wrap over the joints much better connection and less likelihood of the connection failing or corroding over time
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Soldering is better but doing a field soldering repair requires you to carry a bit more kit. Crimps are not perfect in a damp environment but are easy to replace and easy to use a multimeter to test the voltages. Where as soldered and heat shrinked joints can be a pain to test with a multimeter.
10awg should be OK as it's rated at 30 Amps continuous as long as it has air flow round it.
Connecting the motor directly to a relay sounds a good plan. A 12v car type relay is cheap and you can use crimps directly on it. Some of the cheap relay bases with screw terminals aren't great quality plus need to be protected from shorting by using a cover or ideally a box.