Accidental latching float switch

[Joekovar]

Made a quick and dirty float switch that just needs to last until I get back after the weekend.

Forgot to think about the magnets, so now it "latches" when it gets too close to the mounting magnets.

I'm printing a modified one now, but I may come back to this whole intervention required latching bit in the future.

 

[musel101]

Made a quick and dirty float switch that just needs to last until I get back after the weekend.

Forgot to think about the magnets, so now it "latches" when it gets too close to the mounting magnets.

I'm printing a modified one now, but I may come back to this whole intervention required latching bit in the future.

I would just get one with a optical eye. I did the float switch for a while until the snail got on it and flooded my room.

 

[Joekovar]

God these switches are bad. I wouldn't trust them to pump water from a bucket into itself.

 

[biojo]

I had same issue so deseigned a extention

I do have a new system designed for a contactless sensor, but whilst this works no point replacing it.

Mines been up and running for 5 years nothings failed

 

[Joekovar]

Thinking back I've had nothing but problems with those switches. I've never made it past the testing phase with them, each time I've tried to use them something happens that makes me wary about using them. I end up tossing them in my misc parts bin and forgetting about them. I'm not sure whether it's just how I'm trying to use them or I got an unlucky batch.

I bought a bunch a few years ago, and ultimately ended up going with the Madison M8750 which has worked flawlessly for 3-4 years. Problem with them is it looks like they're going for $20 EA now. I might as well go optical at that rate.

 

[biojo]

What what you running them on just 5v and a relay or a Arduino < I use one of them as i can also add code for debounce, as in if something twiggered it for a fraction of a second it would ignore it, could also have if its triggered for if its on longer than 20 seconds to stop and trigger alarm etc

Mine runs on 4 float switchs

1 Turns pump on for auto top up
1 Turns pump off if the level gets high and also turns buzzer on
1 in top up tank to turn buzzer on when theres a few days left of water
1 in top up tank where theres not enough water to run pump it cant activate it

I wouldnt go optical, contactless works there just not as cheap

Them you can just stick to outside of tank and click the set level button and it monitors it from outside the glass

 

[exnisstech]

I would just get one with a optical eye. I did the float switch for a while until the snail got on it and flooded my room.

God these switches are bad. I wouldn't trust them to pump water from a bucket into itself.

These look like the same switches that come with the jbj ato units no longer made. I trust these over optical switches any day if the week. My oldest one in the return chamber of the sump I placed inside of a women knee high stocking to keep snails out and I haven't even cleaned it since installation over 6 years ago.

 

[Joekovar]

I must've gotten a bad version. One of the things that stood out was the magnets in the rings are exposed on mine, in a way I can't seal them. I think that was one of the reasons that steered me away from the ones I have too.

One of the things I've done to mitigate damage caused by a stuck ATO was to put my ATO pumps power on a timer. The pump can only run long enough in one day to put a couple gallons of RO in. Not enough to tank salinity, and certainly not enough to flood, before I can get a chance to notice it. I also have a camera setup, and remote control of power, so I can keep an eye on it and fill manually while I'm out of town.