a display showing when a pump turns on?

[danny burstein]

Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
which I'd have thought would be readily available,
but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.

We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).

What I'm hoping for is a simple box that takes utility
power on one side, sends feeds out the other, and will light up
when the line side starts pulling current.

I can reroute the power supply to the pump to pass
through the upstairs where we can watch the lamp.

Thanks for any suggestions.


--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dan...@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

[Bob F]

danny burstein wrote:
> Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
> which I'd have thought would be readily available,
> but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.
>
> We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
> like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).
>
> What I'm hoping for is a simple box that takes utility
> power on one side, sends feeds out the other, and will light up
> when the line side starts pulling current.
>
> I can reroute the power supply to the pump to pass
> through the upstairs where we can watch the lamp.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.

Many of the pumps I've seen have a pump that plugs into a cord from the switch,
which plugs into the wall. On those, a splitter could feed the power to a light
also.

[amdx]

On 4/13/2013 11:22 PM, danny burstein wrote:
> Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
> which I'd have thought would be readily available,
> but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.
>
> We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
> like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).
>
> What I'm hoping for is a simple box that takes utility
> power on one side, sends feeds out the other, and will light up
> when the line side starts pulling current.
>
> I can reroute the power supply to the pump to pass
> through the upstairs where we can watch the lamp.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>
>

IF you want to run a 120ac line to where you want the light,
simply connect wires in parallel with the motor and put the bulb on the
end. This could be done at the motor or in the float switch.
The light will stay on anytime the pump is running.

Do you want to run a 120ac wire?

Mikek

[Jim Rojas]

My suggestion is to use something like this this:

http://www.absoluteautomation.com/sump-pump-alarm-high-water-switch/

Tie up the float switch on the sump pump so it is always activated.

Run the wire to 2 low voltage SPDT or DPDT 12vdc relays. Make sure the
relays are rated for 30+ amps for long life. Bosch relays used in car
alarms for ignition cutoff or power window applications work great. Make
sure you buy them with the wiring harness. Buy extra ones because
nothing lasts forever. For your power supply, any cheap 12vdc plug in
power supply will work to activate the relays. Buy a few extra. You can
find all this real cheap on eBay.

You want to mount all this near your 120vac source, keep it away from
the pump as far as reasonably possible.

Use one relay to activate the pump.

Use the other relay to activate your remote indicator. I suggest you use
a 12vdc LED. A blue or red flashing car alarm LED is about $1 on ebay.



--
Jim Rojas
Technical Manuals Online!
http://www.tech-man.com
8002 Cornwall Lane
Tampa, FL 33615-4604
813-884-6335
813-440-6653 Fax
Email: jro...@tech-man.com
AOL: rojas813
MSN: jimr...@hotmail.com
Yahoo: jimrojas
ICQ: 20116219
GoogleTalk: Roja...@gmail.com

[Jim Wilkins]

"danny burstein" <dan...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:kkdatv$onc$1...@reader1.panix.com...

> Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
> which I'd have thought would be readily available,
> but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.
>
> We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
> like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).
>
> What I'm hoping for is a simple box that takes utility
> power on one side, sends feeds out the other, and will light up
> when the line side starts pulling current.
>
> I can reroute the power supply to the pump to pass
> through the upstairs where we can watch the lamp.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>

http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
jsw

[danny burstein]

In <kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins" <murat...@gmail.com> writes:

>http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>jsw

just about perfect. Thanks

[Jim Rojas]

danny burstein wrote:
> In <kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins" <murat...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>> jsw
>
> just about perfect. Thanks
>
>

How is this going to help without risk of electric shock? Install a GFCI
if you think this will solve your issue.

[danny burstein]

In <iHFat.405558$lC2.3...@newsfe25.iad> Jim Rojas <jro...@tech-man.com> writes:

>danny burstein wrote:
>> In <kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins" <murat...@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>>> jsw
>>
>> just about perfect. Thanks

>How is this going to help without risk of electric shock? Install a GFCI
>if you think this will solve your issue.

Nah, I'm not worried about shock. I just want a visual
indication in our main living area as to when the
pump kicks on.

If we don't see it come on at all in umptity hours, then
we'll know to make a trip downatairs...

[mike]

On 4/14/2013 3:06 PM, danny burstein wrote:
> In<iHFat.405558$lC2.3...@newsfe25.iad> Jim Rojas<jro...@tech-man.com> writes:
>
>> danny burstein wrote:
>>> In<kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins"<murat...@gmail.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>>>> jsw
>>>
>>> just about perfect. Thanks
>
>> How is this going to help without risk of electric shock? Install a GFCI
>> if you think this will solve your issue.
>
> Nah, I'm not worried about shock. I just want a visual
> indication in our main living area as to when the
> pump kicks on.
>
> If we don't see it come on at all in umptity hours, then
> we'll know to make a trip downatairs...
>
> Thanks
>

Is your sensor sensing what you really want to know???
What I'd want to know is if there's water in the basement.
If your motor is "open", not sensing current won't tell you that
it's working. Or if the hose gets disconnected, running the motor
isn't draining your basement.
And I'd think that it working is not the concern.
Not working is the problem.

A microswitch mounted on an independent float gives you what you really
want to know and actual redundancy.

Make the sense float a little higher than the first and put a buzzer on
it. No high voltage wiring required.

[amdx]

On 4/14/2013 3:37 PM, danny burstein wrote:
> In <kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins" <murat...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>> jsw
>
> just about perfect. Thanks
>
>

How are you going to see that LED in the basement from your
living room?
Mikek

[amdx]

Nevermind, I see the 12" pigtails for remote LED.
Mikek

[Jim Rojas]

If you want to make absolutely sure that the pump is actually doing it's
job, you might want to use a flow switch on the outlet pipe. Pumps can
get clogged, or stuck, or seize altogether.

I would put the LED on the flow sensor.

I have yet to see a sump pump last anymore than a few years these days.
They are all basically made in China now with the cheapest of parts.

I had a sump pump on my rain water collection system. It would transfer
the water from my rain gutters to a 250 gallon holding tank. In 3 years
I went through 4 sump pumps. One even kept tripping my GFCI. I removed
the sump pump setup, and replaced it with an cheap Intex swimming pool
pump that a neighbor was throwing away. It has worked flawlessly for the
past 2 years.

I have since added a second 250 gallon tank, and I use my rain water
collection system to top off my swimming pool, and to fully irrigate my
lawn. I haven't used my well water in many years now.

[Jim Wilkins]

"danny burstein" <dan...@panix.com> wrote in message

news:kkf993$42n$1...@reader1.panix.com...

> In <iHFat.405558$lC2.3...@newsfe25.iad> Jim Rojas
> <jro...@tech-man.com> writes:
>
>>danny burstein wrote:
>>> In <kkf3em$vtn$1...@dont-email.me> "Jim Wilkins"
>>> <murat...@gmail.com> writes:
>>>
>>>> http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>>>> jsw
>>>
>>> just about perfect. Thanks
>
>>How is this going to help without risk of electric shock? Install a
>>GFCI
>>if you think this will solve your issue.
>
> Nah, I'm not worried about shock. I just want a visual
> indication in our main living area as to when the
> pump kicks on.
>
> If we don't see it come on at all in umptity hours, then
> we'll know to make a trip downatairs...
>
> Thanks

How about a second battery-backed sump pump mounted higher with a loud
alarm wired across the motor?

Then if the main pump fails or is overwhelmed by a leak you have both
an audible warning and some added protection, and you can run the
(fused) 12V wire upstairs to operate a light and an automotive warning
chime. I wouldn't put too much of a load upstairs, like a horn,
because it will cut into the run time if the AC power fails when you
aren't home.
jsw



jsw

[hub...@ccanoemail.com]

>> Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
>> which I'd have thought would be readily available,
>> but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.
>> We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
>> like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).
>> What I'm hoping for is a simple box that takes utility
>> power on one side, sends feeds out the other, and will light up
>> when the line side starts pulling current.
>> I can reroute the power supply to the pump to pass
>> through the upstairs where we can watch the lamp.
>> Thanks for any suggestions.



>http://www.tequipment.net/NKACI.asp
>jsw

Is there anything like this to detect and indicate -
(audible would be nice !) return of grid AC voltage ?
When I'm on the generator, during a grid outage -
- as I was for the last 3 days - I'd like to be alerted
when the grid power is restored.
I do not wish to be wiring home-made things into the main panel -
but some sort of clip-on - over the conductor - would be nice
John T.



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---

[Neon John]

On Sun, 14 Apr 2013 04:22:23 +0000 (UTC), danny burstein
<dan...@panix.com> wrote:

>Hoping somenone can give a pointer to a device
>which I'd have thought would be readily available,
>but I'm only finding Big Expensive Fullscale setups.
>
>We've got a sump pump in the basement. I'd simply
>like to know when it turns on (there's a "float" switch).

Get an inexpensive current transformer, say, 50:1. Pass one motor lead
through it. Digikey/Mouser has 'em. Measure what the inrush of the
pump motor is. Let's say it's 20 amps. 20 / 50 = 400 ma on the
secondary. Pick a burden resistor that would produce say 10 volts at
that current. 25 ohms 5 watts will do.

from the burden resistor, place another resistor and zener (with back
diode) to give you the voltage you need to operate a small lamp or
LED. The zener will keep the lamp from flashing too brightly and
shortening its life on inrush.
zener
+-----------/\/\/\----+----------+----------/\/\/\/-----
| | |
| back diode --- ---
/ \ / / \ zener To lamp \
burden --- --- or zener
/ resistor | |
\ | |
+----------------------+----------+----------------
from CT

Shouldn't cost you over $15.

If you want to buy something already made, look at TimeMark's current
switch. First product on this page

http://www.time-mark.com/SearchResults.aspx?categoryID=3

Their stuff is very inexpensive. I'd guess about $30 for that unit.
Maybe twice that for a high mark-up vendor like Granger.

John


John DeArmond
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.fluxeon.com
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
See website for email address

[danny burstein]

In <mh5pm81of5edkhg1f...@4ax.com> Neon John <n...@never.com> writes:

>If you want to buy something already made, look at TimeMark's current
>switch. First product on this page

>http://www.time-mark.com/SearchResults.aspx?categoryID=3

>Their stuff is very inexpensive. I'd guess about $30 for that unit.
>Maybe twice that for a high mark-up vendor like Granger.

Thanks,

and welcome back!

[mike]

https://www.tanga.com/deals/fb23481f82/2-pack-ge-water-leak-detection-alarm?utm_campaign=BensBargains.net&utm_source=cj