water tank

[mannyb]

Customer has a water tank they want to keep maintained with out filling it by hand. They want something more automatic. I was looking into something like a Reed Level Switch or conductive probe level switch. The water tank cant be accessed so I would need something I can insert into tank to keep maintained.

 

[Eddie702]

There are all sorts of controls from cheap to expensive. Depends on the application. Is the water standing still or moving? A lot of turbulence? Open tank or a pressurized system. Any pipe tappings available

 

[ptonsparky]

Laser level control. Sonic. Submersible pressure switch(you drop it in the tank). Plain old float switches. Fancier float switches that would have a high and low level switch.

As stated before. It depends.

You and we need a lot more detail.

 

[LarryFine]

Years ago, my dad had a laundromat that had an evaporative cooler on the roof. This was the old wood kind with a straw medium, and used a modified toilet valve and float to maintain water level in the sump, and a recirculating pump.

He told me the valve kept wearing out because of the constant water trickle, while toilets normally run and then stop. That gave me the idea of using a float switch and a solenoid valve, which would be either fully opened or fully closed.

So, we went to Grainger and bought a few parts, I wired it up, and it worked like a charm for years. So, that's my suggestion. We used 120v parts to keep it simple. A cheap way would be to use a float switch made for an HVAC drip-pan .

 

[ptonsparky]

Oh yes, what is the budget?

 

[tom baker]

Its very simple with two float switches, like used in wetwells. Other options:
Gems makes a nice line of small float switches, they use reed switches
BW controls has been around a long time, they use a probe and electrode holder that extend down into the tank. Need to set a low and high level, they make a relay box to go with. This may be the best option https://www.bwallen.com/point-level.html
In all cases avoid using line voltage.
When I started doing tank level, the float switches were mercury and lasted forever. No more mercury and the float switches don't last as long.

 

[LarryFine]

That last post reminded me that I adapted the float ball to activate a micro-switch.

 

[mannyb]

There are all sorts of controls from cheap to expensive. Depends on the application. Is the water standing still or moving? A lot of turbulence? Open tank or a pressurized system. Any pipe tappings available

Water is in a tank. The tank doesnt do anything but hold treated water. They want to maintain full. They currently do it by hand with pump.

 

[ptonsparky]

How big is the tank? 100 or 100,000 gallons? Is the tank maintained at 16.65 ft or between low of 10 and high of 16 feet? Do you need to worry about it freezing? Open topped tank or fully enclosed and buried.

By hand do you mean they run a hose from a portable pump they plug in, or do they at least have a controller with a magnetic starter and plumbing for the pump?

 

[ptonsparky]

Go to Automationdirect.com. Enter ’liquid level control’ in the search box. Page down through the choices. Take some time and investigate the various types.

 

[kwired]

By hand do you mean they run a hose from a portable pump they plug in, or do they at least have a controller with a magnetic starter and plumbing for the pump?

One 8 oz cup at a time, for 10,000 gallon tank.

 

[drcampbell]

A pressure switch/transducer could also be used, as an indirect measure of water level.
It wouldn't need to be in the tank but could be located somewhere more convenient, so long as it's in a pipe connected to the tank.

 

[ptonsparky]

The pressure transducer will require considerably more thought than a float switch.

A 1" diameter colum of water will exert the same pressure as a 25' diameter of the same height.

 

[kwired]

A pressure switch/transducer could also be used, as an indirect measure of water level.
It wouldn't need to be in the tank but could be located somewhere more convenient, so long as it's in a pipe connected to the tank.

Which AFAIK is how they often do it for elevated tank municipal type systems. Haven't seen a lot of them, but every one I have seen was that way.

 

[ptonsparky]

Which AFAIK is how they often do it for elevated tank municipal type systems. Haven't seen a lot of them, but every one I have seen was that way.

A customer tried some submersible 4-20ma pressure transducers in a dairy flush system here. Dropped them into a pipe that extended to the bottom of the tanks. They now use 4-20ma Sonics that measure the actual level vs the pressure. Sediment was a problem. Not an issue for the OP, AFAWK.

I've used vibration rods for light weight solids and see now that they can be used for liquids and on that note I now remember...

OP,

Depending on the what you get the control relay and all settings from Off to On can be set in the head. You would only need to bring power and your two wire control to it. That and read the directions.

 

[mannyb]

How big is the tank? 100 or 100,000 gallons? Is the tank maintained at 16.65 ft or between low of 10 and high of 16 feet? Do you need to worry about it freezing? Open topped tank or fully enclosed and buried.

By hand do you mean they run a hose from a portable pump they plug in, or do they at least have a controller with a magnetic starter and plumbing for the pump?

Sorry for being so vague on original post The tank is 14' 5k gallon open top water tank. They store treated water. The tank lines may freeze but not actual tank. They use a Watts reverse osmosis with pump they control by hand to fill. They want a way to maintain without having to turn on controller. I tried finding something from watts that I could integrate but no luck.

 

[ptonsparky]

Now the question, is the Watts & pump designed to run continuously?
Would there be a good reason for.a.VFD? KISS is preferred usually,but sometimes it's good to step up a notch

A float system and Sonic can cause grief when ice forms. A 'drop in' pressure transducer would alleviate that problem.

 

[hillbilly1]

For cheap and simple, https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/search/float valve
I used one of these on a 20 gallon holding tank for a booster pump. 5psi in, pump boosting to 50 psi. Well had 50 psi at first bladder tank, but by the time it got up to the second house, pressure was <5 lbs. Turning up the pressure at the first house was not an option because pressure at top of well was already 130 psi.

 

[hillbilly1]

Which AFAIK is how they often do it for elevated tank municipal type systems. Haven't seen a lot of them, but every one I have seen was that way.

And those things are touchy! Took me several days to get one set exactly where it needed to be! Just barely turn the adjustment, tower would overflow, back a touch, and it would be 20’ low! LOL!

 

[drcampbell]

Read the specifications and select a pressure switch with an appropriate range (don't use something rated 0-10,000 kPa at 40 kPa) and without a whole lot of hysteresis.