[paul_c]

Hi,

I am putting together my own system and need to use a booster pump. Does anyone know how I can get the booster pump to shut off when the tank is full? I have put in a float switch and solenoid valve, can it be linked to this somehow?

Any help would be great or a wiring diagram would be even better

thanks

[Dave Garrett]

Had a 1000ltr system removed auto shut off as i found it slowed flow down and solenoid valve £16 to replace systems fills approx 4 hours just get the wife to switch off when full or contact purefreedom very helpfull and im certain they would let you have a diagram

[Spruce]

Hi,

I am putting together my own system and need to use a booster pump. Does anyone know how I can get the booster pump to shut off when the tank is full? I have put in a float switch and solenoid valve, can it be linked to this somehow?

Any help would be great or a wiring diagram would be even better

thanks

Depends on whether the float switch is designed to take the current - a solenoid switch takes a very low current to operate. I'm presumimg the booster pump is a 230v Clarke type pump and that the solenoid is also 230v. If it is and if the booster pump is rated at 1000w for example, then it will draw a little less than 4.5amps. However, the motor will draw more on start up.

You could 'Google' for a 230v relay if the float switch is of limited capacity. However it may be cheaper to replace the float switch. I got mine from Machine Mart. (It has 3 wires to it, so it can be used either way.)

I don't have a booster pump, but if I went that way I could as I have used the same float valve in my tank as a submersible pump and according to machine mart it will handle 8 amps.  I would wire this through the float valve, so when it activates the solenoid to fill the tank, it will also activate the booster pump - once the IBC tank is full the float valve cuts the power to the solenoid valve (normally off 230v solenoid valve) which would also cut power to the motor.  

[gto]

what about a cheap timed power socket.
if you know how long it takes to fill up, just have the socket shut off power to the booster pump

[Gary f]

You tube how to do shut off valve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssa6njb5nV4&feature=related

Hope that helps

[Ian Lancaster]

I got Pure Freedom to design a system for me.  It works through a 12 volt float switch operating two 230volt solenoids, one for the motor and one for the shut off solenoid valve in the incoming mains supply.  It also controls a timer for the auto flush, so that the flush valve only opens in preset intervals of actual running time.

It's all contained in a very neat plastic box which sits on top of the storage IBC.

A bit pricey, but I've never had a moment's trouble with it.

[Ian Sheppard]

A controller with solenoid would also do the job. are you looking to run AC or DC current?

[paul_c]

Thanks for your replies guys.

It is a static system and will be working of ac current.

I had thought of the cheap timer route but felt that is wouldn't really work as I need. It would onlt turn the pump off and if the tank wasn't full the water would still be running through the RO at a slow rate and damage the membrane.

what controller do you have in mind Ian? Is there not a pressure switch type set up that I can link to the float valve?

[Spruce]

You tube how to do shut off valve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssa6njb5nV4&feature=related

Hope that helps

Who has successfully used a shutoff valve? I haven't. As the tank become full the float valve slowly restricts and reduces the pure flow until the water drips in. I found this got to a point where it operated the shutoff valve on and off very quickly causing water hammer down the pipes.

It could have been this that damaged my original set of membranes.

Spruce

[Ian Lancaster]

Thanks for your replies guys.

It is a static system and will be working of ac current.

I had thought of the cheap timer route but felt that is wouldn't really work as I need. It would onlt turn the pump off and if the tank wasn't full the water would still be running through the RO at a slow rate and damage the membrane.

what controller do you have in mind Ian? Is there not a pressure switch type set up that I can link to the float valve?

The switch is a float set in the top of one side of the IBC.  When water is drawn from the tank the float drops down and closes the contacts in the 12 volt switch.  This switch is connected to a 12 volt battery (or you could have it connected to a battery charger permanently plugged in).  The circuit goes battery (+)  = float switch = 12 volt relay in relay box = battery (-).

When the relay is energised it closes the 240 volt contacts inside the relay box. This box has a seperate 240 volt supply plugged into the mains.  There are two 240 leads from the box, one to the pump and one to a solenoid valve in the mains water lead to the pump.  Energising the solenoid valve opens it so there is now a mains water feed to the pump.  The pump is switched on simultaneously and the RO starts producing pure water.  When the tank is full the reverse happens and the system shuts down.

To make it fully automatic, I have first run the 240 volt pump supply into a simple junction block so I can tap into the supply - I have an electric spur from this junction block to a standard 3-pin socket.  In that is a timer set to operate for 15 minutes every 24 hrs.

Plugged into the timer is the lead from another solenoid valve fitted in the flush bypass on the RO, so that every 24 hrs of actual running time, the valve opens for 15 minutes and flushes the membrane.

To keep the 12 volt battery charged I have a battery charger permanently connected to the battery and plugged into another timer which also switches on for 15 minutes every 24 hours which is quite enough to keep the battery charged up.

[Spruce]

Ian, I was going to ask what timer you used to auto flush the system.

For what I gather from this is that your system flushes for 15 minutes every 24 hours of filtering. So you would use a standard timer with a little drive motor inside and not a digital one. The standard one would only be powered up once the filtration system started and would count down the time. So if your R/o filled a 1000 IBC tank in 8 hours, it would get a flush after 3 fills.

Have I got this right?

Thanks

[Alex Gardiner]

We have a product that is about to be released that is called an S-Series controller. It plugs into 240v mains voltage and then will switch a booster pump on or off and open or shut a solenoid on the water supply as triggered by a float valve. It also will measure twin TDS measurement on 1/2" John Guest tubing. We are about to get a stock of them in. This may do what you want.

[Ian Sheppard]

We have a product that is about to be released that is called an S-Series controller. It plugs into 240v mains voltage and then will switch a booster pump on or off and open or shut a solenoid on the water supply as triggered by a float valve. It also will measure twin TDS measurement on 1/2" John Guest tubing. We are about to get a stock of them in. This may do what you want.

There is a post on CIU somewher covering these I shall try find it.