Limitations:

When purchasing solar pumps and use of these units is required outside of peak sunshine hours, consideration of the following is essential.

Charging:

On the battery box there is a dial designed to increase or decrease the voltage supplied to either the 10W or 16W pumps.  The more voltage supplied the faster the battery will drain. 

Example:  In the case of a 16W Pump lifting a head height of over 2 metres and maximum flow is required, this draw large wattage and voltage.  The battery can drain from “full” to “requires charging” in as little as 90 minutes.  Therefore if long term useage is required it is suggested a 12 volt or 240volt “plug-in” type battery be used.

Battery back-up

Battery back-up is an ideal system for short term us of water features and small displays, that require “on/off” useage.  Small flows & short head heights require less power and therefore extend the run time of your pump, before battery charging is required.

Charging

Like all solar panels, cloud cover and shade effect charge times dramatically with shortened days and a lot of cloudy rainy days in winter batteries may be poorly charged for days to weeks at a time.  The key to maximum charge is to face the panel north and clear of any buildings and trees that may partially shade the unit anytime during daylight hours.

Avoid constantly discharging the battery fully.  This shortens the life of the battery.

When not in use store fully charged and recharge on a sunny day every 6-8 weeks.

Don’t expect too much from your solar system.  Even though the pump and panels are if very high quality they will only perform at it’s maximum if the weather is clear and sunny.

 It is often unknown that even if only a small part (5-10%) of the glass solar panel is shaded or covered, performance can reduce by 70-90%.  In other words keep the panel in as sunny a position as possible.