I want to put a pump in the pond in our garden. The pump is 230v, 100 watt. The instructions say to switch off at the mains before putting your hands in the water but I don't want to be switching it off all the time if the kids are playing near the pond. Is it possible to earth the water in the pond? Will this make it any safer?
Pond pump
- Thread starter hermes
- Start date
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No, its not like a metal casing thats conductive, that you can connect to earth and have a fault it it blow the fuse, it can range anywhere from non conductive all the way upto pretty conductive if its impure, and there will be all sorts of paths of different conductivity around it depending where abouts muck in the pond is etc.
In fact if you connected a point of the pond to earth, its possible in a fault situation for there to be a voltage gradient across the pond, and if you are stood on terra firma and put you hands into an area where the water is at 120v.... (obviously an RCD would go a long way to reducing the danger in this situation) or two hands in the pond, one where the voltage is 10v and one where it is 180v... The best way to solve this problem would be the opposite of what you suggest...keep the pond water and anyperson that might stick parts of their bodies in it away from earth (which is easier said than done) but you still have the issue of the possibly of circulating currents between live and neutral going round the pond water if it leaks (complex mesh of different resistances and all that) and no RCD will cut that off, so to prevent that happening persons should only stick one limb at a time into the pond
Sorry, that was all a bit tongue in cheek... the best thing to do is to get a higher quality pump thats less likely to leak... keep kids away from the pond (they're dangerous to kids anyway without the added risk of electrocution) and to protect it with RCD anyway
In fact if you connected a point of the pond to earth, its possible in a fault situation for there to be a voltage gradient across the pond, and if you are stood on terra firma and put you hands into an area where the water is at 120v.... (obviously an RCD would go a long way to reducing the danger in this situation) or two hands in the pond, one where the voltage is 10v and one where it is 180v... The best way to solve this problem would be the opposite of what you suggest...keep the pond water and anyperson that might stick parts of their bodies in it away from earth (which is easier said than done) but you still have the issue of the possibly of circulating currents between live and neutral going round the pond water if it leaks (complex mesh of different resistances and all that) and no RCD will cut that off, so to prevent that happening persons should only stick one limb at a time into the pond
Sorry, that was all a bit tongue in cheek... the best thing to do is to get a higher quality pump thats less likely to leak... keep kids away from the pond (they're dangerous to kids anyway without the added risk of electrocution) and to protect it with RCD anyway
we have had a laguna powerjet pump for 5 years, it seized up this winter, but after taking it apart and fixing back together, it still works like a dream. And we are forever putting our hands in the pond, one of my mates decided it would be fun to jump over the pond, only to fall short and end up IN IT!
The motor itself is completely sealed. The coils of the motor are sealed inside the plastic case. The magnetic drive shaft is the only part of the motor thats exposed, but this is completely removable also. No chance of anyone getting a shock unless the case cracks or someone pulls the wire out Its been underwater for 5 years, and still works like new
As long as its on an RCD somewhere, all will be ok.
The motor itself is completely sealed. The coils of the motor are sealed inside the plastic case. The magnetic drive shaft is the only part of the motor thats exposed, but this is completely removable also. No chance of anyone getting a shock unless the case cracks or someone pulls the wire out
Its been underwater for 5 years, and still works like new As long as its on an RCD somewhere, all will be ok.
hermes said:
I cant understand why thats printed. Maybe it's just another one of these H&S statements to cover their arse. If its a pond pump then as Crafty said they are sealed. I'm always putting my hands in my pond with the pump running.
Mind you, I would love to see the heron get a wack when he dips his beak in
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I never cleaned the pump until a month ago, its lasted well without cleaning!!!! but i was amazed how simple the motor is, and the way the magnetic driveshaft is seperate from the sealed motor coils. Very clever, but very simple stuff
B
breezer
actually everyone is over looking the obvioushermes said:
The reason is that if the pump is on you will probably get a face full of water and drop something inot the pond . i.e mobile phone
But seriously a pond pond pump is safe so long as it has been installed corectly and has the ce mark, what make is it out of interest?
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