[RE-wrenches] Wireless control of off-grid pumps

William Miller wrmiller at charter.net
Wed Sep 3 14:49:41 PDT 2008


Roy:

I have minimal experience in this field, but I did experiment with this 
type of control.  I did not specify a pressure tank, which may have 
rendered the concept feasible.

I had suggested a ball cock valve be installed at the tank and a pressure 
switch at the well to control the pump.  There is a problem, however, with 
this type of valve: I believe they tend to close off water flow 
gradually.  When partially closed, enough pressure can build up to shut off 
the pump.  Because the valve is not fully closed, the pressure in the line 
can bleed off rather quickly, causing the pump to start up again 
quickly.  This rapid cycling can increase wear and tear on the pump.

There is a valve available that will function in a different manner and 
allow this type of operation.  It "snaps" closed.  Below is a link to the 
brochure:

http://www.jobevalves.com/uploads/24227/attachments/Reservoir_Info_Sheet.pdf

William Miller

At 12:28 PM 9/3/2008, you wrote:
>Allan,
>
>Is the distance between tanks too far to consider adding that float switch 
>wire?
>It really is the most reliable way.
>
>What's the vertical lift from pump to tanks? If it's not too much, say 
>under 60-70 feet, you
>could use a float valve in the tank and expansion tank w/ pressure switch 
>setup for on/off operation.
>
>My fear with any wireless setup would be the complexity and thus the 
>reliability of it. And it needs power....
>
>Good luck! Please follow up with anything you find....I'm tired of running 
>float wire....as much as 14,000
>feet for one system (runs fine...for now)
>
>Roy Butler

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