Water Tank Sensor Recommendations?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by arrikhan, Jan 11, 2014.

  1. arrikhan

    arrikhan

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    Hi, I've been browsing various threads about water tank level sensors and CBUS and THIS THREAD recommends the Anadex Labs AN420-5 unit HERE.

    These are listed at about $400. I was curious if anyone ever found/installed a cheaper option to provide same result easily?

    Thanks ..


    BenC
     
    arrikhan, Jan 11, 2014
    #1
  2. arrikhan

    Brendan Rogers

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    Hi BenC,

    If you only need to detect when the water level is above or below one or two different points, you can simply use one or two float switches via a C-Bus Auxiliary Input Unit.

    If you need virtually continuous level measurement, then we have found water pressure sensors to be a simple and reliable way of achieving this, via a C-Bus General Input Unit. However, a good quality pressure sensor and the C-Bus GIU cost over $400.
     
    Brendan Rogers, Jan 12, 2014
    #2
  3. arrikhan

    ashleigh Moderator

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    Many years ago, I built a non-C-Bus device for controlling water in a tank, using float switches. They are readily available, not very expensive.

    The only thing to watch for is to make sure that the switches are compatible with the material in the tank. (Plastic switches sensing petroleum might be a bad move - depends on the plastic but you might also have other safety issues to consider!)

    If it is water in the tank, and to be used for human or animal consumption, then make sure the plastic of the switches AND THE SEALS is food grade.

    You can then do simple sensing using low / high placement of the switches and setting their orientation correctly (eg often one will be up, the other down, but this is not a hard and fast rule it depends on the switching / sensing approach you use). An Aux input could be used for this.

    Of course if you don't want any C-Bus at all because you are just switching a pump then a simple self-latching relay will do the job, and you can run it off a plug pack.
     
    ashleigh, Jan 12, 2014
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  4. arrikhan

    John Harnett

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    Perhaps some of these?

    Perhaps you could use a selection of http://www.adafruit.com/products/464 units. Of course to read more than 12" you would need to have a few of these. A single unit could be read with the analogue inputs. For more than one unit you could perhaps offset the resistance of the 2nd (and subsequent) unit by an additional resistance. Or alternatively make a separate controller to manage them (and perhaps provide C-Bus input via 5000SM/2 - hmm, I like that idea ;-).
     
    John Harnett, Jan 13, 2014
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