Eheim & Enermax
 

Heya just looking to see if anyone else has had issues connecting their Eheim pumps directly to the AC source on the inside of the power supply. I would rather not use two plugs. I had planned to use a relay to energise the pump only when the computer is on however I haven’t been able to manage even a direct connection. Whenever I try I get power through one of the leads the ground is fine but the other wire shows very low amperage when connected to the pump. When it is not connected it reads normally. I am a bit of an AC electrical neophyte so any suggestions would be appreciated.



Cybrsamurai

I also have an eheim and enermax and was going to set mine up like your tyring to do yours, but I opted instead to just solder the pump to the leads comming off of the IEC connector (power plug) so that the pump is always on as long as the powerstrip is turned on or the computer is plugged in. This was much easier for me and the eheim pumps are high quality and have been designed to run 24/7 in aquarium setups for ever. Also, I have read somewhere that the turning the pumps on and off puts more stress on the drive than just leaving it on. Like a light bulb. This will also reduce the strain and probably extend the life of the power supply. If you really want a switch, I would suggest putting it on the pumps AC line and mount the switch on your case, which could look really cool with a nice LED. And if your worried about pump noise from leaving it on all the time, dont be... once all the air is out of your system it will make no noise at all (It does make a little noise if you put your ear up to it, but realisticaly I cant tell that its on), I also put down some sound/vibration absorbant material on the inside of my case which also helps to eliminate the vibration of the pump, which seemed to me to be the only big source of noise I could really pin down and get rid of.

good luck!

:D

Thanks Kem. I will continue to try to get this thing working the way I want it. I think I will opt for not having the relay and just leave the pump on all the time.

hehe, I did that with my eheim too. it's best for the pump to do that

--MAtt

Its best for all pumps to leave them running 24/7. My rio *cough* has been going strong for 4 months now. Cant even hear it.

Hey can you guys think of any reason why it would be necessary to use the cord that came with the Eheim pump? even if i plug bare leads directly into the wall i cannot get my pump to turn on. But if I use the cord that came with the pump it works. Im really confused.

Not knowing how the AC is wired in your house - did you try reversing the hot/neutral leads from the way it doesn't work (don't know if Eheims are polarity sensitive for some strange reason)? And the silly question - did you try measuring the modified cord you are trying to use to be sure it doesn't have an open wire?

Does anyone here use any IM services? AIM, ICQ, Trillian, Odigo, Jabber, etc.... I am in need of some basic AC education.

Ok, correct me if im wrong but this is all i can figure. One of the slots on the plug is a ground the other is hot and the round thing is an extra ground. If this is not the case im more confused than I thought I was.

No IM here - but in the US, one wire is "hot", one is neutral, and the bottom prong is earth (safety) ground. You could pop into the IRC channel Joe runs.

I think I will be getting this to save all the trouble
https://www.overclockershideout.com/...nickreslrg.gif
Reservoir 12v 500GPH
- 12v power supplied via ATX power supply 2.8 amp draw
- 4.5" diameter 2.75" tall
- 0.5" OD fittings fully anodized
- filler cap with o-ring
- 4 mounting feet built in
- internal pump included @ theoretical 500 GPH 0 head
- open cell foam recommended for mounting to prevent noise from vibration
- leak free clamping for cord
- Non plastic 100% anodized aluminum CNC machined



Overclocks Hideout.com

thats the biggest piece of shit you can buy, it will last a month on end, since a bilge pump and it's designed to run for 6-9 hours day, maybe not even that, plus they heat the water up like crazy, and it's made by OCH, plus they say if you use water wetter or any additive, it voids the warranty, just because they know it will die and you have to use some additives. i think i have made it pretty clear that OCH sucks, by all means, avoid OCH and that pump at all costs.

thks for your advise.
i think you really has some bad encounter with OCH products.

nah, i wasn't a victim of their products, just giving some much needed advice.:D

I wired my Eheim pump directly to the p/s. I drilled a hole and used a small rubber gromet. I solder the pump leads to the incoming power socket on the p/s. I had planned to use the method below, but never got around to it. The pump runs 24/7

What is 24/7?
Anyone care to explain?

sheesh do0d, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...

give him a break. not all singaporeans are americanised like me :p

hehe :p
isnt Wolfman from Virtual Hideout in Singapore as well?

och sucks. don't buy anything och.

as for wiring it up, I will have a guide up on it fairly soon on procooling

if he's from VH i think he probably is from SG too..:p

Thanks Brad. I got mine wired, but there are probably a couple more out there with AC retardedness as well.

Acehardware sells AC outlets for $1.50 in Tucson. I just bought one, soldered it in and then left it on the back side of my powersupply (its a miny and hooks onto the vent nicely). Now I just plugged in the pump as if to a wall socket.

This way I can still RMA the pump if needed.

Hey ah... if you guys need any house wiring info let me know I am an Electrical Contractor. Feel free to email me.

Also don't bypass or ignore the ground on the Eheim or anything for that matter if a fault occurs in the pump it could hurt!

The Eheim should run with reversed polarity, I think you may have had on open.

Jim

Hey Redleader, I live in Tucson as well. I have lived in Tucson for 45 years.