Blimey - I live in the UK and have searched everywhere for a straightforward and sensible explanation of how float switches work - only a good old American company can explain it as well as this. Thank you Bee Cave Drilling !
Your channel is amazing, a lot of us live nowhere near Texas so your help on here is really amazing and it's giving me some great ideas for my home water storage.
@@jimblair1 The one thing I cannot figure out is how to attached the pipe that the floats sit on in the actual tank. If I put say a 1 1/2” pipe pipe attached the inlet on the inside of the tank, the problem is yeah I have something to attach the floats too, but the water would also then fill from the bottom of the tank going through tat pipe on the inside of the tank? Thank you again for all you do!
I've got a different type of float switch. It's a ball floater similar to the type in a toilet tank but made of brass. I noticed yesterday that it's floating too high and letting water overflow out of the tank where the pipe enters. Any resources for how I can adjust the level? It's going to literally be a pain no matter what because I also need to figure out a way to keep the mosquitoes out of it. This is not a system we put in but the float is only a couple months old. I'd like our power bill to go back down! This slight bit of overflow keeps the pump running much more than it should.
What company float is this? Mine fail about once every 10 months in Naples, Florida. I've been purchasing them at Ace Hardware but would love to buy one that lasts years. The ones I've bought are grey or yellow and about 3/5 th size of a Coke can. Thanks
Great video, Jim. Very informative, and exactly what I was looking for. One question -- How does the cord of the float switch pass through the tank wall? Do the tanks come with some sort of port for that, or do you have to drill your own and hope it doesn't leak?
We drill a hole for the conduit and pull the wires through the conduit. We always make sure the hole is above the overflow and we pump silicone down the conduit to stop water from migrating down the conduit to the electrical boxes. Glad we could help.
I think what you have is actually a float valve, rather than a float switch. If that is the case, then you need to adjust the angle of the float valve so that it shuts off earlier. There is also a chance that the valve may have been damaged due to water flow. We call this "washing out" where the water flowing through the valve at a high rate of speed can cut a groove in the seat of the valve. If this happens, you need to replace the valve. The other possibility is that the float and stem combination is not strong enough to overcome the water pressure. You can fix this by reducing the incoming pressure, getting a longer stem, and/or getting a bigger float.
Thank you. I want to control my tank water level so when it is 1/2 empty the pump will start and stop when it is full and the cycles repeat. How does the mechanical switch trigger the electrical to On Off Pump? Would a Non Modullating Float Valve works better and more reliable than a Float Switch?
It would be really hard to get a float valve to have such a large swing between open and closed. I don't know of any on the market that can do that. The way i would accomplish this is with 2 float switches. One at the middle for "on" and one at the top for "off". You will have to use a contactor to wire in both switches. You can contact me at jimblair@beecavedrilling.com and i can email you a wiring diagram that shows how to wire this up.
You always have to include a check valve on every pump system. We have two in the well on the production water line from the pump. On the booster pump, we have a check valve after the booster pump but before the pressure tank. We use spring loaded check valves so that they will close quickly.
So you really only need two float switches for storage tank? One to keep her from overfilling and to turn the supply back on if it drops much at all and then another switch way down there that will open the circuit if there is not enough water available to pump. The "reserve" deal I don't get? The only thing I can think of is that it would prevent like irrigation left running from draining all my drinking water but then that would be a whole other pump or valve being controlled? Cause as far as my house? I might like an alarm if the tank is getting half full but I don't want the the thing shutting my water off to "reserve" half the tank! What have to go flip a switch to okay using the "reserve"? See my confusion?? Then again you could write whole books on the crap I don't know about this subject ...man i need to learn though! I seriously need to buy and employ a large storage tank for my home! Do they have a specific place in storage tanks for these float set ups? the one video I watched the guy just hung it through the hatch hole at the top...what the hay? What? Cut a slot in the cover for the wire?? I dont get it?
What kind of maintenance do you have to do on these tanks yearly? Cleaning and such? Also do you have to add any chemicals to keep bacteria and alge from growing? Or will a UV light in line from the well be enough to stop bacteria from forming?
If you get a dark enough tank that stops sunlight from getting into the tank, you don't have to worry about algae. If too much sunlight gets into the tank, you need chlorine to stop it. A UV light will not work. Cleaning depends on how dirty your water is. Most of my customers need to clean their tanks on average about every 10 years due to sediment build up on the bottom. But some need it every year and others never need it.
We have a large cistern for our house, we have the water pressure up fairly high due to the increase in feet elevation from the pump to the cistern. We are having trouble finding a float that will shut off the water. Would this type work?
Greg, it sounds like you need a float valve rather than a float switch. A float switch will turn on and off a pump or an electric valve. For high pressure applications where you have a pressurized water source filling a storage tank, the best 2 options are to use a solenoid valve and operate it off of a float switch or to install a pressure reducing valve before the normal float valve to limit the pressure that the valve sees. I recommend a "Flippin Float" valve for a high quality float valve. You can get a pressure reducing valve at any plumbing store and adjust the pressure down.
is the top float switch in water storage tank just for deep well pump to go on and off? mine now turns off the deep well pump when its raised which it should but also turns on the pressure pump at that point to fill pressure tanks. seems like that is wrong did it get wired it wrong. thought the lower float switch was for pressure pump.
The way we like to set it up has the top float switch only turning the well pump on/off. the lower floats control the booster pump. check out my other video on this. ua-cam.com/video/fTJrRpVkiTI/v-deo.html
@@jimblair1 , Thank you. Do you happen to sell instructions and part lists or kits for setting up ones own water storage system. I live in the lower Rio Grande Valley and have not found anyone who does these types of water storage set ups.
What happens when the power goes out? I have a system that is automatically fed from the municipality, but sometimes our power goes out for an hour or a day. Will the tank overfill in this case?
If you are filling from a pressurized source like from the municipality you would not use a float switch but instead a float valve. They are mechanical and will work regardless of any power conditions. You could use a float switch that would operate a solenoid valve if you choose to. In that situation if the power goes out the valve should close.
@@jimblair1 Thanks. The guy at the store sold me a float switch, and I asked the question, but looking at it I cannot figure out how it would turn off the incoming water. Right now I am using a ball floater like from a toilet, but the tank is so large that it makes a lot of noise as the water passes through the constricted valve. I will figure it out.
***** I E-mailed them about their low water alarm and asked if the float switch for the alarm was suitable for potable water, they said: " Second, SJE-Rhombus does not currently have a float switch that is approved for use in potable water. " It does not contain Mercury so I think I'm going to order theirs anyway. Thanks
Blimey - I live in the UK and have searched everywhere for a straightforward and sensible explanation of how float switches work - only a good old American company can explain it as well as this. Thank you Bee Cave Drilling !
Glad we can help.
Your channel is amazing, a lot of us live nowhere near Texas so your help on here is really amazing and it's giving me some great ideas for my home water storage.
I am glad to help.
@@jimblair1 The one thing I cannot figure out is how to attached the pipe that the floats sit on in the actual tank. If I put say a 1 1/2” pipe pipe attached the inlet on the inside of the tank, the problem is yeah I have something to attach the floats too, but the water would also then fill from the bottom of the tank going through tat pipe on the inside of the tank? Thank you again for all you do!
@@ktms1188 watch this video. it shows you exactly how that is set up. ua-cam.com/video/fTJrRpVkiTI/v-deo.html
@@jimblair1 You are the best! Thanks!
I've got a different type of float switch. It's a ball floater similar to the type in a toilet tank but made of brass. I noticed yesterday that it's floating too high and letting water overflow out of the tank where the pipe enters. Any resources for how I can adjust the level? It's going to literally be a pain no matter what because I also need to figure out a way to keep the mosquitoes out of it. This is not a system we put in but the float is only a couple months old. I'd like our power bill to go back down! This slight bit of overflow keeps the pump running much more than it should.
This explanation is good enough.
I have used these floats for 35 years. They are the industry standard in my area, and they are in my tank at my house.
What company float is this? Mine fail about once every 10 months in Naples, Florida. I've been purchasing them at Ace Hardware but would love to buy one that lasts years. The ones I've bought are grey or yellow and about 3/5 th size of a Coke can. Thanks
Thank you sooo much!
Great video, Jim. Very informative, and exactly what I was looking for. One question -- How does the cord of the float switch pass through the tank wall? Do the tanks come with some sort of port for that, or do you have to drill your own and hope it doesn't leak?
We drill a hole for the conduit and pull the wires through the conduit. We always make sure the hole is above the overflow and we pump silicone down the conduit to stop water from migrating down the conduit to the electrical boxes. Glad we could help.
I think what you have is actually a float valve, rather than a float
switch. If that is the case, then you need to adjust the angle of the
float valve so that it shuts off earlier. There is also a chance that
the valve may have been damaged due to water flow. We call this
"washing out" where the water flowing through the valve at a high rate
of speed can cut a groove in the seat of the valve. If this happens,
you need to replace the valve. The other possibility is that the float
and stem combination is not strong enough to overcome the water
pressure. You can fix this by reducing the incoming pressure, getting a
longer stem, and/or getting a bigger float.
Hi 👋👋how can i do that. .. Installation auto with pressure tank.
Thank you. I want to control my tank water level so when it is 1/2 empty the pump will start and stop when it is full and the cycles repeat. How does the mechanical switch trigger the electrical to On Off Pump? Would a Non Modullating Float Valve works better and more reliable than a Float Switch?
It would be really hard to get a float valve to have such a large swing between open and closed. I don't know of any on the market that can do that. The way i would accomplish this is with 2 float switches. One at the middle for "on" and one at the top for "off". You will have to use a contactor to wire in both switches. You can contact me at jimblair@beecavedrilling.com and i can email you a wiring diagram that shows how to wire this up.
Do you include any check valves downstream of the storage tank, with the booster pump? Or just upstream of the storage tank, with the submerged pump?
You always have to include a check valve on every pump system. We have two in the well on the production water line from the pump. On the booster pump, we have a check valve after the booster pump but before the pressure tank.
We use spring loaded check valves so that they will close quickly.
So you really only need two float switches for storage tank? One to keep her from overfilling and to turn the supply back on if it drops much at all and then another switch way down there that will open the circuit if there is not enough water available to pump. The "reserve" deal I don't get? The only thing I can think of is that it would prevent like irrigation left running from draining all my drinking water but then that would be a whole other pump or valve being controlled? Cause as far as my house? I might like an alarm if the tank is getting half full but I don't want the the thing shutting my water off to "reserve" half the tank! What have to go flip a switch to okay using the "reserve"? See my confusion?? Then again you could write whole books on the crap I don't know about this subject ...man i need to learn though! I seriously need to buy and employ a large storage tank for my home! Do they have a specific place in storage tanks for these float set ups? the one video I watched the guy just hung it through the hatch hole at the top...what the hay? What? Cut a slot in the cover for the wire?? I dont get it?
What kind of maintenance do you have to do on these tanks yearly? Cleaning and such?
Also do you have to add any chemicals to keep bacteria and alge from growing? Or will a UV light in line from the well be enough to stop bacteria from forming?
If you get a dark enough tank that stops sunlight from getting into the tank, you don't have to worry about algae. If too much sunlight gets into the tank, you need chlorine to stop it. A UV light will not work. Cleaning depends on how dirty your water is. Most of my customers need to clean their tanks on average about every 10 years due to sediment build up on the bottom. But some need it every year and others never need it.
We have a large cistern for our house, we have the water pressure up fairly high due to the increase in feet elevation from the pump to the cistern. We are having trouble finding a float that will shut off the water. Would this type work?
Greg,
it sounds like you need a float valve rather than a float switch. A float switch will turn on and off a pump or an electric valve.
For high pressure applications where you have a pressurized water source filling a storage tank, the best 2 options are to use a solenoid valve and operate it off of a float switch or to install a pressure reducing valve before the normal float valve to limit the pressure that the valve sees. I recommend a "Flippin Float" valve for a high quality float valve. You can get a pressure reducing valve at any plumbing store and adjust the pressure down.
is the top float switch in water storage tank just for deep well pump to go on and off? mine now turns off the deep well pump when its raised which it should but also turns on the pressure pump at that point to fill pressure tanks. seems like that is wrong did it get wired it wrong. thought the lower float switch was for pressure pump.
The way we like to set it up has the top float switch only turning the well pump on/off. the lower floats control the booster pump.
check out my other video on this. ua-cam.com/video/fTJrRpVkiTI/v-deo.html
Hello, Thank you for sharing this information. Would you recommend the JSE pump master plus float switches for a 1.5 hp Goulds submerged pump?
Yes that is the right switch for that pump
@@jimblair1 , Thank you. Do you happen to sell instructions and part lists or kits for setting up ones own water storage system. I live in the lower Rio Grande Valley and have not found anyone who does these types of water storage set ups.
@@sylviobravo6727 yes. Contact us on Monday and we can help you
@@jimblair1, will do.. Thank you
How much for a float switch and how do you wire it to the pump? I need to finish my well.
I don't sell floats that I don't install. You should contact your local water well driller for a good float switch.
Would this float switch work for a Drummond 1 HP shallow well pump?
Jessica, yes. Get the Pumpmaster Plus model and it will run that pump just fine.
What happens when the power goes out? I have a system that is automatically fed from the municipality, but sometimes our power goes out for an hour or a day. Will the tank overfill in this case?
If you are filling from a pressurized source like from the municipality you would not use a float switch but instead a float valve. They are mechanical and will work regardless of any power conditions. You could use a float switch that would operate a solenoid valve if you choose to. In that situation if the power goes out the valve should close.
@@jimblair1 Thanks. The guy at the store sold me a float switch, and I asked the question, but looking at it I cannot figure out how it would turn off the incoming water. Right now I am using a ball floater like from a toilet, but the tank is so large that it makes a lot of noise as the water passes through the constricted valve. I will figure it out.
@@chdao try a Hudson valve. 1”. Simple valve works great
If you don't mind, what brand of float switch do you use?
DRA5136
We use SJE Rhombus Pumpmaster Plus
www.sjerhombus.com/international-product-details.php?ID=24&ID=25
***** I E-mailed them about their low water alarm and asked if the float switch for the alarm was suitable for potable water, they said: "
Second,
SJE-Rhombus does not currently have a float switch that is approved for use in
potable water.
"
It does not contain Mercury so I think I'm going to order theirs anyway.
Thanks
Is that float switch powered thru the pressure switch??
It depends on how you wire it. There are a thousand different ways to set up the electrical system depending on what you want to do.
send u float switch contion diagrm
i know how to cnnect ths things