I know this is a bit off topic but I wonder if anybody here has any experience with float switches This is the type we are using and it works perfectly 99% of the time but if the water gets any contaminant in it (like dust off the house roof it becomes unreliable, it won't turn on or it won't turn off Obviously a bit of contaminant gets on the shaft and the magnets in the floats can't activate the reed switches. Any thoughts?
Have you thought about converting to a self contained sealed switch assy? Mounted so it dangles down when the water is below the cutoff level and floats up freely other than the attachment point to turn on the pump when water level raises.
Hi Max, I have 7 float switchers here controlling the pumps here in pits to pump the water out of the place. The switches are mounted above the pits and they work perfectly. This one is an issue because I can't mount it above the tank because the rideon mower would chew it up. It has to be 100% waterproof because it has to be fitted inside the tank. The switch we have been using has worked perfectly until the latest rain washed a bit of dirty water off the roof and this little bit of muddy water prevents the magnets for doing the switching. Give it a clean and it will work fine but it is a major job to get to the switch because it is 4 feet down inside the tank and the 4 wires have to be disconnected from the relay and drawn out through the conduite to get to the floats to clean them.You cannot see anything on the switch tube but once you clean it with a bit of steel wool the switch works perfectly again. I an going to have to see if I can set the switch up out of the water and make remote floats to move the floats on the switch to move up and down. Just like I have nothing else to do with my time, all I want is a float switch that is set and forget, but life is not that simple
Sounds like a hassle to get to the float switch ,I think if it was me I'd try a more expensive switch or ask some expert at a shop what is the best switch.
I'm sure you'll sort something out ,just a bit of a pain with the time it takes .
Hi Max, pulled the float switch out today and I am working on setting the switch above the water with extended floats down into the water. No way could I make this setup work if I didn't have this magic casting cement that I get from Temu. I can set all things up in plastic glue it together and it holds. Yesterday I had a plastic fuel bowl off a 207cc Tecumesh motor where the fuel stub on the bowl had been broken off. I drilled into the bowl a max of 3mm and used this adhesive to stick a bit of steel tranny line onto the bowl. This morning I had the bowl in the ultrasonic cleaner and even with the different materials, plastic/steel and expansion rates it is still as solid as a rofk and I was able to push a fuel line on it and off without the slightest sign of movement. Brilliant stuff
Some of your float switches you wouldn't want them to fail as you would end up wit a lot of water flooding the place, my double garage here flooded a year ago and I'm just getting to it now ,a bit of dirt covering the concrete but I haven't noticed anything damaged as the water was only a few inches high.
That casting cement sounds good Norm , is it a cement mix product or a two part epoxy ? ,has it got a name on the packet as I might try some.
Hi Max, In my garage under the house it has been flooded twice over the 35 years it has been there. Once I was there and was watching the water come up and I could feel the pump running and I just thought it couldn't keep up. Turns out the pump was air locked and was doing nothing. Ever since then all my pumps lay on their sides and can't air lock. The second time I have no idea what happened but I can see the second watermark on the doors. Now I have 2 240 volt pumps in that pit with the switches at different heights so if the first pump fails the second can take over. I also have a 12 volt pump in the same pit as a backup if the power fails and it also alarms upstairs so we know quickly if there is a problem. Finally got the float switches down there to work properly only a few years ago. Was always panic stations when it rained before to make sure they were working. The casting cement is the one in the pic on the left, the stuff I have been getting (just ordered another 5 x100g) usually doesn't have any writing on it just A and B or just Chinese writing. In the last hour I found something it wouldn't stick, it is a plastic float switch float and it just didn't take to it. I also found it wouldn't stick fish pond liner together but not sure if it was the way I tried it. Regarding the bit of tranny line I stuck into the Tecumesh carby this morning I went to pull the fuel hose off it and the hose ripped but the pipe didn't move, It was only a bit of plastic hose but I pulled hard enough for it to just tear off
Ok thanks for that ,the casting cement sounds like it must be strong and is cheap enough.
Looks like you have that garage sorted with a few alternate systems in place if one system fails.
It's only flooded here once in over 30 years ,the rain was so heavy it washed all the stones down the drive and blocked all the drains ,I managed to unblock the drains but the water still couldn't drain away quick enough. Usually even if the water doesn't drain away quick enough it just washes down the backyard but because the lay of the land was changed by all the stones washing down from the torrent of water it just started to bank up.
This is the latest idea on getting this float switch to work. It tests ok but time in the tank will tell. This has taken an enormous amount of hours to get sorted all because I can't get a switch that will work in this situation. I can't understand why, I'm not the first to want to pump water out of a tank in the ground and turn itself off
What I believe is the main problem with these switches is because the switch is in the water and it is magnetic it draws any magnetic particles in the water to it and I'm thinking that this lowers the magnetic capability of the magnet to operate the reed switch. Just my guess and now with the magnets above the water it should not have this problem fingers crossed
I haven't tried them MM mainly because I was not sure how I could insulate the wires from the switch so it could be under water. I guess that is the next step if this doesn't work
If submerged coat any wire joins with a bit of epoxy or waterproof sealant, but a clever lad like yourself should be able to work out a way to mount them to a float system so the switch and wiring aren't submerged.
Hi MM, the original switch had to be fully submerged for it to operate and it is 240 volt so it had to be sealed 100%. They way I have set it up now the switches are above the water so if I had to go to the mercury switches then I may be able to use this setup and do away with the magnetic switches. The only issue with it all is with normal the 90mm outlet from the tank can handle it but when we get a downpour for half an hour it floods the tank and lifts the lid so the switches are fully submerged during these events. Going to have to put another outlet pipe in the tank to stop this happening
Just an update on the float switch, it failed again even though the switch is above the water level. All I can put it down to is poor quality reed switches in them. Problem is there is nothing else available so my only option is to some how set it up with a mercury switch because everything else relies on Chinese reed switches. The main issue I have using mercury switches is getting it 100% sealed up because it will have to be set up in the water. What I can't believe is that I am not the first person ever in this world to want to pump water from an underground tank into an above ground tank, it has been done before
Hi Max, I have now decided to use mercury switches on the outside of the switch setup I have made up. Only problem with mercury switches the wires have to move as the switch rocks so this means because these single insulated wires are exposed in the tank I will have to drop the voltage to these switches down to 12 volt and that means I will have to use a 12/240 relay and also add a 12 volt power supply. Only way I can see of making it safe and reliable
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