Flojet 20097-001 Brush Kit, Copper, 12 Volt
The Flojet 20097-001 is the genuine copper motor brush kit for 12 volt Flojet pumps. Copper-graphite brushes are used in low-voltage motors for a reason worth understanding before substituting anything else.
A 12 volt motor doing the same work as a 115 volt one has to draw roughly ten times the current, because power is voltage multiplied by current. All of that current passes through the brushes, and a plain carbon brush has enough electrical resistance that at those amperages it would waste significant power as heat and lose voltage across itself. Copper-impregnated brushes have far lower resistance, so they carry the current with less loss and less heating — which is exactly what a battery-powered pump needs, since every watt lost in the brushes is a watt not moving water.
That is also why brush grade is not interchangeable between voltages. Fit carbon brushes to a 12 volt motor and it will run hot, draw more current and perform poorly; fit copper to a high-voltage motor and the brushes wear the commutator rapidly. Check brush length whenever the motor is accessible and replace them before the spring reaches the commutator, since a scored commutator ends the motor rather than the brushes.
Key Features
- Genuine Flojet (Xylem) service part — correct grade, size and spring tension
- Copper brushes for 12 volt motors, with the low resistance high current demands
- Less voltage loss and less heat than carbon at low-voltage, high-current duty
- Not interchangeable with carbon brushes from a mains-voltage motor
- Supplied as a kit so both brushes are renewed together
Applications
- Flojet 12 volt pump motors
- Repairing a pump that is reluctant to start or runs intermittently
- Battery-powered water systems where efficiency matters
- Routine motor maintenance before the commutator is damaged
- Marine, RV and mobile 12 volt water systems
Specifications
- Brand: Flojet (Xylem)
- Manufacturer Part Number: 20097-001
- Part Type: Motor brush kit
- Brush Material: Copper
- Voltage: 12 volts
- Condition: New
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do 12 volt motors need copper brushes?
Because they draw around ten times the current of a mains-voltage motor for the same power, and copper carries that current with far less resistance loss and heating than plain carbon.
Q: Can I fit carbon brushes if copper are not available?
It is a poor substitute. The motor will run hotter, draw more current and lose performance, and on a battery system that shows up directly as reduced running time.
Q: Does low battery voltage affect brush life?
Indirectly, yes. A motor fed low voltage draws more current to do the same work, which means more heat at the brushes and faster wear.
Q: How often should 12 volt pump brushes be checked?
Whenever the motor is accessible during other work, and sooner if the pump has started behaving inconsistently. They are inexpensive and quick to inspect.
Not sure this is the right part? Send us a Picture of the pump plate on your pump and the CLR Marine team will confirm the correct part before you order.
CLRMarine
