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I've got a small 12VDC pump that I used on an old project. I now want to use the pump on a different project and make use of a 24VDC transformer I have (because the project also makes use of a 24VDC solenoid valve).

The description on the side of the pump says:

Power 15W 6-24V DC (rated at 12V DC)

I originally bought this as a 12VDC pump so my rather obvious question is can I run this on 24VDC safely without damaging it? Secondarily, will it make the pump run faster or more powerfully?

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    \$\begingroup\$ How much value has it got? \$\endgroup\$ – Andy aka Feb 14 '17 at 18:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ Sorry, Andy, I don't understand your question. \$\endgroup\$ – Doug Feb 14 '17 at 18:55
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    \$\begingroup\$ How much do you value the motor? \$\endgroup\$ – Andy aka Feb 14 '17 at 18:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ Interesting question... at the moment my budget is pretty tight so if I can use the gear I already own then that would make life a lot easier and cheaper... so I guess I value it quite a lot. \$\endgroup\$ – Doug Feb 14 '17 at 19:09
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The nameplate say the pump can be run from 6 to 24 V. Since 24 V is within this spec, yes, what you want to do should work.

Yes, the pump will run faster on 24 V than on 12 V. It will draw more power, but also pump the water faster. However, the overall energy spent to pump the same amount of water will still be higher at 24 V than at 12 V, even though the 24 V is on for a shorter time.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ That's why I thought... thanks for the clarification. Would there be a straight forward way of stepping the supply back down to something more approaching 12V before it hits the pump? \$\endgroup\$ – Doug Feb 14 '17 at 18:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ It's ok - a little reading around the subject tells me this isn't very easy and necessitates buying more equipment. \$\endgroup\$ – Doug Feb 14 '17 at 19:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Doug: Stepping down the voltage is possible, but there is no need for it since the pump is supposed to be able to run from 24 V. \$\endgroup\$ – Olin Lathrop Feb 14 '17 at 21:40
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Many pumps today are actually BLDC motors, and their speed/pump head may not vary very much at all when they supply voltage is changed.

For example, the pumps above advertise a large range of operation but do not provide a voltage to capacity chart.

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