Faux sump pump alarm?

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ritelec

ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Hello all,
Question,

I was considering designing and installing a faux monitoring system for a customers sump pumps.

I've noticed in the past on "3" sumps that have failed (different jobs) that they "tripped the breaker".

In experiences here, have people noticed that when the pumps fail they trip rather than just don't work?

Thank you
 
ritelec said:
Hello all,
Question,

I was considering designing and installing a faux monitoring system for a customers sump pumps.

I've noticed in the past on "3" sumps that have failed (different jobs) that they "tripped the breaker".

In experiences here, have people noticed that when the pumps fail they trip rather than just don't work?

Thank you
Click to expand...
Not necessarily speaking about sump pumps specifically, but it makes sense that the majority of failures would be failure to accelerate the pump as in something maybe jams the pump or bearing seizure or with single phase pumps the failure of a start capacitor/centrifugal switch. That has been my experience with pump motors in general, and those causes will result in either tripped overload relays or tripped circuit breakers.
 
ritelec said:
Hello all,
Question,

I was considering designing and installing a faux monitoring system for a customers sump pumps.

I've noticed in the past on "3" sumps that have failed (different jobs) that they "tripped the breaker".

In experiences here, have people noticed that when the pumps fail they trip rather than just don't work?

Thank you
Click to expand...

Did you mean "fault" not "faux"? Faux, from the French, means false.
 
kwired said:
Had me wondering as well, a pump that is not a pump:?
Click to expand...
Lol, I was thinking an alarm that is not really an alarm. If so, just mount an alarm light and don't wire it to anything, that gives you a "faux" alarm! Kind of like the security cameras that are just empty boxes with lenses on them to make people THINK they are being watched. A faux alarm doesn't really tell anyone anything, it just makes them "think" they are going to be warned...

Fault alarms for sump systems usually take the form of a high level switch in the sump. So the sump pump may have its own built-in level switch or is controlled by external ones, but you just add one more that it wired to an alarm if the level goes too high. That way it covers not only the pump tripping off, but also if the pump just can't keep up with the flow, ie a pipe breaks somewhere and the water comes out faster than the pump rate of the dump pump. Typically that alarm, if powered from the same circuit as the pump, will have a battery backup.
 
ok.. the "faux" thing,

I play music and have some recording gear (which is all collecting dust) and in the past as I tried mastering, as my studio isn't a "real" mastering facility I've heard or read it called
"faux mastering"

as if I make a small panel with sensor or alarm, even though it would be a "real" panel or system... I kinda thinking it would me a "faux" panel or system.


Thank you for the replies
 
ritelec said:
Hello all,
Question,

I was considering designing and installing a faux monitoring system for a customers sump pumps.

I've noticed in the past on "3" sumps that have failed (different jobs) that they "tripped the breaker".

In experiences here, have people noticed that when the pumps fail they trip rather than just don't work?

Thank you
Click to expand...

If tripping is the issue, what about a breaker with auxilliary contacts? I think you could hook that up to a "Water Bug" and have it call your phone. IIRC, the "Water Bug" will do supervised inputs so you'll know if the cable from the Water Bug to the aux contact goes open.
 
gadfly56 said:
If tripping is the issue, what about a breaker with auxilliary contacts? I think you could hook that up to a "Water Bug" and have it call your phone. IIRC, the "Water Bug" will do supervised inputs so you'll know if the cable from the Water Bug to the aux contact goes open.
Click to expand...

They haven't been tripping (2 exterior)... they both actually seized at the beginning of winter last year and I swapped them for new ones for the owner. They are fed from a laundry hook up via extension chords in the basement.
I mentioned they should really be fed properly.

Well he called me.
 
I was just thinking about refeeding from that circuit, but don't have in in me.

Think I can squeeze another tandem in?
 
Last edited:
ritelec said:
They haven't been tripping (2 exterior)... they both actually seized at the beginning of winter last year and I swapped them for new ones for the owner. They are fed from a laundry hook up via extension chords in the basement.
I mentioned they should really be fed properly.

Well he called me.
Click to expand...

Gee, what could possibly go wrong?:roll: Well, just set up the Water Bug and put the sensor at some "high alarm" position and call it a day.
 
gadfly56 said:
Gee, what could possibly go wrong?:roll: Well, just set up the Water Bug and put the sensor at some "high alarm" position and call it a day.
Click to expand...

Gonna look deeper into it.

was thinking about adding a couple sump pump float switches higher up in the pits wired off a house lighting circuit to control some audio visual.

gonna get deeper into the bug. Thank you.
 
Ok I was confused, I was reading about something that called or texted you.

looks like the water bug ties into a security system.
He has one of those.
 
ritelec said:
Gonna look deeper into it.

was thinking about adding a couple sump pump float switches higher up in the pits wired off a house lighting circuit to control some audio visual.

gonna get deeper into the bug. Thank you.
Click to expand...

The "Bug" is great. Can monitor 8 supervised inputs, has a built in dialer to call up to 8 people, and a low voltage relay good for 1 amp at 30 VDC/AC so you could hook up to a 24VDC horn/strobe. See www.winlandsecurity.com
 
ritelec said:
Ok I was confused, I was reading about something that called or texted you.

looks like the water bug ties into a security system.
He has one of those.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to tie into the security system, but it could.
 
Question.

I rewire the pumps (getting power from where is something else).

I sell and install the "bug".

Something happens with the bug or pumps. The basement floods.
Where does that leave the electrician who was only trying to do the right job?
 
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