Will Current Run Through a Dead Pump?

[crazy1323]

I have three D5's in my system and I would like to have a system to make sure they are running. I was planning on installing a 12V LED on the outside of the case and wiring them in-line with the pump. If a pump dies will current flow through the dead pump or will the current stop thus causing the LED's to turn off?

[Creekin]

depends what's wrong with the pump.
if the electrical circuit is still working and energized the led will stay on, if for eg the pump jammed, or the impeller broke.
but if the electrical circuit died THEN the led would.

I would recommend a flow sensor on the outlet of each pump :up:

[crazy1323]

Do you know of any flow sensors that can be easily wired into an LED. I would really like to look down and get visual confirmation that the pumps are running and it would go well with the design I have in mind for my case.

[Creekin]

the aquacomputer aquaero (http://aquacomputer.com/aquaero-40.html)system does it all and more! :D
for a price

in theory you can connect 2 flow sensors to an aquaero (and a 2 more to a 2nd) and it has its own 2 colour assignable led output, or connect it to an AC multiswitch which has 8 switched 1a outlets and another 8 dedicated led channels, the included software links it all together via usb and you can config more options than you can poke a piece of tubing at! :D

you can download the aquasuite (http://aquacomputer.com/software.html)software and run it in demo mode and see what it can do, then go to the AC forums to ask questions.

im sure theres a cheaper way, but thats the way i do it :up:

[NaeKuh]

current will always run thought a paralell circuit.

It will not run when its in a series circuit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits

And i highly doubt your pumps would be wired serial @ the psu molex head.

[crazy1323]

You are right, now that I think about this, I cannot add an LED in series with the pump because the voltages would not work correctly. The LED's would have to be run in Parallel and could only tell me if power were going to the pumps.

Oh well, it sounded like a good idea.