Any reason I can't power a wiper motor with a light transformer?

So I was looking for a 120v to 12v transformer, and a google search led me to light transformers. Is there any reason why a light transformer couldn't power a simple automotive wiper motor? I now the transformer is rated in watts, and the wiper motor is rated in amps, and I have no idea how that translates. Opinions?

Transformer is AC, wiper motor is DC. Probably will not work. Wiper motor is how many amps? Amps x volts will give you watts. 12 vdc at 5 amps is 60 watts. You probably should use a DC power supply to do this right.

DC Power Supplies: http://www.parts-express.com/cat/power-supplies/1474

What exactly are you trying to do? Sounds like you want to use a wiper motor outside of a car and have it powered by 120VAC? You need an appropriately sized 12VDC power supply.

I just used my battery charger.

Battery charger would be good. Not appropriate for anything electronic, as it's not smooth DC, but will run a motor fine.

T.J. wrote: What exactly are you trying to do? Sounds like you want to use a wiper motor outside of a car and have it powered by 120VAC? You need an appropriately sized 12VDC power supply.

Exactly. I could use a battery charger, but I figured a transformer would be cheaper than a battery charger, and I'd like it's power supply to be dedicated.

So it looks like most wiper motors run about 2 amps max, and there's plenty of options for cheap power supplies. I probably have a few old PC power supplies laying around that should work. I also have a couple much smaller laptop power supplies, but the output is rated at 19.5v and 3.34 amps. Do you think the automotive 12v wiper motor could handle the extra voltage?

16vCorey wrote: So it looks like most wiper motors run about 2 amps max, and there's plenty of options for cheap power supplies. I probably have a few old PC power supplies laying around that should work. I also have a couple much smaller laptop power supplies, but the output is rated at 19.5v and 3.34 amps. Do you think the automotive 12v wiper motor could handle the extra voltage?

yep - likely. might run faster though.

Watts=Amps*Volts PC power supply would work great, you just have to short two pins on the ATX connector to make it start up.

"Any reason I can't power a wiper motor with a light transformer?"

Questions like this are the reason I love this forum.

Haha! Glad I could help!

And just what are you plotting?

I'm thinking of adding an agitating basket to my parts washer. My plan is that I'll weld a bracket to the bottom of the tank to mount the wiper motor, with a vertical rod attached to the wiper motor, another bracket in the middle as the fulcrum for the rod, then another rod that connects to that rod going horizontally through the upper part of the tank attached to a basket. So the wiper motor will essentially be shaking the basket back and forth in the cleaning solution.

I saw a similar set up on the internet a while ago, and I think he used a battery charger. I'd rather it be hardwired and more compact than that.

And actually I've been planning for years to make some animated sculptures that wiper motors would work perfectly for, and being able to plug them in would be a bonus.